diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/host/Status.java b/api/src/com/cloud/host/Status.java
index 732a06617c9..73e6cc9185a 100755
--- 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..04343fc21bf 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/AbstractInvestigatorImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/AbstractInvestigatorImpl.java
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractInvestigatorImpl extends AdapterBase implements In
             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 +103,20 @@ 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 95e803f54ac..45912377c1b 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/ManagementIPSystemVMInvestigator.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/ManagementIPSystemVMInvestigator.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ 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) {
+                if (vmState == null || vmState == Status.Unknown) {
                     // can't get information from that host, try the next one
                     continue;
                 }
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ 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)) {
+                    if ((vmHostState != null) && (vmHostState != Status.Unknown) && (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 d6f72790f93..48ee2836d88 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/ha/UserVmDomRInvestigator.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/ha/UserVmDomRInvestigator.java
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public class UserVmDomRInvestigator extends AbstractInvestigatorImpl {
                 s_logger.debug("sending ping from (" + hostId + ") to agent's host ip address (" + agent.getPrivateIpAddress() + ")");
             }
             Status hostState = testIpAddress(hostId, agent.getPrivateIpAddress());
-            if (hostState == null) {
+            if (hostState == null || hostState == Status.Unknown) {
                 continue;
             }
             if (hostState == Status.Up) {