diff --git a/monitor/default.go b/monitor/default.go
index f534ad53..ac89d2e3 100644
--- a/monitor/default.go
+++ b/monitor/default.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ type monitor struct {
 	client   client.Client
 
 	sync.RWMutex
+	running  bool
 	services map[string]*Status
 }
 
@@ -97,6 +98,124 @@ func (m *monitor) check(service string) (*Status, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
+func (m *monitor) reap() {
+	services, err := m.registry.ListServices()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	serviceMap := make(map[string]bool)
+	for _, service := range services {
+		serviceMap[service.Name] = true
+	}
+
+	m.Lock()
+	defer m.Unlock()
+
+	// range over our watched services
+	for service, _ := range m.services {
+		// check if the service exists in the registry
+		if !serviceMap[service] {
+			// if not, delete it in our status map
+			delete(m.services, service)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *monitor) run() {
+	// check the status every tick
+	t := time.NewTicker(time.Minute)
+	defer t.Stop()
+
+	// reap dead services
+	t2 := time.NewTicker(time.Hour)
+	defer t2.Stop()
+
+	// list the known services
+	services, _ := m.registry.ListServices()
+
+	// create a check chan of same length
+	check := make(chan string, len(services))
+
+	// front-load the services to watch
+	for _, service := range services {
+		check <- service.Name
+	}
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		// exit if we're told to
+		case <-m.exit:
+			return
+		// check a service when told to
+		case service := <-check:
+			// check the status
+			status, err := m.check(service)
+			if err != nil {
+				status = &Status{
+					Code: StatusUnknown,
+					Info: "unknown status",
+				}
+			}
+
+			// save the status
+			m.Lock()
+			m.services[service] = status
+			m.Unlock()
+		// on the tick interval get all services and issue a check
+		case <-t.C:
+			// create a list of services
+			serviceMap := make(map[string]bool)
+
+			m.RLock()
+			for service, _ := range m.services {
+				serviceMap[service] = true
+			}
+			m.RUnlock()
+
+			go func() {
+				// check the status of all watched services
+				for service, _ := range serviceMap {
+					select {
+					case <-m.exit:
+						return
+					case check <- service:
+					default:
+						// barf if we block
+					}
+				}
+
+				// list services
+				services, _ := m.registry.ListServices()
+
+				for _, service := range services {
+					// start watching the service
+					if ok := serviceMap[service.Name]; !ok {
+						m.Watch(service.Name)
+					}
+				}
+			}()
+		case <-t2.C:
+			// reap any dead/non-existent services
+			m.reap()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (m *monitor) Reap(service string) error {
+	services, err := m.registry.GetService(service)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	m.Lock()
+	defer m.Unlock()
+	delete(m.services, service)
+	for _, service := range services {
+		m.registry.Deregister(service)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (m *monitor) Status(service string) (Status, error) {
 	m.RLock()
 	defer m.RUnlock()
@@ -126,10 +245,36 @@ func (m *monitor) Watch(service string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (m *monitor) Run() error {
+	m.Lock()
+	defer m.Unlock()
+
+	if m.running {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// reset the exit channel
+	m.exit = make(chan bool)
+	// setup a new cache
+	m.registry = cache.New(m.options.Registry)
+
+	// start running
+	go m.run()
+
+	// set to running
+	m.running = true
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (m *monitor) Stop() error {
 	m.Lock()
 	defer m.Unlock()
 
+	if !m.running {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	select {
 	case <-m.exit:
 		return nil
@@ -139,58 +284,13 @@ func (m *monitor) Stop() error {
 			delete(m.services, s)
 		}
 		m.registry.Stop()
+		m.running = false
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *monitor) run() {
-	// check the status every tick
-	t := time.NewTicker(time.Minute)
-	defer t.Stop()
-
-	check := make(chan string)
-
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-m.exit:
-			return
-		case service := <-check:
-			// check the status
-			status, err := m.check(service)
-			if err != nil {
-				status = &Status{
-					Code: StatusUnknown,
-					Info: "unknown status",
-				}
-			}
-
-			// save the status
-			m.Lock()
-			m.services[service] = status
-			m.Unlock()
-		case <-t.C:
-			// create a list of services
-			var services []string
-			m.RLock()
-			for service, _ := range m.services {
-				services = append(services, service)
-			}
-			m.RUnlock()
-
-			// check the status of all watched services
-			for _, service := range services {
-				select {
-				case <-m.exit:
-					return
-				case check <- service:
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func newMonitor(opts ...Option) Monitor {
 	options := Options{
 		Client:   client.DefaultClient,
@@ -201,14 +301,11 @@ func newMonitor(opts ...Option) Monitor {
 		o(&options)
 	}
 
-	m := &monitor{
+	return &monitor{
 		options:  options,
 		exit:     make(chan bool),
 		client:   options.Client,
 		registry: cache.New(options.Registry),
 		services: make(map[string]*Status),
 	}
-
-	go m.run()
-	return m
 }
diff --git a/monitor/default_test.go b/monitor/default_test.go
index da8ff1f3..335df305 100644
--- a/monitor/default_test.go
+++ b/monitor/default_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ func TestMonitor(t *testing.T) {
 	// create new monitor
 	m := NewMonitor()
 
+	if err := m.Run(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to stop monitor: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	services := []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"}
 
 	for _, service := range services {
@@ -27,5 +31,7 @@ func TestMonitor(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// stop monitor
-	m.Stop()
+	if err := m.Stop(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to stop monitor: %v", err)
+	}
 }
diff --git a/monitor/monitor.go b/monitor/monitor.go
index 41fd17cd..711d7d03 100644
--- a/monitor/monitor.go
+++ b/monitor/monitor.go
@@ -15,10 +15,14 @@ type StatusCode int
 
 // Monitor monitors a service and reaps dead instances
 type Monitor interface {
+	// Reap a service and stop monitoring
+	Reap(service string) error
 	// Status of the service
 	Status(service string) (Status, error)
 	// Watch starts watching the service
 	Watch(service string) error
+	// Run the monitor to watch all services
+	Run() error
 	// Stop monitoring
 	Stop() error
 }