diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 479320b..edb3021 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ Below is an example config.json:
       "ProxyTargetPort": "18081",
       "Command": "/opt/llama.cpp/llama-server",
       "Args": "-m /opt/Gemma-27B-v1_Q4km.gguf -c 8192 -ngl 100 -t 4 --port 18081",
+      "HealthcheckCommand": "curl --fail http://localhost:8081/", 
+      "HealthcheckIntervalMilliseconds": 200,
       "RestartOnConnectionFailure": false,
       "ResourceRequirements": {
         "VRAM-GPU-1": 20000,
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6645714..924249c 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -26,17 +26,19 @@ type Config struct {
 }
 
 type ServiceConfig struct {
-	Name                           string
-	ListenPort                     string
-	ProxyTargetHost                string
-	ProxyTargetPort                string
-	Command                        string
-	Args                           string
-	LogFilePath                    string
-	Workdir                        string
-	ShutDownAfterInactivitySeconds time.Duration
-	RestartOnConnectionFailure     bool
-	ResourceRequirements           map[string]int `json:"ResourceRequirements"`
+	Name                            string
+	ListenPort                      string
+	ProxyTargetHost                 string
+	ProxyTargetPort                 string
+	Command                         string
+	Args                            string
+	LogFilePath                     string
+	Workdir                         string
+	HealthcheckCommand              string
+	HealthcheckIntervalMilliseconds time.Duration
+	ShutDownAfterInactivitySeconds  time.Duration
+	RestartOnConnectionFailure      bool
+	ResourceRequirements            map[string]int `json:"ResourceRequirements"`
 }
 type RunningService struct {
 	manageMutex          *sync.Mutex
@@ -268,8 +270,8 @@ func startService(serviceConfig ServiceConfig) (net.Conn, error) {
 		delete(resourceManager.runningServices, serviceConfig.Name)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to run command \"%s %s\"", serviceConfig.Command, serviceConfig.Args)
 	}
+	performHealthCheck(serviceConfig)
 	var serviceConnection = connectWithWaiting(serviceConfig.ProxyTargetHost, serviceConfig.ProxyTargetPort, serviceConfig.Name, 120*time.Second)
-	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second) //TODO: replace with a custom callback
 
 	runningService.cmd = cmd
 
@@ -291,6 +293,32 @@ func startService(serviceConfig ServiceConfig) (net.Conn, error) {
 	return serviceConnection, nil
 }
 
+func performHealthCheck(serviceConfig ServiceConfig) {
+	if serviceConfig.HealthcheckCommand == "" {
+		return
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("[%s] Running healthcheck command \"%s\"", serviceConfig.Name, serviceConfig.HealthcheckCommand)
+	for {
+		cmd := exec.Command("sh", "-c", serviceConfig.HealthcheckCommand)
+		err := cmd.Run()
+
+		if err == nil {
+			log.Printf("[%s] Healthceck \"%s\" returned exit code 0, healthcheck completed", serviceConfig.Name, serviceConfig.HealthcheckCommand)
+			break
+		} else {
+			log.Printf(
+				"[%s] Healtcheck \"%s\" returned exit code %d, trying again in %dms",
+				serviceConfig.Name,
+				serviceConfig.HealthcheckCommand,
+				cmd.ProcessState.ExitCode(),
+				serviceConfig.HealthcheckIntervalMilliseconds,
+			)
+			time.Sleep(serviceConfig.HealthcheckIntervalMilliseconds * time.Millisecond)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func connectToService(serviceConfig ServiceConfig) net.Conn {
 	log.Printf("[%s] Opening new service connection to %s:%s", serviceConfig.Name, serviceConfig.ProxyTargetHost, serviceConfig.ProxyTargetPort)
 	serviceConn, err := net.Dial("tcp", net.JoinHostPort(serviceConfig.ProxyTargetHost, serviceConfig.ProxyTargetPort))
diff --git a/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-listen-start.json b/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-listen-start.json
index 8085181..3e7a685 100644
--- a/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-listen-start.json
+++ b/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-listen-start.json
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
       "ProxyTargetHost": "localhost",
       "ProxyTargetPort": "12002",
       "Command": "test-server/test-server",
-      "Args": "-p 12002 -healthcheck-port 2012 -sleep-before-listening-for-healthcheck 3s -startup-duration 5s"
+      "Args": "-p 12002 -healthcheck-port 2012 -sleep-before-listening-for-healthcheck 3s -startup-duration 5s",
+      "HealthcheckCommand": "curl --fail http://localhost:2012",
+      "HealthcheckIntervalMilliseconds": 200
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-startup-delayed-healthcheck.json b/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-startup-delayed-healthcheck.json
index 6e2e304..d0799d8 100644
--- a/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-startup-delayed-healthcheck.json
+++ b/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-startup-delayed-healthcheck.json
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
       "ProxyTargetHost": "localhost",
       "ProxyTargetPort": "12003",
       "Command": "test-server/test-server",
-      "Args": "-p 12003 -healthcheck-port 2013 -sleep-before-listening-for-healthcheck 3s -startup-duration 5s"
+      "Args": "-p 12003 -healthcheck-port 2013 -sleep-before-listening-for-healthcheck 3s -startup-duration 5s",
+      "HealthcheckCommand": "curl --fail http://localhost:2013",
+      "HealthcheckIntervalMilliseconds": 200
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-startup.json b/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-startup.json
index eb90c65..48e105c 100644
--- a/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-startup.json
+++ b/test-server/healthcheck-immediate-startup.json
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
       "ProxyTargetHost": "localhost",
       "ProxyTargetPort": "12004",
       "Command": "test-server/test-server",
-      "Args": "-p 12004 -healthcheck-port 2014"
+      "Args": "-p 12004 -healthcheck-port 2014",
+      "HealthcheckCommand": "curl --fail http://localhost:2014",
+      "HealthcheckIntervalMilliseconds": 200
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test-server/healthcheck.json b/test-server/healthcheck.json
index 3a3d5ce..5450952 100644
--- a/test-server/healthcheck.json
+++ b/test-server/healthcheck.json
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
       "ProxyTargetHost": "localhost",
       "ProxyTargetPort": "12001",
       "Command": "test-server/test-server",
-      "Args": "-p 12001 -healthcheck-port 2011 -sleep-before-listening 10s -sleep-before-listening-for-healthcheck 3s -startup-duration 5s"
+      "Args": "-p 12001 -healthcheck-port 2011 -sleep-before-listening 10s -sleep-before-listening-for-healthcheck 3s -startup-duration 5s",
+      "HealthcheckCommand": "curl --fail http://localhost:2011",
+      "HealthcheckIntervalMilliseconds": 200
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file