diff --git a/config/sample-development.engine.ini b/config/sample-development.engine.ini
index 7cdbdd4313ce3f5d795a546ec048ac43dbf9825e..2213b3864c082a2474a8855ec8fdf419127198c1 100644
--- a/config/sample-development.engine.ini
+++ b/config/sample-development.engine.ini
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ api_engine_store_clock="http://localhost:8008/api/v1/clock"
 # Engine API endpoint to store health information
 api_engine_store_health="http://localhost:8008/api/v1/source/health/${ENGINE_NUMBER}"
 
+## ENGINE-CORE ##
+# Host and port of the local engine backchannel (Network Socket for e.g. sending track service updates)
+api_engine_control_host="localhost:1337"
+
 [scheduler]
 # Database settings: Use 'postgresql', 'sqlite' or 'mysql'. In case of SQLite the "db_name" is the name of the file.
 db_type="postgresql"
diff --git a/config/sample-docker.engine.ini b/config/sample-docker.engine.ini
index 734dcfaede2c25b2915a3fff53c853ff5d0b940a..5290ebd7bf1b4d21b3cebab9e176c457cc408ffc 100644
--- a/config/sample-docker.engine.ini
+++ b/config/sample-docker.engine.ini
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ api_engine_store_clock="http://127.0.0.1:8008/api/v1/clock"
 # Engine API endpoint to store health information
 api_engine_store_health="http://127.0.0.1:8008/api/v1/source/health/${ENGINE_NUMBER}"
 
+## ENGINE-CORE ##
+# Host and port of the local engine backchannel (Network Socket for e.g. sending track service updates)
+api_engine_control_host="0.0.0.0:1337"
+
 [scheduler]
 # Database settings: Use 'postgresql', 'sqlite' or 'mysql'. In case of SQLite the "db_name" is the name of the file.
 db_type="postgresql"
diff --git a/config/sample-production.engine.ini b/config/sample-production.engine.ini
index 36bbd9a10f487de54f4beef7edc57d12d7faed0a..87e6dfce7e9d76bc0a73dac649d651e1425a49b8 100644
--- a/config/sample-production.engine.ini
+++ b/config/sample-production.engine.ini
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ api_engine_store_clock="http://localhost:8008/api/v1/clock"
 # Engine API endpoint to store health information
 api_engine_store_health="http://localhost:8008/api/v1/source/health/${ENGINE_NUMBER}"
 
+## ENGINE-CORE ##
+# Host and port of the local engine backchannel (Network Socket for e.g. sending track service updates)
+api_engine_control_host="localhost:1337"
+
 [scheduler]
 # Database settings: Use 'postgresql', 'sqlite' or 'mysql'. In case of SQLite the "db_name" is the name of the file.
 db_type="postgresql"
diff --git a/src/control.py b/src/control.py
index b88f542709e8a35c4c71de03f6bf7566bd1ea2e4..3fdfd6470ac120fff1128a26fa90e75d91b673d4 100644
--- a/src/control.py
+++ b/src/control.py
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ class SocketControlInterface:
     service is primarily utilized to store new playlogs.
     """
 
-    PORT = 1337
     ACTION_ON_METADATA = "on_metadata"
 
     instance = None
@@ -98,8 +97,10 @@ class SocketControlInterface:
         self.config = AuraConfig.config()
         self.logger = logging.getLogger("AuraEngine")
         self.event_dispatcher = event_dispatcher
-        host = "127.0.0.1"
-        thread = Thread(target=self.run, args=(self.logger, host))
+        url_parts = self.config.get("api_engine_control_host").split(":")
+        host = url_parts[0]
+        port = int(url_parts[1])
+        thread = Thread(target=self.run, args=(self.logger, host, port))
         thread.start()
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -111,14 +112,14 @@ class SocketControlInterface:
             SocketControlInterface.instance = SocketControlInterface(event_dispatcher)
         return SocketControlInterface.instance
 
-    def run(self, logger, host):
+    def run(self, logger, host, port):
         """
         Starts the socket server
         """
         while True:
             try:
                 self.server = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-                self.server.bind((host, SocketControlInterface.PORT))
+                self.server.bind((host, port))
                 break
             except OSError:
                 wait_time = 2
@@ -126,9 +127,7 @@ class SocketControlInterface:
                 self.logger.error(SU.red(msg))
                 time.sleep(wait_time)
 
-        logger.info(
-            SU.yellow(f"[ECI] Listening at {host}:{SocketControlInterface.PORT}")
-        )
+        logger.info(SU.yellow(f"[ECI] Listening at {host}:{port}"))
         self.server.listen()
 
         while True:
diff --git a/src/scheduling/api.py b/src/scheduling/api.py
index fe1abcdfa12e1c0bcd23c886ee830e0214906cda..98af6d5f451aeb35db465d3796fd0606b83ba9a0 100644
--- a/src/scheduling/api.py
+++ b/src/scheduling/api.py
@@ -158,30 +158,37 @@ class ApiFetcher(threading.Thread):
         Returns:
             ([Timeslot]):   An array of timeslots
         """
+        response = None
         timeslots = None
         headers = {"content-type": "application/json"}
+        url = self.steering_calendar_url
+        self.logger.debug("Fetch timeslots from Steering API...")
 
         try:
-            self.logger.debug("Fetch timeslots from Steering API...")
-            response = requests.get(
-                self.steering_calendar_url, data=None, headers=headers
-            )
-            if not response.status_code == 200:
-                self.logger.critical(
-                    SU.red(
-                        "HTTP Status: %s | Timeslots could not be fetched! Response: %s"
-                        % (str(response.status_code), response.text)
-                    )
-                )
-                return None
-            timeslots = response.json()
+            response = requests.get(url, data=None, headers=headers)
+        except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
+            msg = SU.red(f"Bad Request | requesting Steering timeslots at {url}")
+            self.logger.error(msg)
+        except requests.exceptions.Timeout:
+            msg = SU.red(f"Timeout | Requesting Steering timeslots at {url}")
+            self.logger.error(msg)
         except Exception as e:
-            self.logger.critical(
-                SU.red("Error while requesting timeslots from Steering!"), e
-            )
+            msg = f"Unknown Error | Requesting Steering timeslots at {url}"
+            self.logger.error(SU.red(msg, e))
+        finally:
+            if not response:
+                return None
+
+        if not response.status_code == 200:
+            code = str(response.status_code)
+            text = response.text
+            msg = f"HTTP Status: {code} | Timeslots could not be fetched! Response: {text}"
+            self.logger.error(SU.red(msg))
+            return None
 
+        timeslots = response.json()
         if not timeslots:
-            self.logger.error(SU.red("Got no timeslots via Playout API (Steering)!"))
+            self.logger.error(SU.red(f"Got no timeslots via {url} (Steering)!"))
             return None
 
         return self.polish_timeslots(timeslots)