diff --git a/cmd/launcher/launcher.go b/cmd/launcher/launcher.go
index e338f2c628..103d280855 100644
--- a/cmd/launcher/launcher.go
+++ b/cmd/launcher/launcher.go
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Start the osqueryd instance
 	instance, err := osquery.LaunchOsqueryInstance(
+		osquery.WithLogger(logger),
 		osquery.WithOsquerydBinary(opts.osquerydPath),
 		osquery.WithRootDirectory(rootDirectory),
 		osquery.WithConfigPluginFlag("kolide_grpc"),
diff --git a/osquery/runtime.go b/osquery/runtime.go
index 0014467589..0b66679c6d 100644
--- a/osquery/runtime.go
+++ b/osquery/runtime.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import (
 type OsqueryInstance struct {
 	*osqueryInstanceFields
 	instanceLock sync.Mutex
-	logger       log.Logger
 }
 
 // osqueryInstanceFields is a type which is embedded in OsqueryInstance so that
@@ -48,6 +47,7 @@ type osqueryInstanceFields struct {
 	stdout                io.Writer
 	stderr                io.Writer
 	retries               uint
+	logger                log.Logger
 
 	// the following are instance artifacts that are created and held as a result
 	// of launching an osqueryd process
@@ -129,8 +129,12 @@ func createOsquerydCommand(osquerydBinary string, paths *osqueryFilePaths, confi
 		"--force=true",
 		"--disable_watchdog",
 	)
-	cmd.Stdout = stdout
-	cmd.Stderr = stderr
+	if stdout != nil {
+		cmd.Stdout = stdout
+	}
+	if stderr != nil {
+		cmd.Stderr = stderr
+	}
 
 	return cmd, nil
 }
@@ -152,6 +156,14 @@ func osqueryTempDir() (string, func(), error) {
 // https://dave.cheney.net/2014/10/17/functional-options-for-friendly-apis
 type OsqueryInstanceOption func(*OsqueryInstance)
 
+// WithLogger is a functional option which allows the user to pass a log.Logger
+// to be used for logging osquery instance status.
+func WithLogger(logger log.Logger) OsqueryInstanceOption {
+	return func(i *OsqueryInstance) {
+		i.logger = logger
+	}
+}
+
 // WithOsqueryExtensionPlugin is a functional option which allows the user to
 // declare a number of osquery plugins (ie: config plugin, logger plugin, tables,
 // etc) which can be loaded when calling LaunchOsqueryInstance. You can load as
@@ -267,11 +279,10 @@ func LaunchOsqueryInstance(opts ...OsqueryInstanceOption) (*OsqueryInstance, err
 	// caller.
 	o := &OsqueryInstance{
 		osqueryInstanceFields: &osqueryInstanceFields{
-			stdout:          ioutil.Discard,
-			stderr:          ioutil.Discard,
 			rmRootDirectory: func() {},
 			errs:            make(chan error),
 			clientLock:      new(sync.Mutex),
+			logger:          log.NewNopLogger(),
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -436,21 +447,47 @@ func launchOsqueryInstance(o *OsqueryInstance) (*OsqueryInstance, error) {
 	// Launch a long-running recovery goroutine which can handle various errors
 	// that can occur
 	go func() {
-		// Block until an error is generated by the osqueryd process itself or the
-		// extension manager server. We don't select, because if one element of the
-		// runtime produces an error, it's likely that all of the other components
-		// will produce errors as well since everything is so interconnected. For
-		// this reason, when any error occurs, we attempt a total recovery.
-		runtimeError, done := <-errChannel
-		if done {
-			return
-		}
-		if recoveryError := o.Recover(runtimeError); recoveryError != nil {
-			// If we were not able to recover the osqueryd process for some reason,
-			// kill the process and hope that the operating system scheduling
-			// mechanism (launchd, etc) can relaunch the tool cleanly.
-			level.Info(o.logger).Log("err", errors.Wrap(recoveryError, "could not recover the osqueryd process"))
-			os.Exit(1)
+		ticker := time.NewTicker(60 * time.Second)
+		defer ticker.Stop()
+
+		for {
+			needsRecovery := false
+			select {
+			case <-ticker.C:
+				healthy, err := o.Healthy()
+				if err != nil {
+					needsRecovery = true
+					level.Error(o.logger).Log("err", errors.Wrap(err, "checking instance health"))
+				}
+				if !healthy {
+					needsRecovery = true
+					level.Error(o.logger).Log("msg", "instance not healthy")
+				}
+
+			// Block until an error is generated by the osqueryd process itself or the
+			// extension manager server. We don't select, because if one element of the
+			// runtime produces an error, it's likely that all of the other components
+			// will produce errors as well since everything is so interconnected. For
+			// this reason, when any error occurs, we attempt a total recovery.
+			case runtimeError, open := <-errChannel:
+				if !open {
+					return
+				}
+				needsRecovery = true
+				level.Error(o.logger).Log("err", errors.Wrap(runtimeError, "osquery runtime error"))
+			}
+
+			if needsRecovery {
+				level.Info(o.logger).Log("msg", "recovering osquery instance")
+				if recoveryError := o.Recover(); recoveryError != nil {
+					// If we were not able to recover the osqueryd process for some reason,
+					// kill the process and hope that the operating system scheduling
+					// mechanism (launchd, etc) can relaunch the tool cleanly.
+					level.Error(o.logger).Log("err", errors.Wrap(recoveryError, "could not recover the osqueryd process"))
+					os.Exit(1)
+				}
+				return
+			}
 		}
 	}()
 
@@ -471,7 +508,7 @@ func (o *OsqueryInstance) beginTeardown() bool {
 // release resources because Kill() expects the osquery instance to be healthy,
 // whereas Recover() expects a hostile environment and is slightly more
 // defensive in it's actions.
-func (o *OsqueryInstance) Recover(runtimeError error) error {
+func (o *OsqueryInstance) Recover() error {
 	// If the user explicitly calls o.Kill(), as the components are shutdown, they
 	// may exit with errors. In this case, we shouldn't recover the
 	// instance.
@@ -545,11 +582,16 @@ func (o *OsqueryInstance) Restart() error {
 // being managed by the current instantiation of this OsqueryInstance is
 // healthy.
 func (o *OsqueryInstance) Healthy() (bool, error) {
-	status, err := o.extensionManagerServer.Ping()
+	serverStatus, err := o.extensionManagerServer.Ping()
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, errors.Wrap(err, "could not ping extension server")
+	}
+
+	clientStatus, err := o.extensionManagerClient.Ping()
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, errors.Wrap(err, "could not ping osquery through extension interface")
+		return false, errors.Wrap(err, "could not ping osquery extension client")
 	}
-	return status.Code == 0, nil
+	return serverStatus.Code == 0 && clientStatus.Code == 0, nil
 }
 
 func (o *OsqueryInstance) Query(query string) ([]map[string]string, error) {
@@ -579,6 +621,7 @@ func (o *OsqueryInstance) relaunchAndReplace() error {
 		WithLoggerPluginFlag(o.loggerPluginFlag),
 		WithDistributedPluginFlag(o.distributedPluginFlag),
 		WithRetries(o.retries),
+		WithLogger(o.logger),
 	}
 	if !o.usingTempDir {
 		opts = append(opts, WithRootDirectory(o.rootDirectory))
diff --git a/osquery/runtime_test.go b/osquery/runtime_test.go
index 6e2d524ef1..30d30e5c41 100644
--- a/osquery/runtime_test.go
+++ b/osquery/runtime_test.go
@@ -149,8 +149,32 @@ func TestRecover(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	require.NoError(t, instance.Recover(errors.New("fabricated in a test")))
-	require.NoError(t, instance.Recover(errors.New("fabricated in a test")))
+	require.NoError(t, instance.Recover())
+	require.NoError(t, instance.Recover())
+	time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+
+	healthy, err := instance.Healthy()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, healthy)
+
+	require.NoError(t, instance.Kill())
+}
+
+func TestOsqueryDies(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	rootDirectory, rmRootDirectory, err := osqueryTempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer rmRootDirectory()
+
+	require.NoError(t, buildOsqueryExtensionInBinDir(getBinDir(t)))
+	instance, err := LaunchOsqueryInstance(
+		WithRootDirectory(rootDirectory),
+		WithRetries(3),
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.NoError(t, instance.cmd.Process.Kill())
+	time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
 
 	healthy, err := instance.Healthy()
 	require.NoError(t, err)