diff --git a/CardReaderService/CardReaderService/Service1.cs b/CardReaderService/CardReaderService/Service1.cs
index 971ea0b..2254187 100644
--- a/CardReaderService/CardReaderService/Service1.cs
+++ b/CardReaderService/CardReaderService/Service1.cs
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@ namespace CardReaderService
     {
         private Thread _mainWorkThread;
         private bool _stopMainWorkerThread;
-
+        private AutoResetEvent _mainWorkerTerminationSignal;
         private string _readerName = "";
-        //private SCardReader _reader;
         private SCardMonitor _cardMonitor;
 
         public Service1()
@@ -24,29 +23,27 @@ namespace CardReaderService
 
         public void Start()
         {
-            OnStart(new string[] {});
+            OnStart(new string[] { });
         }
-//
+
         protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
         {
-            Console.WriteLine("Starting.. Getting available readers");
-            var ctxFactory = ContextFactory.Instance;
-            using(var context = ctxFactory.Establish(SCardScope.System))
-            {
-                var readerNames = context.GetReaders();
-                if (NoReaderAvailable(readerNames))
-                {
-                    Console.WriteLine("No Card Reader is available, Exiting..");
-                    return;
-                }
-                Console.WriteLine("Choosing first available reader: " + readerNames.First());
-                _readerName = readerNames.First();
-                _cardMonitor = new SCardMonitor(ctxFactory, SCardScope.System);
-                _cardMonitor.CardInserted += _cardMonitor_CardInserted;
-                _cardMonitor.Start(_readerName);
+            StartWorkerThread();
+        }
 
-                StartWorkerThread();
+        private bool WeHaveValidCardReader()
+        {
+            if (_cardMonitor == null)
+            {
+                return false;
             }
+            if (_cardMonitor.GetCurrentState(0) == SCRState.Unknown ||
+                _cardMonitor.GetCurrentState(0) == SCRState.Unavailable ||
+                _cardMonitor.GetCurrentState(0) == SCRState.Unaware)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+            return true;
         }
 
         public void Stop()
@@ -57,19 +54,16 @@ namespace CardReaderService
         protected override void OnStop()
         {
             _stopMainWorkerThread = true;
-            if (_mainWorkThread!= null && _mainWorkThread.IsAlive)
+            _mainWorkerTerminationSignal.Set();
+            if (_mainWorkThread != null && _mainWorkThread.IsAlive)
             {
-                _mainWorkThread.Join(3000);
-                if (_mainWorkThread.IsAlive)
-                {
-                    _mainWorkThread.Interrupt();
-                } 
+                _mainWorkThread.Interrupt();
             }
             if (_cardMonitor != null)
             {
                 _cardMonitor.Cancel();
                 _cardMonitor.Dispose();
-                _cardMonitor = null; 
+                _cardMonitor = null;
             }
         }
 
@@ -81,6 +75,7 @@ namespace CardReaderService
                 Name = "CardServiceMainThread",
                 IsBackground = false
             };
+            _mainWorkerTerminationSignal = new AutoResetEvent(false);
             _mainWorkThread.Start();
         }
 
@@ -99,7 +94,7 @@ namespace CardReaderService
                     _stopMainWorkerThread = true;
                     return;
                 }
-                
+
                 var err = reader.Connect(_readerName, SCardShareMode.Shared, SCardProtocol.T0 | SCardProtocol.T1);
 
                 if (err == SCardError.Success)
@@ -113,10 +108,10 @@ namespace CardReaderService
                         var atrString = ConvertByteUIDToString(e.Atr);
                         Console.WriteLine("Card Inserted, ATR: " + atrString + ", and UID is: " + uid);
 
-                        CardDataPost postObj = new CardDataPost {CardUId = uid};
+                        CardDataPost postObj = new CardDataPost { CardUId = uid };
                         DataCenterHelper.PostAsync(postObj, "/api/swipedata");
                         Console.WriteLine("Posted to Server");
-                    } 
+                    }
                 }
                 else
                 {
@@ -125,21 +120,44 @@ namespace CardReaderService
 
             }
         }
-        
+
         private void MainWorkerThread()
         {
             while (!_stopMainWorkerThread)
             {
-                //dont actually need to do anything.. but cannot exit right away?
-                Thread.Sleep(3000);
+                if (!WeHaveValidCardReader())
+                {   //only do this if we don't have a valid card reader
+                    Console.WriteLine("Starting.. Getting available readers");
+                    var ctxFactory = ContextFactory.Instance;
+                    using (var context = ctxFactory.Establish(SCardScope.System))
+                    {
+                        var readerNames = context.GetReaders();
+                        if (!NoReaderAvailable(readerNames))
+                        {
+                            //we have a reader available, so initialise!
+                            Console.WriteLine("Choosing first available reader: " + readerNames.First());
+                            _readerName = readerNames.First();
+                            _cardMonitor = new SCardMonitor(ctxFactory, SCardScope.System);
+                            _cardMonitor.CardInserted += _cardMonitor_CardInserted;
+                            _cardMonitor.Start(_readerName);
+
+                            StartWorkerThread();
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            Console.WriteLine("No Card Reader is available..");
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                _mainWorkerTerminationSignal.WaitOne(3000);
             }
         }
 
         private string ConvertByteUIDToString(byte[] uid)
         {
-            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+            var sb = new StringBuilder();
 
-            foreach(var b in uid)
+            foreach (var b in uid)
             {
                 sb.AppendFormat("{0:X2}", b);
             }