diff --git a/thorlcr/master/mawatchdog.cpp b/thorlcr/master/mawatchdog.cpp
index 4d7c13e74b8..3290bb5da12 100644
--- a/thorlcr/master/mawatchdog.cpp
+++ b/thorlcr/master/mawatchdog.cpp
@@ -61,16 +61,18 @@ class CMachineStatus
 };
 
 
-CMasterWatchdogBase::CMasterWatchdogBase() : threaded("CMasterWatchdogBase")
+CMasterWatchdog::CMasterWatchdog(bool startNow) : threaded("CMasterWatchdogBase")
 {
     stopped = true;
     watchdogMachineTimeout = globals->getPropInt("@slaveDownTimeout", DEFAULT_SLAVEDOWNTIMEOUT);
     if (watchdogMachineTimeout <= HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL*10)
         watchdogMachineTimeout = HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL*10;
     watchdogMachineTimeout *= 1000;
+    if (startNow)
+        start();
 }
 
-CMasterWatchdogBase::~CMasterWatchdogBase()
+CMasterWatchdog::~CMasterWatchdog()
 {
     stop();
     ForEachItemInRev(i, state)
@@ -80,7 +82,7 @@ CMasterWatchdogBase::~CMasterWatchdogBase()
     }
 }
 
-void CMasterWatchdogBase::start()
+void CMasterWatchdog::start()
 {
     if (stopped)
     {
@@ -93,14 +95,14 @@ void CMasterWatchdogBase::start()
     }
 }
 
-void CMasterWatchdogBase::addSlave(const SocketEndpoint &slave)
+void CMasterWatchdog::addSlave(const SocketEndpoint &slave)
 {
     synchronized block(mutex);
     CMachineStatus *mstate=new CMachineStatus(slave);
     state.append(mstate);
 }
 
-void CMasterWatchdogBase::removeSlave(const SocketEndpoint &slave)
+void CMasterWatchdog::removeSlave(const SocketEndpoint &slave)
 {
     synchronized block(mutex);
     CMachineStatus *ms = findSlave(slave);
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ void CMasterWatchdogBase::removeSlave(const SocketEndpoint &slave)
     }
 }
 
-CMachineStatus *CMasterWatchdogBase::findSlave(const SocketEndpoint &ep)
+CMachineStatus *CMasterWatchdog::findSlave(const SocketEndpoint &ep)
 {
     ForEachItemInRev(i, state)
     {
@@ -122,7 +124,7 @@ CMachineStatus *CMasterWatchdogBase::findSlave(const SocketEndpoint &ep)
 }
 
 
-void CMasterWatchdogBase::stop()
+void CMasterWatchdog::stop()
 {
     {
         synchronized block(mutex);
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ void CMasterWatchdogBase::stop()
     LOG(MCdebugProgress, thorJob, "Stopped watchdog");
 }
 
-void CMasterWatchdogBase::checkMachineStatus()
+void CMasterWatchdog::checkMachineStatus()
 {
     synchronized block(mutex);
     ForEachItemInRev(i, state)
@@ -165,7 +167,7 @@ void CMasterWatchdogBase::checkMachineStatus()
     }
 }
 
-unsigned CMasterWatchdogBase::readPacket(HeartBeatPacketHeader &hb, MemoryBuffer &mb)
+unsigned CMasterWatchdog::readPacket(HeartBeatPacketHeader &hb, MemoryBuffer &mb)
 {
     mb.clear();
     unsigned read = readData(mb);
@@ -185,7 +187,20 @@ unsigned CMasterWatchdogBase::readPacket(HeartBeatPacketHeader &hb, MemoryBuffer
     return 0;
 }
 
-void CMasterWatchdogBase::threadmain()
+unsigned CMasterWatchdog::readData(MemoryBuffer &mb)
+{
+    CMessageBuffer msg;
+    if (!queryNodeComm().recv(msg, RANK_ALL, MPTAG_THORWATCHDOG, NULL, watchdogMachineTimeout))
+        return 0;
+    mb.swapWith(msg);
+    return mb.length();
+}
+void CMasterWatchdog::stopReading()
+{
+    queryNodeComm().cancel(0, MPTAG_THORWATCHDOG);
+}
+
+void CMasterWatchdog::threadmain()
 {
     LOG(MCdebugProgress, thorJob, "Started watchdog");
     unsigned lastbeat=msTick();
@@ -258,84 +273,9 @@ void CMasterWatchdogBase::threadmain()
     }
 }
 
-
-class CMasterWatchdogUDP : public CMasterWatchdogBase
-{
-    ISocket *sock;
-public:
-    CMasterWatchdogUDP(bool startNow)
-    {
-        sock = ISocket::udp_create(getFixedPort(TPORT_watchdog));
-        if (startNow)
-            start();
-    }
-    ~CMasterWatchdogUDP()
-    {
-        ::Release(sock);
-    }
-    virtual unsigned readData(MemoryBuffer &mb)
-    {
-        size32_t read;
-        try
-        {
-            sock->readtms(mb.reserveTruncate(UDP_DATA_MAX), sizeof(HeartBeatPacketHeader), UDP_DATA_MAX, read, watchdogMachineTimeout);
-        }
-        catch (IJSOCK_Exception *e)
-        {
-            if ((e->errorCode()!=JSOCKERR_timeout_expired)&&(e->errorCode()!=JSOCKERR_broken_pipe)&&(e->errorCode()!=JSOCKERR_graceful_close))
-                throw;
-            e->Release();
-            return 0; // will retry
-        }
-        return read;
-    }
-    virtual void stopReading()
-    {
-        if (sock)
-        {
-            SocketEndpoint masterEp(getMasterPortBase());
-            StringBuffer ipStr;
-            masterEp.getHostText(ipStr);
-            Owned<ISocket> sock = ISocket::udp_connect(getFixedPort(masterEp.port, TPORT_watchdog), ipStr.str());
-            // send empty packet, stopped set, will cease reading
-            HeartBeatPacketHeader hb;
-            hb.packetSize = sizeof(HeartBeatPacketHeader);
-            sock->write(&hb, sizeof(HeartBeatPacketHeader));
-            sock->close();
-        }
-    }
-};
-
-/////////////////////
-
-class CMasterWatchdogMP : public CMasterWatchdogBase
-{
-public:
-    CMasterWatchdogMP(bool startNow)
-    {
-        if (startNow)
-            start();
-    }
-    virtual unsigned readData(MemoryBuffer &mb)
-    {
-        CMessageBuffer msg;
-        if (!queryNodeComm().recv(msg, RANK_ALL, MPTAG_THORWATCHDOG, NULL, watchdogMachineTimeout))
-            return 0;
-        mb.swapWith(msg);
-        return mb.length();
-    }
-    virtual void stopReading()
-    {
-        queryNodeComm().cancel(0, MPTAG_THORWATCHDOG);
-    }
-};
-
 /////////////////////
 
-CMasterWatchdogBase *createMasterWatchdog(bool udp, bool startNow)
+CMasterWatchdog *createMasterWatchdog(bool startNow)
 {
-    if (udp)
-        return new CMasterWatchdogUDP(startNow);
-    else
-        return new CMasterWatchdogMP(startNow);
+    return new CMasterWatchdog(startNow);
 }
diff --git a/thorlcr/master/mawatchdog.hpp b/thorlcr/master/mawatchdog.hpp
index 11d3c8d9fad..6383694882f 100644
--- a/thorlcr/master/mawatchdog.hpp
+++ b/thorlcr/master/mawatchdog.hpp
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 class CMachineStatus;
 struct HeartBeatPacketHeader;
 
-class CMasterWatchdogBase : public CSimpleInterface, implements IThreaded
+class CMasterWatchdog : public CSimpleInterface, implements IThreaded
 {
     PointerArray state;
     SocketEndpoint master;
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ class CMasterWatchdogBase : public CSimpleInterface, implements IThreaded
     bool stopped;
     unsigned watchdogMachineTimeout;
 public:
-    CMasterWatchdogBase();
-    ~CMasterWatchdogBase();
+    CMasterWatchdog(bool startNow);
+    ~CMasterWatchdog();
     void addSlave(const SocketEndpoint &slave);
     void removeSlave(const SocketEndpoint &slave);
     CMachineStatus *findSlave(const SocketEndpoint &ep);
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ class CMasterWatchdogBase : public CSimpleInterface, implements IThreaded
     unsigned readPacket(HeartBeatPacketHeader &hb, MemoryBuffer &mb);
     void start();
     void stop();
+    unsigned readData(MemoryBuffer &mb);
+    void stopReading();
+// IThredaed
     virtual void threadmain() override;
-
-    virtual unsigned readData(MemoryBuffer &mb) = 0;
-    virtual void stopReading() = 0;
 };
 
-CMasterWatchdogBase *createMasterWatchdog(bool udp=false, bool startNow=false);
+CMasterWatchdog *createMasterWatchdog(bool startNow=false);
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/thorlcr/master/thmastermain.cpp b/thorlcr/master/thmastermain.cpp
index f01925ab183..6167d60454a 100644
--- a/thorlcr/master/thmastermain.cpp
+++ b/thorlcr/master/thmastermain.cpp
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ class CRegistryServer : public CSimpleInterface
         }
     } deregistrationWatch;
 public:
-    Linked<CMasterWatchdogBase> watchdog;
+    Linked<CMasterWatchdog> watchdog;
     IBitSet *status;
 
     CRegistryServer() : deregistrationWatch(*this)
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class CRegistryServer : public CSimpleInterface
         msgDelay = SLAVEREG_VERIFY_DELAY;
         slavesRegistered = 0;
         if (globals->getPropBool("@watchdogEnabled"))
-            watchdog.setown(createMasterWatchdog(globals->getPropBool("@useUDPWatchdog")));
+            watchdog.setown(createMasterWatchdog());
         else
             globals->setPropBool("@watchdogProgressEnabled", false);
         CriticalBlock b(regCrit);