diff --git a/onionr/api.py b/onionr/api.py
index 903a35c1..a1f260ca 100755
--- a/onionr/api.py
+++ b/onionr/api.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ class API:
             if action == 'hello':
                 resp = Response('Hello, World! ' + request.host)
             elif action == 'shutdown':
-                request.environ.get('werkzeug.server.shutdown')()
+                # request.environ.get('werkzeug.server.shutdown')()
                 resp = Response('Goodbye')
             elif action == 'ping':
                 resp = Response('pong')
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ class API:
                     time.sleep(self._privateDelayTime - elapsed)
 
             return resp
-        
+
         @app.route('/')
         def banner():
             self.mimeType = 'text/html'
diff --git a/onionr/communicator.py b/onionr/communicator.py
index 2bd49826..a5476507 100755
--- a/onionr/communicator.py
+++ b/onionr/communicator.py
@@ -114,8 +114,9 @@ class OnionrCommunicate:
                 elif command[0] == 'runCheck':
                     logger.info('Status check; looks good.')
                     open('data/.runcheck', 'w+').close()
-                    break
+
             apiRunningCheckCount += 1
+
             # check if local API is up
             if apiRunningCheckCount > apiRunningCheckRate:
                 if self._core._utils.localCommand('ping') != 'pong':
@@ -131,6 +132,7 @@ class OnionrCommunicate:
                 apiRunningCheckCount = 0
 
             time.sleep(1)
+
         self._netController.killTor()
         return
 
diff --git a/onionr/onionrutils.py b/onionr/onionrutils.py
index 3c4d0497..4fbb30e8 100644
--- a/onionr/onionrutils.py
+++ b/onionr/onionrutils.py
@@ -400,21 +400,24 @@ class OnionrUtils:
                 retData = row[0]
         return retData
 
-    def isCommunicatorRunning(timeout = 5, interval = 0.1):
-        runcheck_file = 'data/.runcheck'
+    def isCommunicatorRunning(self, timeout = 5, interval = 0.1):
+        try:
+            runcheck_file = 'data/.runcheck'
 
-        if os.path.isfile(runcheck_file):
-            os.remove(runcheck_file)
-            logger.debug('%s file appears to have existed before the run check.' % runcheck_file, timestamp = False)
-
-        self._core.daemonQueueAdd('runCheck')
-        starttime = time.time()
-
-        while True:
-            time.sleep(interval)
             if os.path.isfile(runcheck_file):
                 os.remove(runcheck_file)
+                logger.debug('%s file appears to have existed before the run check.' % runcheck_file, timestamp = False)
 
-                return True
-            elif starttime - time.time() >= timeout:
-                return False
+            self._core.daemonQueueAdd('runCheck')
+            starttime = time.time()
+
+            while True:
+                time.sleep(interval)
+                if os.path.isfile(runcheck_file):
+                    os.remove(runcheck_file)
+
+                    return True
+                elif time.time() - starttime >= timeout:
+                    return False
+        except:
+            return False