diff --git a/api/admin/admin.proto b/api/admin/admin.proto
index 9fde13b..7ad1757 100644
--- a/api/admin/admin.proto
+++ b/api/admin/admin.proto
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ message RegistryResponse {
 
 message ApplicationRequest {
     string AppName = 1;
+    optional string VmName = 2;
 }
 
 message ApplicationResponse {
diff --git a/client/src/client.rs b/client/src/client.rs
index 9b4e915..cb24754 100644
--- a/client/src/client.rs
+++ b/client/src/client.rs
@@ -76,12 +76,8 @@ impl AdminClient {
         Ok(response.into_inner().cmd_status)
     }
 
-    pub async fn start(&self, app: String, vm: Option<String>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        let app_name = match vm {
-            Some(vm_name) => format!("{app}:{vm_name}"),
-            None => app,
-        };
-        let request = pb::admin::ApplicationRequest { app_name };
+    pub async fn start(&self, app_name: String, vm_name: Option<String>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        let request = pb::admin::ApplicationRequest { app_name, vm_name };
         let response = self.connect_to().await?.start_application(request).await?;
         // Ok(response.into_inner().cmd_status)
         Ok(())
diff --git a/src/admin/server.rs b/src/admin/server.rs
index 5ade7ec..6401af8 100644
--- a/src/admin/server.rs
+++ b/src/admin/server.rs
@@ -231,19 +231,12 @@ impl AdminServiceImpl {
         self.registry.register(entry)
     }
 
-    fn parse_app_vm_pair(app_and_vm: &str) -> (&str, Option<&str>) {
-        if let Some((app, vm)) = app_and_vm.split_once(":") {
-            (app, Some(vm))
-        } else {
-            (app_and_vm, None)
-        }
-    }
-
     pub async fn start_app(&self, req: ApplicationRequest) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         if self.state != State::VmsRegistered {
             info!("not all required system-vms are registered")
         }
-        let (name, vm) = Self::parse_app_vm_pair(&req.app_name);
+        let name = req.app_name;
+        let vm = req.vm_name.as_deref();
         let vm_name = format_vm_name(&name, vm);
         let systemd_agent = format_service_name(&name, vm);