diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/host/Status.java b/api/src/com/cloud/host/Status.java
index 732a06617c9..73e6cc9185a 100644
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/host/Status.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/host/Status.java
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ public enum Status {
     Alert(true, true, true),
     Removed(true, false, true),
     Error(true, false, true),
-    Rebalancing(true, false, true);
+    Rebalancing(true, false, true),
+    Unknown(false, false, false); // null
 
     private final boolean updateManagementServer;
     private final boolean checkManagementServer;
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/AbstractInvestigatorImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/AbstractInvestigatorImpl.java
index b222386bcb7..147cecdc640 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/AbstractInvestigatorImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/AbstractInvestigatorImpl.java
@@ -85,14 +85,15 @@ public abstract class AbstractInvestigatorImpl extends AdapterBase implements In
         return hostIds;
     }
 
+    // Method only returns Status.Up, Status.Down and Status.Unknown
     protected Status testIpAddress(Long hostId, String testHostIp) {
         try {
             Answer pingTestAnswer = _agentMgr.send(hostId, new PingTestCommand(testHostIp));
             if (pingTestAnswer == null) {
                 if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                    s_logger.debug("host (" + testHostIp + ") returns null answer");
+                    s_logger.debug("host (" + testHostIp + ") returns Unknown (null) answer");
                 }
-                return Status.Alert;
+                return Status.Unknown;
             }
 
             if (pingTestAnswer.getResult()) {
@@ -103,20 +104,20 @@ public abstract class AbstractInvestigatorImpl extends AdapterBase implements In
                 return Status.Up;
             } else {
                 if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                    s_logger.debug("host (" + testHostIp + ") cannot be pinged, returning Alert state");
+                    s_logger.debug("host (" + testHostIp + ") cannot be pinged, returning Unknown (I don't know) state");
                 }
-                return Status.Alert;
+                return Status.Unknown;
             }
         } catch (AgentUnavailableException e) {
             if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                s_logger.debug("host (" + testHostIp + "): " + e.getLocalizedMessage() + ", returning Disconnected state");
+                s_logger.debug("host (" + testHostIp + "): " + e.getLocalizedMessage() + ", trapped AgentUnavailableException returning Unknown state");
             }
-            return Status.Disconnected;
+            return Status.Unknown;
         } catch (OperationTimedoutException e) {
             if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                s_logger.debug("host (" + testHostIp + "): " + e.getLocalizedMessage() + ", returning Alert state");
+                s_logger.debug("host (" + testHostIp + "): " + e.getLocalizedMessage() + ", trapped OperationTimedoutException returning Unknown state");
             }
-            return Status.Alert;
+            return Status.Unknown;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/ManagementIPSystemVMInvestigator.java b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/ManagementIPSystemVMInvestigator.java
index 5db5b9ca11e..89901d9719e 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/ManagementIPSystemVMInvestigator.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/ManagementIPSystemVMInvestigator.java
@@ -78,10 +78,8 @@ public class ManagementIPSystemVMInvestigator extends AbstractInvestigatorImpl {
             List<Long> otherHosts = findHostByPod(vmHost.getPodId(), vm.getHostId());
             for (Long otherHost : otherHosts) {
                 Status vmState = testIpAddress(otherHost, nic.getIp4Address());
-                if (vmState == null) {
-                    // can't get information from that host, try the next one
-                    continue;
-                }
+                assert vmState != null;
+                // In case of Status.Unknown, next host will be tried
                 if (vmState == Status.Up) {
                     if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
                         s_logger.debug("successfully pinged vm's private IP (" + vm.getPrivateIpAddress() + "), returning that the VM is up");
@@ -91,7 +89,8 @@ public class ManagementIPSystemVMInvestigator extends AbstractInvestigatorImpl {
                     // We can't ping the VM directly...if we can ping the host, then report the VM down.
                     // If we can't ping the host, then we don't have enough information.
                     Status vmHostState = testIpAddress(otherHost, vmHost.getPrivateIpAddress());
-                    if ((vmHostState != null) && (vmHostState == Status.Up)) {
+                    assert vmHostState != null;
+                    if (vmHostState == Status.Up) {
                         if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
                             s_logger.debug("successfully pinged vm's host IP (" + vmHost.getPrivateIpAddress() +
                                 "), but could not ping VM, returning that the VM is down");
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/UserVmDomRInvestigator.java b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/UserVmDomRInvestigator.java
index 6084e767867..782e4b3e2ec 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/UserVmDomRInvestigator.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/UserVmDomRInvestigator.java
@@ -116,14 +116,12 @@ public class UserVmDomRInvestigator extends AbstractInvestigatorImpl {
         List<Long> otherHosts = findHostByPod(agent.getPodId(), agent.getId());
 
         for (Long hostId : otherHosts) {
-
             if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
                 s_logger.debug("sending ping from (" + hostId + ") to agent's host ip address (" + agent.getPrivateIpAddress() + ")");
             }
             Status hostState = testIpAddress(hostId, agent.getPrivateIpAddress());
-            if (hostState == null) {
-                continue;
-            }
+            assert hostState != null;
+            // In case of Status.Unknown, next host will be tried
             if (hostState == Status.Up) {
                 if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
                     s_logger.debug("ping from (" + hostId + ") to agent's host ip address (" + agent.getPrivateIpAddress() +
@@ -134,7 +132,7 @@ public class UserVmDomRInvestigator extends AbstractInvestigatorImpl {
                 if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
                     s_logger.debug("returning host state: " + hostState);
                 }
-                return hostState;
+                return Status.Down;
             }
         }