diff --git a/pvcd.py b/pvcd.py
index 867b7d63..a7b9e9b3 100755
--- a/pvcd.py
+++ b/pvcd.py
@@ -102,12 +102,43 @@ except:
     print('ERROR: Failed to connect to Zookeeper')
     exit(1)
 
+# Handle zookeeper failures
+def zk_listener(state):
+    global zk, update_timer
+    if state == kazoo.client.KazooState.SUSPENDED:
+        ansiiprint.echo('Connection to Zookeeper lost; retrying', '', 'e')
+
+        # Stop keepalive thread
+        stopKeepaliveTimer(update_timer)
+
+        while True:
+            _zk = kazoo.client.KazooClient(hosts=config['zookeeper'])
+            try:
+                _zk.start()
+                zk = _zk
+                break
+            except:
+                time.sleep(1)
+    elif state == kazoo.client.KazooState.CONNECTED:
+        ansiiprint.echo('Connection to Zookeeper started', '', 'o')
+
+        # Start keepalive thread
+        update_timer = createKeepaliveTimer()
+    else:
+        pass
+
+zk.add_listener(zk_listener)
+
+# Cleanup function
 def cleanup(signum, frame):
     ansiiprint.echo('Terminating daemon', '', 'e')
+    # Set stop state in Zookeeper
     zk.set('/nodes/{}/daemonstate'.format(myhostname), 'stop'.encode('ascii'))
-    zk.stop()
+    # Close the Zookeeper connection
     zk.close()
-    update_timer.join()
+    # Stop keepalive thread
+    stopKeepaliveTimer(update_timer)
+    # Exit
     sys.exit(0)
 
 # Handle signals gracefully
@@ -191,9 +222,19 @@ this_node = t_node[myhostname]
 update_zookeeper = this_node.update_zookeeper
 
 # Create timer to update this node in Zookeeper
-update_timer = apscheduler.schedulers.background.BackgroundScheduler()
-update_timer.add_job(update_zookeeper, 'interval', seconds=int(config['keepalive_interval']))
-update_timer.start()
+def createKeepaliveTimer():
+    ansiiprint.echo('Starting keepalive timer', '', 'o')
+    update_timer = apscheduler.schedulers.background.BackgroundScheduler()
+    update_timer.add_job(update_zookeeper, 'interval', seconds=int(config['keepalive_interval']))
+    update_timer.start()
+    return update_timer
+
+def stopKeepaliveTimer(update_timer):
+    ansiiprint.echo('Stopping keepalive timer', '', 'c')
+    update_timer.shutdown()
+
+# Start keepalive thread
+update_timer = createKeepaliveTimer()
 
 # Tick loop
 while True: