diff --git a/SMP-analyze.sh b/SMP-analyze.sh
index 2a5972ff2adb4e1ec08676a9cc07bc56ab292671..2d74fc16d1e3e8f7b44ba6b45fa59c3d34978911 100755
--- a/SMP-analyze.sh
+++ b/SMP-analyze.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@ file=$1
 md5name=$(md5sum $file | awk '{print $1}')
 directory=/tmp/remote-analyze/${md5name}
 
+verify_host_live()
+{
+	remotehost=$1
+	ping -c 5 -w 5 $remotehost
+	if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+		return 1
+	fi
+	
+	return 0
+}
+
 copy_STARS_info()
 {
 	remotehost=$1
@@ -89,18 +100,30 @@ run_remote_command()
 # FIXME: need to handle multiple files to be analyzed?
 
 exit_code=1
-server_has_cached_info $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST
-if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
-	echo SERVER HAS ALREADY ANALYZED $md5name, retrieving cached info
-	copy_and_verify_result $remotehost $file.annot
-	exit_code=$?
+verify_host_live $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST
+if [  $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	server_has_cached_info $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST
+	if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+		echo SERVER HAS ALREADY ANALYZED $md5name, retrieving cached info
+		copy_and_verify_result $remotehost $file.annot
+		exit_code=$?
+	else
+		run_remote_command $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST $@
+		exit_code=$?
+	fi
 else
-	run_remote_command $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST $@
-	exit_code=$?
+	echo "Host $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST is not responding"
 fi
 
 if [ ! $exit_code -eq 0 ]; then
 	echo "Error detected on primary $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST, failing over to $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST2"
+
+	verify_host_live $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST2
+	if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+		echo "Backup host $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST2 is not responding"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+
 	run_remote_command $IDA_PRO_SERVER_HOST2 $@
 	exit_code=$?
 fi