diff --git a/puppet/files/puppet-check b/puppet/files/puppet-check
index 4281eb8..ad8646d 100755
--- a/puppet/files/puppet-check
+++ b/puppet/files/puppet-check
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env ruby
 
 require "puppet"
+require "syslog"
 require "socket"
 
+Syslog.open(File.basename(__FILE__), Syslog::LOG_PID | Syslog::LOG_NDELAY,
+            Syslog::LOG_DAEMON)
+
 Puppet.parse_config
 
 if Puppet.version[/\d+/].to_i >= 2
@@ -13,11 +17,15 @@ else
     pidname = "puppetd.pid"
 end
 
-# get pid number for puppet or exit if not found
+# get pid number for puppet or warn if not found
 pidfile = File.join(Puppet.settings.value("rundir"), pidname)
 begin
     pid = File.new(pidfile, "r").read.to_i
 rescue Errno::ENOENT
+    err = sprintf("puppetd not running on host '%s'\n", Socket.gethostname)
+    Syslog.info sprintf(err)
+    print err
+    Syslog.close
     exit
 end
 
@@ -27,16 +35,20 @@ begin
 
     # check memory usage and restart if over 256M
     rss = `ps -o rss -p '#{pid}'`.to_a.last.to_i / 1024
-    if rss > 256
-        printf("puppetd memory usage too high (%d MB), on host '%s' sending HUP\n",
-               rss, Socket.gethostname)
+    if rss > 128
+        err = sprintf("puppetd memory usage too high (%d MB), on host '%s' sending HUP\n",
+                      rss, Socket.gethostname)
+        Syslog.warning err
+        print err
         Process.kill("HUP", pid)
     end
 
     # check if deadlock file is too old
     dlock = Puppet.settings.value("puppetdlockfile")
     if File.exists?(dlock) and Time.new - File.new(dlock).mtime > 43200
-        print "puppetd deadlock file is over 12 hours old, removing it and sending HUP to daemon\n"
+        err = "puppetd deadlock file is over 12 hours old, removing it and sending HUP to daemon\n"
+        Syslog.warning err
+        print err
         File.unlink(dlock)
         Process.kill("HUP", pid)
     end
@@ -47,7 +59,10 @@ rescue Errno::ESRCH
 end
 
 # restart
-printf("puppetd dead but pid file exists on host '%s', restarting\n",
-       Socket.gethostname)
-system("service puppet start")
+err = sprintf("puppetd dead but pid file exists on host '%s', restarting\n",
+              Socket.gethostname)
+Syslog.warning err
+system("service puppet start > /dev/null")
 system(puppetd) if $?.exitstatus == 127
+Syslog.close
+