diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index d6ec9a7..fb4353a 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -10,12 +10,11 @@ type Server struct {
 	workers  []*worker
 	cfg      *config.Config
 	debuglvl int
-	httpsrv  http.Server
 }
 
 func (srv *Server) Start() {
 	for _, w := range srv.workers {
-		go w.start(srv.debuglvl)
+		go w.start()
 	}
 
 	t := time.NewTicker(srv.cfg.Interval)
@@ -26,12 +25,8 @@ func (srv *Server) Start() {
 			if srv.debuglvl > 0 {
 				fmt.Printf("interval check at %s\n", r)
 			}
-
 			for _, w := range srv.workers {
-				select {
-				case w.wake <- true:
-				default:
-				}
+				w.wake()
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -40,8 +35,7 @@ func (srv *Server) Start() {
 func NewServer(cfg *config.Config, debuglvl int) *Server {
 	srv := &Server{cfg: cfg, debuglvl: debuglvl}
 	for _, g := range cfg.Groups {
-		w := &worker{group: g, wake: make(chan bool)}
-		srv.workers = append(srv.workers, w)
+		srv.workers = append(srv.workers, makeworker(g, debuglvl))
 	}
 	return srv
 }
diff --git a/server/worker.go b/server/worker.go
index 7afd758..0d5fd8f 100644
--- a/server/worker.go
+++ b/server/worker.go
@@ -6,23 +6,25 @@ import (
 )
 
 type worker struct {
-	wake  chan bool
-	group *config.Group
+	wakec     chan bool
+	shutdownc chan bool
+	group     *config.Group
+	debuglvl  int
 }
 
-func (w *worker) start(debuglvl int) {
+func (w *worker) start() {
 	for {
-		if debuglvl > 2 {
+		if w.debuglvl > 2 {
 			fmt.Printf("%s worker waiting.. \n", w.group.Name)
 		}
-		<-w.wake
-		if debuglvl > 2 {
+		<-w.wakec
+		if w.debuglvl > 2 {
 			fmt.Printf("%s worker wake.. \n", w.group.Name)
 		}
 
 		for _, h := range w.group.Hosts {
 			for _, c := range h.Checks {
-				err := c.Check(debuglvl)
+				err := c.Check(w.debuglvl)
 				if err != nil {
 					fmt.Printf("check error: %s\n", err)
 				}
@@ -30,3 +32,34 @@ func (w *worker) start(debuglvl int) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// Wake this worker with a non-blocking push
+// into the channel
+func (w *worker) wake() {
+	select {
+	case w.wakec <- true:
+	default:
+	}
+}
+
+// Shutdown this worker with a non-blocking push
+// into the channel
+func (w *worker) shutdown() {
+	select {
+	case w.shutdownc <- true:
+	default:
+	}
+}
+
+func makeworker(g *config.Group, d int) *worker {
+	return &worker{
+		group:     g,
+		debuglvl:  d,
+		// This channel is unbuffered so that checks that take
+		// over the set interval don't backlog
+		wakec:     make(chan bool),
+		// This channel is buffered because we want it to remember
+		// an order to shutdown
+		shutdownc: make(chan bool, 1),
+	}
+}