diff --git a/carbonsearch.example.yaml b/carbonsearch.example.yaml
index 155a5e3..71c1035 100644
--- a/carbonsearch.example.yaml
+++ b/carbonsearch.example.yaml
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ text_index_service: "text"
 # 'servers' data source in 'servers-dc:us_east' associates tags with metrics
 # through the 'fqdn' join key.
 split_indexes:
-    fqdn: "servers"
+    fqdn:
+        - "servers" # like some asset management data source, or facts from the server itself
+        - "lb" # liveness in the loadbalancer, pool association for this host, etc.
 
 # ----consumers----
 # adding a line to 'consumers' implies that carbonsearch should use this consumer.
diff --git a/database/database.go b/database/database.go
index ef3e4c6..8190989 100644
--- a/database/database.go
+++ b/database/database.go
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ func (db *Database) validateServiceIndexPairs(tags []string, givenIndex index.In
 func New(
 	queryLimit, resultLimit int,
 	fullIndexService, textIndexService string,
-	splitIndexConfig map[string]string,
+	splitIndexConfig map[string][]string,
 	stats *util.Stats,
 ) *Database {
 	serviceToIndex := make(map[string]index.Index)
@@ -312,15 +312,23 @@ func New(
 
 	writeBuffer := NewWriteBuffer(fullIndex.Name(), toc)
 	splitIndexes := map[string]*split.Index{}
-	for joinKey, service := range splitIndexConfig {
+	for joinKey, services := range splitIndexConfig {
 		index := split.NewIndex(joinKey)
 		splitIndexes[joinKey] = index
-		serviceToIndex[service] = index
 		err := writeBuffer.AddSplitIndex(joinKey)
-		toc.AddIndexServiceEntry("split", joinKey, service)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(fmt.Sprintf("database: %v has already been loaded. This likely means the config file has %v listed multiple times", joinKey, joinKey))
 		}
+
+		for _, service := range services {
+			_, ok := serviceToIndex[service]
+			if ok {
+				panic(fmt.Sprintf("database: service %v has already been attached to index %v. This likely means the config file has %q listed multiple times under %q in the 'split_indexes' section", service, joinKey, service, joinKey))
+
+			}
+			serviceToIndex[service] = index
+			toc.AddIndexServiceEntry("split", joinKey, service)
+		}
 	}
 
 	db := &Database{
diff --git a/database/database_test.go b/database/database_test.go
index 22f1e3d..c6a8f31 100644
--- a/database/database_test.go
+++ b/database/database_test.go
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ var queryLimit = 10
 var resultLimit = 10
 var fullService = "custom"
 var textService = "text"
-var splitIndexes = map[string]string{
-	"fqdn": "servers",
+var splitIndexes = map[string][]string{
+	"fqdn": []string{"servers"},
 }
 
 func TestFullQuery(t *testing.T) {
@@ -302,8 +302,8 @@ func TestSplitQuery(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestTextQuery(t *testing.T) {
-	var unusedSplitIndexes = map[string]string{
-		"foobar_unused_key": "foobar_unused_service",
+	var unusedSplitIndexes = map[string][]string{
+		"foobar_unused_key": []string{"foobar_unused_service"},
 	}
 
 	db := New(queryLimit, resultLimit, fullService, textService, unusedSplitIndexes, stats)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 52b8974..bc270a2 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ var Config = struct {
 	GraphiteHost      string            `yaml:"graphite_host"`
 	Consumers         map[string]string `yaml:"consumers"`
 
-	FullIndexService string            `yaml:"full_index_service"`
-	TextIndexService string            `yaml:"text_index_service"`
-	SplitIndexes     map[string]string `yaml:"split_indexes"`
+	FullIndexService string              `yaml:"full_index_service"`
+	TextIndexService string              `yaml:"text_index_service"`
+	SplitIndexes     map[string][]string `yaml:"split_indexes"`
 }{
 	Port: 8070,
 
diff --git a/scripts/populate_test_data.pl b/scripts/populate_test_data.pl
index 3f575a7..f4038f3 100644
--- a/scripts/populate_test_data.pl
+++ b/scripts/populate_test_data.pl
@@ -19,7 +19,13 @@
 my $port = $http_config->{port};
 (my $endpoint = $http_config->{endpoint}) =~ s/^\///;
 my $splits = $main_config->{split_indexes};
-my %valid_services = map { $_ => 1 } sort values %$splits;
+
+my %valid_services;
+for my $service_list (values %$splits) {
+    for my $service (@$service_list) {
+        $valid_services{$service} = 1;
+    }
+}
 
 my %tag_soup = (
     servers => {