diff --git a/api/api.cc b/api/api.cc
index 5f5c677d36d2..7618937fb752 100644
--- a/api/api.cc
+++ b/api/api.cc
@@ -135,6 +135,14 @@ future<> unset_load_meter(http_context& ctx) {
     return ctx.http_server.set_routes([&ctx] (routes& r) { unset_load_meter(ctx, r); });
 }
 
+future<> set_format_selector(http_context& ctx, db::sstables_format_selector& sel) {
+    return ctx.http_server.set_routes([&ctx, &sel] (routes& r) { set_format_selector(ctx, r, sel); });
+}
+
+future<> unset_format_selector(http_context& ctx) {
+    return ctx.http_server.set_routes([&ctx] (routes& r) { unset_format_selector(ctx, r); });
+}
+
 future<> set_server_sstables_loader(http_context& ctx, sharded<sstables_loader>& sst_loader) {
     return ctx.http_server.set_routes([&ctx, &sst_loader] (routes& r) { set_sstables_loader(ctx, r, sst_loader); });
 }
diff --git a/api/api_init.hh b/api/api_init.hh
index e2a09f40c2b5..836fdb7e16ef 100644
--- a/api/api_init.hh
+++ b/api/api_init.hh
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ namespace cql_transport { class controller; }
 namespace db {
 class snapshot_ctl;
 class config;
+class sstables_format_selector;
 namespace view {
 class view_builder;
 }
@@ -135,6 +136,8 @@ future<> set_server_raft(http_context&, sharded<service::raft_group_registry>&);
 future<> unset_server_raft(http_context&);
 future<> set_load_meter(http_context& ctx, service::load_meter& lm);
 future<> unset_load_meter(http_context& ctx);
+future<> set_format_selector(http_context& ctx, db::sstables_format_selector& sel);
+future<> unset_format_selector(http_context& ctx);
 future<> set_server_cql_server_test(http_context& ctx, cql_transport::controller& ctl);
 future<> unset_server_cql_server_test(http_context& ctx);
 future<> set_server_commitlog(http_context& ctx, sharded<replica::database>&);
diff --git a/api/system.cc b/api/system.cc
index 1eda3c2a20d3..66d004f3aad3 100644
--- a/api/system.cc
+++ b/api/system.cc
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include "api/api-doc/system.json.hh"
 #include "api/api-doc/metrics.json.hh"
 #include "replica/database.hh"
-#include "sstables/sstables_manager.hh"
+#include "db/sstables-format-selector.hh"
 
 #include <rapidjson/document.h>
 #include <seastar/core/reactor.hh>
@@ -183,11 +183,18 @@ void set_system(http_context& ctx, routes& r) {
         apilog.info("Profile dumped to {}", profile_dest);
         return make_ready_future<json::json_return_type>(json::json_return_type(json::json_void()));
     }) ;
+}
 
-    hs::get_highest_supported_sstable_version.set(r, [&ctx] (const_req req) {
-        auto& table = ctx.db.local().find_column_family("system", "local");
-        return seastar::to_sstring(table.get_sstables_manager().get_highest_supported_format());
+void set_format_selector(http_context& ctx, routes& r, db::sstables_format_selector& sel) {
+    hs::get_highest_supported_sstable_version.set(r, [&sel] (std::unique_ptr<request> req) {
+        return smp::submit_to(0, [&sel] {
+            return make_ready_future<json::json_return_type>(seastar::to_sstring(sel.selected_format()));
+        });
     });
 }
 
+void unset_format_selector(http_context& ctx, routes& r) {
+    hs::get_highest_supported_sstable_version.unset(r);
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/api/system.hh b/api/system.hh
index 9ecff3681c47..d7dd8ea0e4e8 100644
--- a/api/system.hh
+++ b/api/system.hh
@@ -12,9 +12,14 @@ namespace seastar::httpd {
 class routes;
 }
 
+namespace db { class sstables_format_selector; }
+
 namespace api {
 
 struct http_context;
 void set_system(http_context& ctx, seastar::httpd::routes& r);
 
+void set_format_selector(http_context& ctx, seastar::httpd::routes& r, db::sstables_format_selector& sel);
+void unset_format_selector(http_context& ctx, seastar::httpd::routes& r);
+
 }
diff --git a/main.cc b/main.cc
index 3667c0189ad2..b6f4fdf35119 100644
--- a/main.cc
+++ b/main.cc
@@ -1268,6 +1268,11 @@ To start the scylla server proper, simply invoke as: scylla server (or just scyl
 
             db::sstables_format_selector sst_format_selector(db);
 
+            api::set_format_selector(ctx, sst_format_selector).get();
+            auto stop_format_seletor_api = defer_verbose_shutdown("sstables format selector API", [&ctx] {
+                api::unset_format_selector(ctx).get();
+            });
+
             supervisor::notify("starting system keyspace");
             sys_ks.start(std::ref(qp), std::ref(db)).get();
             // TODO: stop()?