diff --git a/op-hostctl/control_host_obj.c b/op-hostctl/control_host_obj.c
index 94b5134..6202044 100644
--- a/op-hostctl/control_host_obj.c
+++ b/op-hostctl/control_host_obj.c
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@
 		gpointer user_data)
 {
 	int rc = GPIO_OK;
+	GDBusProxy *proxy;
+	GError *error = NULL;
+	GVariant *result = NULL;
+	GDBusConnection *connection =
+		g_dbus_object_manager_server_get_connection(manager);
 
 	if(control_host_get_debug_mode(host)==1)
 	{
@@ -174,7 +179,57 @@
 	gpio_close(&Throttle);
 	gpio_close(&idbtn);
 
+	// Start watchdog with 30s timeout per the OpenPower Host IPMI Spec.
+	// Once the host starts booting, it'll reset and refresh the timer.
+	error = NULL;
+	// TODO Use the object mapper to lookup the bus name when this is
+	// refactored to use sdbus.
+	proxy = g_dbus_proxy_new_sync(connection,
+		G_DBUS_PROXY_FLAGS_NONE,
+		NULL, /* GDBusInterfaceInfo* */
+		"org.openbmc.watchdog.Host", /* name */
+		"/org/openbmc/watchdog/host0", /* object path */
+		"org.openbmc.Watchdog", /* interface name */
+		NULL, /* GCancellable */
+		&error);
+	g_assert_no_error(error);
+	if(error)
+		goto exit;
+
+	// Set watchdog timer to 30s
+	error = NULL;
+	result = g_dbus_proxy_call_sync(proxy,
+		"set",
+		g_variant_new("(i)", 30000),
+		G_DBUS_CALL_FLAGS_NONE,
+		-1,
+		NULL,
+		&error);
+	g_assert_no_error(error);
+	if (error)
+		goto exit;
+	if (result)
+		g_variant_unref(result);
+
+	// Start watchdog timer
+	error = NULL;
+	result = g_dbus_proxy_call_sync(proxy,
+		"start",
+		NULL,
+		G_DBUS_CALL_FLAGS_NONE,
+		-1,
+		NULL,
+		&error);
+	g_assert_no_error(error);
+	if (error)
+		goto exit;
+
 	control_host_emit_booted(host);
+
+exit:
+	if (result)
+		g_variant_unref(result);
+
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/pychassisctl/chassis_control.py b/pychassisctl/chassis_control.py
index 7f14195..6c5ad09 100755
--- a/pychassisctl/chassis_control.py
+++ b/pychassisctl/chassis_control.py
@@ -133,22 +133,6 @@
         if (self.getPowerState() == 0):
             intf = self.getInterface('power_control')
             intf.setPowerState(POWER_ON)
-
-            # Determine if debug_mode is set.  If it is then we don't
-            # want to start the watchdog since debug mode
-            intfcontrol = self.getInterface('host_control')
-            intfproperties = dbus.Interface(intfcontrol,
-                                            "org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties")
-            debug_mode = intfproperties.Get('org.openbmc.control.Host',
-                                            'debug_mode')
-            if(not debug_mode):
-                intfwatchdog = self.getInterface('watchdog')
-                # Start watchdog with 30s timeout per the OpenPower Host IPMI Spec
-                #Once the host starts booting, it'll reset and refresh the timer
-                intfwatchdog.set(30000)
-                intfwatchdog.start()
-            else:
-                print "Debug mode is on, no watchdog"
         return None
 
     @dbus.service.method(DBUS_NAME,