diff --git a/broker/nats/nats.go b/broker/nats/nats.go
index 01b59d18..b8bf6daf 100644
--- a/broker/nats/nats.go
+++ b/broker/nats/nats.go
@@ -4,19 +4,13 @@ package nats
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
-	"net"
-	"net/url"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/broker"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/codec/json"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/logger"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/registry"
-	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/util/addr"
-	"github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2/server"
 	nats "github.com/nats-io/nats.go"
 )
 
@@ -35,13 +29,6 @@ type natsBroker struct {
 	// should we drain the connection
 	drain   bool
 	closeCh chan (error)
-
-	// embedded server
-	server *server.Server
-	// configure to use local server
-	local bool
-	// server exit channel
-	exit chan bool
 }
 
 type subscriber struct {
@@ -108,186 +95,18 @@ func (n *natsBroker) setAddrs(addrs []string) []string {
 		}
 		cAddrs = append(cAddrs, addr)
 	}
-	// if there's no address and we weren't told to
-	// embed a local server then use the default url
-	if len(cAddrs) == 0 && !n.local {
+	if len(cAddrs) == 0 {
 		cAddrs = []string{nats.DefaultURL}
 	}
 	return cAddrs
 }
 
-// serve stats a local nats server if needed
-func (n *natsBroker) serve(exit chan bool) error {
-	var host string
-	var port int
-	var local bool
-
-	// with no address we just default it
-	// this is a local client address
-	if len(n.addrs) == 0 {
-		// find an advertiseable ip
-		if h, err := addr.Extract(""); err != nil {
-			host = "127.0.0.1"
-		} else {
-			host = h
-		}
-
-		port = -1
-		local = true
-	} else {
-		address := n.addrs[0]
-		if strings.HasPrefix(address, "nats://") {
-			address = strings.TrimPrefix(address, "nats://")
-		}
-
-		// check if its a local address and only then embed
-		if addr.IsLocal(address) {
-			h, p, err := net.SplitHostPort(address)
-			if err == nil {
-				host = h
-				port, _ = strconv.Atoi(p)
-				local = true
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	// we only setup a server for local things
-	if !local {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// 1. create new server
-	// 2. register the server
-	// 3. connect to other servers
-	var cOpts server.ClusterOpts
-	var routes []*url.URL
-
-	// get existing nats servers to connect to
-	services, err := n.opts.Registry.GetService("go.micro.nats.broker")
-	if err == nil {
-		for _, service := range services {
-			for _, node := range service.Nodes {
-				u, err := url.Parse("nats://" + node.Address)
-				if err != nil {
-					if logger.V(logger.ErrorLevel, logger.DefaultLogger) {
-						logger.Error(err)
-					}
-					continue
-				}
-				// append to the cluster routes
-				routes = append(routes, u)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	// try get existing server
-	s := n.server
-
-	// get a host address
-	caddr, err := addr.Extract("")
-	if err != nil {
-		caddr = "0.0.0.0"
-	}
-
-	// set cluster opts
-	cOpts = server.ClusterOpts{
-		Host: caddr,
-		Port: -1,
-	}
-
-	if s == nil {
-		var err error
-		s, err = server.NewServer(&server.Options{
-			// Specify the host
-			Host: host,
-			// Use a random port
-			Port: port,
-			// Set the cluster ops
-			Cluster: cOpts,
-			// Set the routes
-			Routes:         routes,
-			NoLog:          true,
-			NoSigs:         true,
-			MaxControlLine: 2048,
-			TLSConfig:      n.opts.TLSConfig,
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		// save the server
-		n.server = s
-	}
-
-	// start the server
-	go s.Start()
-
-	var ready bool
-
-	// wait till its ready for connections
-	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
-		if s.ReadyForConnections(time.Second) {
-			ready = true
-			break
-		}
-	}
-
-	if !ready {
-		return errors.New("server not ready")
-	}
-
-	// set the client address
-	n.addrs = []string{s.ClientURL()}
-
-	go func() {
-		// register the cluster address
-		for {
-			select {
-			case <-exit:
-				// deregister on exit
-				n.opts.Registry.Deregister(&registry.Service{
-					Name:    "go.micro.nats.broker",
-					Version: "v2",
-					Nodes: []*registry.Node{
-						{Id: s.ID(), Address: s.ClusterAddr().String()},
-					},
-				})
-				s.Shutdown()
-				return
-			default:
-				// register the broker
-				n.opts.Registry.Register(&registry.Service{
-					Name:    "go.micro.nats.broker",
-					Version: "v2",
-					Nodes: []*registry.Node{
-						{Id: s.ID(), Address: s.ClusterAddr().String()},
-					},
-				}, registry.RegisterTTL(time.Minute))
-				time.Sleep(time.Minute)
-			}
-		}
-	}()
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (n *natsBroker) Connect() error {
 	n.Lock()
 	defer n.Unlock()
 
-	if !n.connected {
-		// create exit chan
-		n.exit = make(chan bool)
-
-		// start embedded server if asked to
-		if n.local {
-			if err := n.serve(n.exit); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
-
-		// set to connected
-		n.connected = true
+	if n.connected {
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	status := nats.CLOSED
@@ -297,6 +116,7 @@ func (n *natsBroker) Connect() error {
 
 	switch status {
 	case nats.CONNECTED, nats.RECONNECTING, nats.CONNECTING:
+		n.connected = true
 		return nil
 	default: // DISCONNECTED or CLOSED or DRAINING
 		opts := n.nopts
@@ -314,13 +134,14 @@ func (n *natsBroker) Connect() error {
 			return err
 		}
 		n.conn = c
+		n.connected = true
 		return nil
 	}
 }
 
 func (n *natsBroker) Disconnect() error {
-	n.RLock()
-	defer n.RUnlock()
+	n.Lock()
+	defer n.Unlock()
 
 	// drain the connection if specified
 	if n.drain {
@@ -331,16 +152,6 @@ func (n *natsBroker) Disconnect() error {
 	// close the client connection
 	n.conn.Close()
 
-	// shutdown the local server
-	// and deregister
-	if n.server != nil {
-		select {
-		case <-n.exit:
-		default:
-			close(n.exit)
-		}
-	}
-
 	// set not connected
 	n.connected = false
 
@@ -357,19 +168,27 @@ func (n *natsBroker) Options() broker.Options {
 }
 
 func (n *natsBroker) Publish(topic string, msg *broker.Message, opts ...broker.PublishOption) error {
+	n.RLock()
+	defer n.RUnlock()
+
+	if n.conn == nil {
+		return errors.New("not connected")
+	}
+
 	b, err := n.opts.Codec.Marshal(msg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	n.RLock()
-	defer n.RUnlock()
 	return n.conn.Publish(topic, b)
 }
 
 func (n *natsBroker) Subscribe(topic string, handler broker.Handler, opts ...broker.SubscribeOption) (broker.Subscriber, error) {
+	n.RLock()
 	if n.conn == nil {
+		n.RUnlock()
 		return nil, errors.New("not connected")
 	}
+	n.RUnlock()
 
 	opt := broker.SubscribeOptions{
 		AutoAck: true,
@@ -441,15 +260,10 @@ func (n *natsBroker) setOption(opts ...broker.Option) {
 		n.nopts = nopts
 	}
 
-	local, ok := n.opts.Context.Value(localServerKey{}).(bool)
-	if ok {
-		n.local = local
-	}
-
 	// broker.Options have higher priority than nats.Options
 	// only if Addrs, Secure or TLSConfig were not set through a broker.Option
 	// we read them from nats.Option
-	if len(n.opts.Addrs) == 0 && !n.local {
+	if len(n.opts.Addrs) == 0 {
 		n.opts.Addrs = n.nopts.Servers
 	}
 
diff --git a/broker/nats/options.go b/broker/nats/options.go
index ba127e73..78708c0b 100644
--- a/broker/nats/options.go
+++ b/broker/nats/options.go
@@ -7,18 +7,12 @@ import (
 
 type optionsKey struct{}
 type drainConnectionKey struct{}
-type localServerKey struct{}
 
 // Options accepts nats.Options
 func Options(opts nats.Options) broker.Option {
 	return setBrokerOption(optionsKey{}, opts)
 }
 
-// LocalServer embeds a local server rather than connecting to one
-func LocalServer() broker.Option {
-	return setBrokerOption(localServerKey{}, true)
-}
-
 // DrainConnection will drain subscription on close
 func DrainConnection() broker.Option {
 	return setBrokerOption(drainConnectionKey{}, struct{}{})
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 8a445a11..ffed3e84 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/micro/cli/v2 v2.1.2
 	github.com/miekg/dns v1.1.27
 	github.com/mitchellh/hashstructure v1.0.0
-	github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 v2.1.6
+	github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 v2.1.6 // indirect
 	github.com/nats-io/nats.go v1.9.2
 	github.com/nlopes/slack v0.6.1-0.20191106133607-d06c2a2b3249
 	github.com/oxtoacart/bpool v0.0.0-20190530202638-03653db5a59c