diff --git a/onionr/communicator.py b/onionr/communicator.py
index e4150b29..2bd49826 100755
--- a/onionr/communicator.py
+++ b/onionr/communicator.py
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ class OnionrCommunicate:
                         if announceAttemptCount >= announceAttempts:
                             logger.warn('Unable to announce to ' + command[1])
                             break
+                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:
diff --git a/onionr/default-plugins/pluginmanager/main.py b/onionr/default-plugins/pluginmanager/main.py
index 9bf7229a..cfcf1911 100644
--- a/onionr/default-plugins/pluginmanager/main.py
+++ b/onionr/default-plugins/pluginmanager/main.py
@@ -99,17 +99,17 @@ def commandInstallPlugin():
             return True
         elif valid_hash and real_block:
             blockhash = str(pkobh)
-            logger.debug('Using block ' + blockhash + '...')
+            logger.debug('Using block %s...' % blockhash)
         elif valid_key and not real_key:
             logger.error('Public key not found. Try adding the node by address manually, if possible.')
             logger.debug('Is valid key, but the key is not a known one.')
         elif valid_key and real_key:
             publickey = str(pkobh)
-            logger.debug('Using public key ' + publickey + '...')
+            logger.debug('Using public key %s...' % publickey)
 
             saveKey(pluginname, pkobh)
         else:
-            logger.error('Unknown data \"' + str(pkobh) + '\"; must be public key or block hash.')
+            logger.error('Unknown data "%s"; must be public key or block hash.' % str(pkobh))
             return
     else:
         help()
diff --git a/onionr/onionrutils.py b/onionr/onionrutils.py
index 0c770fcf..3c4d0497 100644
--- a/onionr/onionrutils.py
+++ b/onionr/onionrutils.py
@@ -59,14 +59,14 @@ class OnionrUtils:
 
             sign = self._core._crypto.edSign(message, self._core._crypto.privKey, encodeResult=True)
             #encrypted = self._core._crypto.pubKeyEncrypt(message, pubkey, anonymous=True, encodedData=True).decode()
-            
+
             payload['sig'] = sign
             payload['msg'] = message
             payload = json.dumps(payload)
             message = payload
             encrypted = self._core._crypto.pubKeyEncrypt(message, pubkey, anonymous=True, encodedData=True).decode()
 
-            
+
             block = self._core.insertBlock(encrypted, header='pm', sign=False)
             if block == '':
                 logger.error('Could not send PM')
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ class OnionrUtils:
             except Exception as error:
                 logger.error('Failed to open block ' + str(i) + '.', error=error)
         return
-    
+
     def getPeerByHashId(self, hash):
         '''
             Return the pubkey of the user if known from the hash
@@ -398,4 +398,23 @@ class OnionrUtils:
         for row in c.execute('SELECT ID FROM peers where hashID=?', command):
             if row[0] != '':
                 retData = row[0]
-        return retData
\ No newline at end of file
+        return retData
+
+    def isCommunicatorRunning(timeout = 5, interval = 0.1):
+        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)
+
+                return True
+            elif starttime - time.time() >= timeout:
+                return False