diff --git a/root_overlay/bin/healthcheck.sh b/root_overlay/bin/healthcheck.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1858035
--- /dev/null
+++ b/root_overlay/bin/healthcheck.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# This script acts as a dead-man-switch for the door pi.
+# It sends a ping to healthchecks.io in regular intervals. 
+# When a ping is missed (e.g. because the pi crashes) healtchecks 
+# is configured to send a notification that the pi is down.
+LOGFILE=/var/log/healthcheck.log
+URL=http://hc-ping.com/7cfd6716-ac74-420a-b322-ef8d5746e0fe
+while true; do
+    echo -n "`date +"[%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S]"` " >> $LOGFILE
+    wget -q -O - $URL >> $LOGFILE
+    echo "" >> $LOGFILE
+    sleep 15m 
+done
diff --git a/root_overlay/bin/watcher b/root_overlay/bin/watcher
index d0631e3..36ca561 100755
--- a/root_overlay/bin/watcher
+++ b/root_overlay/bin/watcher
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@ while true; do
 	start-stop-daemon -S -m -p /tmp/poll_desfire.pid -x /bin/poll_desfire -b -- /root/key /tmp/nfc_fifo
 	start-stop-daemon -v -p /tmp/fcpy.pid -S -b -m -v -x /usr/bin/python -- /bin/door.py
 	start-stop-daemon -v -p /tmp/webiface.pid -S -b -m -v -x /usr/bin/python -- /usr/bin/launch_webadmin
+	start-stop-daemon -v -p /tmp/healthchecks.pid -S -b -m -v -x /bin/sh -- /bin/healthcheck.sh
 	sleep 5
 done