diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index bb388b9..24b8cc8 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Goal of this project is to aggregate responses from different services while not
 ## configuration
 
 configuration happens using env vars prefixed with `version.`.
+you may not use static and url together, static will take priority.
 
 ## usage
 
@@ -18,5 +19,6 @@ docker run --rm \
 -eversion.client.url='http://esel:3100/version' \
 -eversion.nuxt-client.url='http://esel:4000/nuxtversion' \
 -eversion.server.url='http://esel:3030/serverversion' \
+-eversion.dof_app_deploy.static='696'
 version-aggregator
 ```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ansible/roles/version-aggregator/templates/deployment.yml.j2 b/ansible/roles/version-aggregator/templates/deployment.yml.j2
index f869233..9a3f4d4 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/version-aggregator/templates/deployment.yml.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/version-aggregator/templates/deployment.yml.j2
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ spec:
         envFrom:
         - configMapRef:
             name: version-aggregator-configmap
+        env:
+        # we need that env here to ensure to get restarted when it changes!
+          - name: version.dof_app_deploy.static
+            value: {{ DOF_APP_DEPLOY_BRANCH_NAME }}
         resources:
           limits:
             cpu: {{ VERSION_AGGREGATOR__CPU_LIMITS|default("1000m", true) }}
diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index fbeeafa..b3cfec9 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -17,17 +17,21 @@ def do_GET(self):
             result = {}
             encountered_issues = False
             for service in services:
-                service_url = services[service]
-                logging.info('calling for client ' + service + ': ' + service_url)
-                request = urllib.request.Request(service_url)
-                try:
-                    with urllib.request.urlopen(request) as response:
-                        data = json.loads(response.read().decode('UTF-8'))
-                        result[service] = data
-                except URLError:
-                    logging.error('service not available ' + service_url, exc_info=True)
-                    encountered_issues = True
-                    result[service] = 'unavailable'
+                static_version, _value = services[service]
+                if static_version:
+                    result[service] = _value
+                else:
+                    service_url = _value
+                    logging.info('calling for client ' + service + ': ' + service_url)
+                    request = urllib.request.Request(service_url)
+                    try:
+                        with urllib.request.urlopen(request) as response:
+                            data = json.loads(response.read().decode('UTF-8'))
+                            result[service] = data
+                    except URLError:
+                        logging.error('service not available ' + service_url, exc_info=True)
+                        encountered_issues = True
+                        result[service] = 'unavailable'
 
             result['services-unavailable'] = encountered_issues
             self.send_response(200)
@@ -41,8 +45,14 @@ def do_GET(self):
 
 for key, value in os.environ.items():
     if key.startswith('version.'):
-        re_result = re.search(r"(\bversion\.\b)(\b.+\b)\.url", key)
-        services[re_result.group(2)] = value
+        re_match = re.search(r"^(version\.(.+))\.(static|url)$", key)
+        if re_match:
+            service_name = re_match.group(2)
+            is_static = re_match.group(3) == 'static'
+            services[service_name] = (is_static, value)
+        else:
+            logging.error("config is neither static nor an url: " + key)
+
 
 httpd = HTTPServer(('0.0.0.0', 8080), WebServer)
 httpd.serve_forever()