diff --git a/vmware-host-pooler b/vmware-host-pooler
index 234833f..35da677 100755
--- a/vmware-host-pooler
+++ b/vmware-host-pooler
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ require 'json'
 require 'rbvmomi'
 require 'redis'
 require 'time'
+require 'timeout'
 require 'yaml'
 
 $:.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__))
@@ -31,8 +32,9 @@ if (defined? $config[:config]['graphite'])
 end
 
 # Set some defaults
-$config[:config]['task_limit']  ||= 10
-$config[:config]['vm_lifetime'] ||= 24
+$config[:config]['task_limit']   ||= 10
+$config[:config]['vm_checktime'] ||= 15
+$config[:config]['vm_lifetime']  ||= 24
 $config[:redis] ||= Hash.new
 $config[:redis]['server'] ||= 'localhost'
 
@@ -85,28 +87,49 @@ end
 
 def check_ready_vm vm, pool, ttl
   Thread.new {
-    host = $vsphere[pool].find_vm(vm)
-
-    if (host)
-      if (
-        (host.runtime) and
-        (host.runtime.powerState) and
-        (host.runtime.powerState != 'poweredOn')
-      )
+    if (ttl > 0)
+      if ((((Time.now - host.runtime.bootTime)/60).to_s[/^\d+\.\d{1}/].to_f) > ttl)
         $redis.smove('vmware_host_pool__ready__'+pool, 'vmware_host_pool__completed__'+pool, vm)
 
-        $logger.log('d', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' appears to be powered off or dead")
-      else
-        if ((((Time.now - host.runtime.bootTime)/60).to_s[/^\d+\.\d{1}/].to_f) > ttl)
+        $logger.log('d', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' reached end of TTL after #{ttl} minutes, removed from 'ready' queue")
+      end
+    end
+
+    check_stamp = $redis.hget('vmware_host_pool__vm__'+vm, 'check')
+
+    if (
+      (! check_stamp) or
+      (((Time.now - Time.parse(check_stamp))/60) > $config[:config]['vm_checktime'])
+    )
+      $redis.hset('vmware_host_pool__vm__'+vm, 'check', Time.now)
+
+      host = $vsphere[pool].find_vm(vm)
+
+      if (host)
+        if (
+          (host.runtime) and
+          (host.runtime.powerState) and
+          (host.runtime.powerState != 'poweredOn')
+        )
           $redis.smove('vmware_host_pool__ready__'+pool, 'vmware_host_pool__completed__'+pool, vm)
 
-          $logger.log('d', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' reached end of TTL after #{ttl} minutes")
+          $logger.log('d', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' appears to be powered off, removed from 'ready' queue")
+        end
+      else
+        $redis.srem('vmware_host_pool__ready__'+pool, vm)
+
+        $logger.log('s', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' not found in vCenter inventory, removed from 'ready' queue")
+      end
+
+      begin
+        Timeout::timeout(5) {
+          TCPSocket.new vm, 22
+        }
+      rescue
+        if ($redis.smove('vmware_host_pool__ready__'+pool, 'vmware_host_pool__completed__'+pool, vm))
+          $logger.log('d', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' is unreachable, removed from 'ready' queue")
         end
       end
-    else
-      $redis.srem('vmware_host_pool__ready__'+pool, vm)
-
-      $logger.log('s', "[!] [#{pool}] '#{vm}' not found in vCenter inventory")
     end
   }
 end
@@ -300,11 +323,9 @@ def check_pool pool
       # READY
       $redis.smembers('vmware_host_pool__ready__'+pool['name']).each do |vm|
         if (inventory[vm])
-          if (pool['ready_ttl'])
-            begin
-              check_ready_vm(vm, pool['name'], pool['ready_ttl'])
-            rescue
-            end
+          begin
+            check_ready_vm(vm, pool['name'], pool['ready_ttl'] || 0)
+          rescue
           end
         end
       end