diff --git a/roles/nagios_client/files/scripts/check_fedmsg_consumer_backlog.py b/roles/nagios_client/files/scripts/check_fedmsg_consumer_backlog.py
index 75ff4333fe..0b9da670ea 100644
--- a/roles/nagios_client/files/scripts/check_fedmsg_consumer_backlog.py
+++ b/roles/nagios_client/files/scripts/check_fedmsg_consumer_backlog.py
@@ -12,16 +12,29 @@ try:
     backlog_warning = int(sys.argv[3])
     backlog_critical = int(sys.argv[4])
     fname = '/var/run/fedmsg/monitoring-%s.socket' % service
+
     if not os.path.exists(fname):
         print "UNKNOWN - %s does not exist" % fname
         sys.exit(3)
+
     connect_to = "ipc:///%s" % fname
     ctx = zmq.Context()
     s = ctx.socket(zmq.SUB)
     s.connect(connect_to)
     s.setsockopt(zmq.SUBSCRIBE, '')
-    msg = s.recv()
-    msg = json.loads(msg)
+
+    poller = zmq.Poller()
+    poller.register(s, zmq.POLLIN)
+
+    timeout = 10000
+
+    events = dict(poller.poll(timeout))
+    if s in events and events[s] == zmq.POLLIN:
+        msg = s.recv()
+        msg = json.loads(msg)
+    else:
+       print 'UNKNOWN - ZMQ timeout.  No message received in %i ms' % timeout
+       sys.exit(3)
 
     for consumer in msg['consumers']:
         if consumer['name'] == check_consumer:
@@ -38,6 +51,8 @@ try:
                 print 'OK: fedmsg consumer %s backlog value is %i' % (consumer['name'],consumer['backlog'])
                 sys.exit(0)
 
+    print "UNKNOWN: fedmsg consumer %s not found" % check_consumer
+    sys.exit(3)
 except Exception as err:
     print "UNKNOWN:", str(err)
     sys.exit(3)
diff --git a/roles/nagios_client/files/scripts/check_fedmsg_consumer_exceptions.py b/roles/nagios_client/files/scripts/check_fedmsg_consumer_exceptions.py
index c6ef87234a..630e877410 100644
--- a/roles/nagios_client/files/scripts/check_fedmsg_consumer_exceptions.py
+++ b/roles/nagios_client/files/scripts/check_fedmsg_consumer_exceptions.py
@@ -12,16 +12,28 @@ try:
     exceptions_warning = int(sys.argv[3])
     exceptions_critical = int(sys.argv[4])
     fname = '/var/run/fedmsg/monitoring-%s.socket' % service
+
     if not os.path.exists(fname):
         print "UNKNOWN - %s does not exist" % fname
         sys.exit(3)
+
     connect_to = "ipc:///%s" % fname
     ctx = zmq.Context()
     s = ctx.socket(zmq.SUB)
     s.connect(connect_to)
     s.setsockopt(zmq.SUBSCRIBE, '')
-    msg = s.recv()
-    msg = json.loads(msg)
+    poller = zmq.Poller()
+    poller.register(s, zmq.POLLIN)
+
+    timeout = 10000
+
+    events = dict(poller.poll(timeout))
+    if s in events and events[s] == zmq.POLLIN:
+        msg = s.recv()
+        msg = json.loads(msg)
+    else:
+       print 'UNKNOWN - ZMQ timeout.  No message received in %i ms' % timeout
+       sys.exit(3)
 
     for consumer in msg['consumers']:
         if consumer['name'] == check_consumer:
@@ -35,6 +47,8 @@ try:
                 print 'OK: fedmsg consumer %s exceptions value is %i' % (consumer['name'],consumer['exceptions'])
                 sys.exit(0)
 
+    print "UNKNOWN: fedmsg consumers %s not found" % check_consumer
+    sys.exit(3)
 except Exception as err:
     print "UNKNOWN:", str(err)
     sys.exit(3)