diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/daemons/tasker.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/daemons/tasker.py
index 62a90080..6fc0e81a 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/daemons/tasker.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/runnable/daemons/tasker.py
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ def main():
 
     BaseTask.default_token_symbol = config.get('CIC_DEFAULT_TOKEN_SYMBOL')
     BaseTask.default_token_address = registry.by_name(BaseTask.default_token_symbol)
+    BaseTask.run_dir = config.get('CIC_RUN_DIR')
     logg.info('default token set to {} {}'.format(BaseTask.default_token_symbol, BaseTask.default_token_address))
    
     liveness.linux.set(rundir=config.get('CIC_RUN_DIR'))
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/task.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/task.py
index 24802185..3fe201f6 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/task.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/task.py
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@ import sqlalchemy
 from chainlib.eth.constant import ZERO_ADDRESS
 from chainlib.eth.nonce import RPCNonceOracle
 from chainlib.eth.gas import RPCGasOracle
+import liveness.linux
 
 # local imports
 from cic_eth.error import SeppukuError
 from cic_eth.db.models.base import SessionBase
 
-logg = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+logg = logging.getLogger().getChild(__name__)
 
 celery_app = celery.current_app
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ class BaseTask(celery.Task):
     create_gas_oracle = RPCGasOracle
     default_token_address = None
     default_token_symbol = None
+    run_dir = '/run'
 
     def create_session(self):
         return BaseTask.session_func()
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ class BaseTask(celery.Task):
 
     def on_failure(self, exc, task_id, args, kwargs, einfo):
         if isinstance(exc, SeppukuError):
+            liveness.linux.reset(rundir=self.run_dir)
             logg.critical(einfo)
             msg = 'received critical exception {}, calling shutdown'.format(str(exc))
             s = celery.signature(
diff --git a/apps/util/liveness/liveness/linux.py b/apps/util/liveness/liveness/linux.py
index 7ff754f0..52d4b24c 100644
--- a/apps/util/liveness/liveness/linux.py
+++ b/apps/util/liveness/liveness/linux.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def load(check_strs, namespace=default_namespace, rundir='/run', *args, **kwargs
 
 
 def set(error=0, namespace=default_namespace, rundir='/run'):
+    logg.info('liveness SET error {} for namespace {}'.format(error, namespace))
     app_rundir = os.path.join(rundir, namespace)
     f = open(os.path.join(app_rundir, 'error'), 'w')
     f.write(str(error))
@@ -49,6 +50,13 @@ def set(error=0, namespace=default_namespace, rundir='/run'):
 
 
 def reset(namespace=default_namespace, rundir='/run'):
+    logg.info('liveness RESET for namespace {}'.format(namespace))
     app_rundir = os.path.join(rundir, namespace)
-    os.unlink(os.path.join(app_rundir, 'pid'))
-    os.unlink(os.path.join(app_rundir, 'error'))
+    try:
+        os.unlink(os.path.join(app_rundir, 'pid'))
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass
+    try:
+        os.unlink(os.path.join(app_rundir, 'error'))
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass