diff --git a/nsqd/channel.go b/nsqd/channel.go
index 42a1df378..a016edbd1 100644
--- a/nsqd/channel.go
+++ b/nsqd/channel.go
@@ -320,10 +320,10 @@ func (c *Channel) put(m *Message) error {
 		b := bufferPoolGet()
 		err := writeMessageToBackend(b, m, c.backend)
 		bufferPoolPut(b)
+		c.ctx.nsqd.SetHealth(err)
 		if err != nil {
 			c.ctx.nsqd.logf("CHANNEL(%s) ERROR: failed to write message to backend - %s",
 				c.name, err)
-			c.ctx.nsqd.SetHealth(err)
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ func (c *Channel) messagePump() {
 		atomic.StoreInt32(&c.bufferedCount, 1)
 		c.clientMsgChan <- msg
 		atomic.StoreInt32(&c.bufferedCount, 0)
-		// the client will call back to mark as in-flight w/ it's info
+		// the client will call back to mark as in-flight w/ its info
 	}
 
 exit:
diff --git a/nsqd/channel_test.go b/nsqd/channel_test.go
index 14fbcd6b1..b620a3dd4 100644
--- a/nsqd/channel_test.go
+++ b/nsqd/channel_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package nsqd
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"testing"
@@ -166,5 +169,59 @@ func TestChannelEmptyConsumer(t *testing.T) {
 		stats := cl.Stats()
 		equal(t, stats.InFlightCount, int64(0))
 	}
+}
 
+func TestChannelHealth(t *testing.T) {
+	opts := NewOptions()
+	opts.Logger = newTestLogger(t)
+	opts.MemQueueSize = 2
+
+	_, httpAddr, nsqd := mustStartNSQD(opts)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(opts.DataPath)
+	defer nsqd.Exit()
+
+	topic := nsqd.GetTopic("test")
+
+	channel := topic.GetChannel("channel")
+	// cause channel.messagePump to exit so we can set channel.backend without
+	// a data race. side effect is it closes clientMsgChan, and messagePump is
+	// never restarted. note this isn't the intended usage of exitChan but gets
+	// around the data race without more invasive changes to how channel.backend
+	// is set/loaded.
+	channel.exitChan <- 1
+
+	channel.backend = &errorBackendQueue{}
+
+	msg := NewMessage(<-nsqd.idChan, make([]byte, 100))
+	err := channel.PutMessage(msg)
+	equal(t, err, nil)
+
+	msg = NewMessage(<-nsqd.idChan, make([]byte, 100))
+	err = channel.PutMessage(msg)
+	equal(t, err, nil)
+
+	msg = NewMessage(<-nsqd.idChan, make([]byte, 100))
+	err = channel.PutMessage(msg)
+	nequal(t, err, nil)
+
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://%s/ping", httpAddr)
+	resp, err := http.Get(url)
+	equal(t, err, nil)
+	equal(t, resp.StatusCode, 500)
+	body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	resp.Body.Close()
+	equal(t, string(body), "NOK - never gonna happen")
+
+	channel.backend = &errorRecoveredBackendQueue{}
+
+	msg = NewMessage(<-nsqd.idChan, make([]byte, 100))
+	err = channel.PutMessage(msg)
+	equal(t, err, nil)
+
+	resp, err = http.Get(url)
+	equal(t, err, nil)
+	equal(t, resp.StatusCode, 200)
+	body, _ = ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	resp.Body.Close()
+	equal(t, string(body), "OK")
 }
diff --git a/nsqd/nsqd.go b/nsqd/nsqd.go
index b747a0826..e9c346dd3 100644
--- a/nsqd/nsqd.go
+++ b/nsqd/nsqd.go
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ const (
 	flagLoading
 )
 
+type errStore struct {
+	err error
+}
+
 type NSQD struct {
 	// 64bit atomic vars need to be first for proper alignment on 32bit platforms
 	clientIDSequence int64
@@ -48,8 +52,7 @@ type NSQD struct {
 
 	dl        *dirlock.DirLock
 	flag      int32
-	errMtx    sync.RWMutex
-	err       error
+	errValue  atomic.Value
 	startTime time.Time
 
 	topicMap map[string]*Topic
@@ -203,13 +206,14 @@ func (n *NSQD) getFlag(f int32) bool {
 }
 
 func (n *NSQD) SetHealth(err error) {
-	n.errMtx.Lock()
-	defer n.errMtx.Unlock()
-	n.err = err
 	if err != nil {
 		n.setFlag(flagHealthy, false)
+		n.errValue.Store(errStore{err: err})
 	} else {
-		n.setFlag(flagHealthy, true)
+		if !n.getFlag(flagHealthy) {
+			n.setFlag(flagHealthy, true)
+			n.errValue.Store(errStore{err: nil})
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -218,14 +222,17 @@ func (n *NSQD) IsHealthy() bool {
 }
 
 func (n *NSQD) GetError() error {
-	n.errMtx.RLock()
-	defer n.errMtx.RUnlock()
-	return n.err
+	errValue := n.errValue.Load()
+	if errValue == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return errValue.(errStore).err
 }
 
 func (n *NSQD) GetHealth() string {
-	if !n.IsHealthy() {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("NOK - %s", n.GetError())
+	err := n.GetError()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("NOK - %s", err)
 	}
 	return "OK"
 }
diff --git a/nsqd/nsqd_test.go b/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
index e3d45ce49..83541fd8e 100644
--- a/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
+++ b/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package nsqd
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net"
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ func equal(t *testing.T, act, exp interface{}) {
 func nequal(t *testing.T, act, exp interface{}) {
 	if reflect.DeepEqual(exp, act) {
 		_, file, line, _ := runtime.Caller(1)
-		t.Logf("\033[31m%s:%d:\n\n\texp: %#v\n\n\tgot: %#v\033[39m\n\n",
+		t.Logf("\033[31m%s:%d:\n\n\tnexp: %#v\n\n\tgot:  %#v\033[39m\n\n",
 			filepath.Base(file), line, exp, act)
 		t.FailNow()
 	}
@@ -438,3 +439,26 @@ func TestCluster(t *testing.T) {
 	producers, _ = data.Get("channel:" + topicName + ":ch").Array()
 	equal(t, len(producers), 0)
 }
+
+func TestSetHealth(t *testing.T) {
+	opts := NewOptions()
+	opts.Logger = newTestLogger(t)
+	nsqd := New(opts)
+
+	equal(t, nsqd.GetError(), nil)
+	equal(t, nsqd.IsHealthy(), true)
+
+	nsqd.SetHealth(nil)
+	equal(t, nsqd.GetError(), nil)
+	equal(t, nsqd.IsHealthy(), true)
+
+	nsqd.SetHealth(errors.New("health error"))
+	nequal(t, nsqd.GetError(), nil)
+	equal(t, nsqd.GetHealth(), "NOK - health error")
+	equal(t, nsqd.IsHealthy(), false)
+
+	nsqd.SetHealth(nil)
+	equal(t, nsqd.GetError(), nil)
+	equal(t, nsqd.GetHealth(), "OK")
+	equal(t, nsqd.IsHealthy(), true)
+}
diff --git a/nsqd/topic.go b/nsqd/topic.go
index e4bad6413..21b7d9e9f 100644
--- a/nsqd/topic.go
+++ b/nsqd/topic.go
@@ -190,11 +190,11 @@ func (t *Topic) put(m *Message) error {
 		b := bufferPoolGet()
 		err := writeMessageToBackend(b, m, t.backend)
 		bufferPoolPut(b)
+		t.ctx.nsqd.SetHealth(err)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.ctx.nsqd.logf(
 				"TOPIC(%s) ERROR: failed to write message to backend - %s",
 				t.name, err)
-			t.ctx.nsqd.SetHealth(err)
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/nsqd/topic_test.go b/nsqd/topic_test.go
index ef540dc29..8340cbf15 100644
--- a/nsqd/topic_test.go
+++ b/nsqd/topic_test.go
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ func (d *errorBackendQueue) Delete() error         { return nil }
 func (d *errorBackendQueue) Depth() int64          { return 0 }
 func (d *errorBackendQueue) Empty() error          { return nil }
 
+type errorRecoveredBackendQueue struct{ errorBackendQueue }
+
+func (d *errorRecoveredBackendQueue) Put([]byte) error { return nil }
+
 func TestHealth(t *testing.T) {
 	opts := NewOptions()
 	opts.Logger = newTestLogger(t)
@@ -93,6 +97,19 @@ func TestHealth(t *testing.T) {
 	body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 	resp.Body.Close()
 	equal(t, string(body), "NOK - never gonna happen")
+
+	topic.backend = &errorRecoveredBackendQueue{}
+
+	msg = NewMessage(<-nsqd.idChan, make([]byte, 100))
+	err = topic.PutMessages([]*Message{msg})
+	equal(t, err, nil)
+
+	resp, err = http.Get(url)
+	equal(t, err, nil)
+	equal(t, resp.StatusCode, 200)
+	body, _ = ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	resp.Body.Close()
+	equal(t, string(body), "OK")
 }
 
 func TestDeletes(t *testing.T) {