diff --git a/DataCenter_Windows/WindowsDataCenter/CardReaderService/CardReaderService.cs b/DataCenter_Windows/WindowsDataCenter/CardReaderService/CardReaderService.cs
index 6f6d5d8..3ecf735 100644
--- a/DataCenter_Windows/WindowsDataCenter/CardReaderService/CardReaderService.cs
+++ b/DataCenter_Windows/WindowsDataCenter/CardReaderService/CardReaderService.cs
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ namespace CardReaderService
         private string _readerName = "";
         private SCardMonitor _cardMonitor;
 
+        private bool _initialised = false;
+        private AutoResetEvent _mainWorkerTerminationSignal;
+
         private ILogger _logger;
 
         public CardReaderService()
@@ -32,43 +35,9 @@ namespace CardReaderService
 
         protected override void OnStart(string[] args)
         {
-            var configPath = string.Concat(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location, ".config");
-
             _logger = NinjectHelper.GetInstance().Get<ILogger>();
-            _logger.Trace("Starting Service.. Getting available readers");
 
-            var ctxFactory = ContextFactory.Instance;
-            using(var context = ctxFactory.Establish(SCardScope.System))
-            {
-                var readerNames = context.GetReaders();
-                if (NoReaderAvailable(readerNames))
-                {
-                    _logger.Trace("No Card Reader is available, Exiting..");
-                    throw new ApplicationException("A card reader must be provided in order to operate.");
-                }
-                foreach (var reader in readerNames)
-                {
-                    _logger.Trace("Found reader: {0}", reader);
-                }
-
-                var readerNameConfig = ConfigurationHandler.ConfigurationHandler.GetConfiguration("ReaderName");
-                if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(readerNameConfig) || (!readerNames.Contains(readerNameConfig)))
-                {
-                    _logger.Warn("No reader found with the name: {0}, defaulting to first available reader {1}",
-                        readerNameConfig, readerNames.First());
-
-                    readerNameConfig = readerNames.First();
-                    
-                }
-                _logger.Trace("Choosing reader: {0}", readerNameConfig);
-                _readerName = readerNameConfig;
-
-                _cardMonitor = new SCardMonitor(ctxFactory, SCardScope.System);
-                _cardMonitor.CardInserted += _cardMonitor_CardInserted;
-                _cardMonitor.Start(_readerName);
-
-                StartWorkerThread();
-            }
+            StartWorkerThread();
         }
 
         public void StopService()
@@ -79,6 +48,7 @@ namespace CardReaderService
         protected override void OnStop()
         {
             _stopMainWorkerThread = true;
+            _mainWorkerTerminationSignal.Set();
             if (_mainWorkThread!= null && _mainWorkThread.IsAlive)
             {
                 _mainWorkThread.Join(3000);
@@ -102,6 +72,7 @@ namespace CardReaderService
                 Name = "CardServiceMainThread",
                 IsBackground = false
             };
+            _mainWorkerTerminationSignal = new AutoResetEvent(false);
             _mainWorkThread.Start();
         }
 
@@ -151,7 +122,51 @@ namespace CardReaderService
             while (!_stopMainWorkerThread)
             {
                 //dont actually need to do anything.. but cannot exit right away?
-                Thread.Sleep(3000);
+                if (!WeHaveValidCardReader())
+                {
+                    if (_initialised)
+                    {
+                        //card reader no longer available, tidy up.
+                        _cardMonitor.Cancel();
+                        _cardMonitor.CardInserted -= _cardMonitor_CardInserted;
+                        _cardMonitor.Dispose();
+                        _cardMonitor = null;
+                        _initialised = false;
+                    }
+                    var ctxFactory = ContextFactory.Instance;
+                    using (var context = ctxFactory.Establish(SCardScope.System))
+                    {
+                        var readerNames = context.GetReaders();
+                        if (NoReaderAvailable(readerNames))
+                        {
+                            _logger.Trace("No Card Reader is available..");
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            foreach (var reader in readerNames)
+                            {
+                                _logger.Trace("Found reader: {0}", reader);
+                            }
+
+                            var readerNameConfig = ConfigurationHandler.ConfigurationHandler.GetConfiguration("ReaderName");
+                            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(readerNameConfig) || (!readerNames.Contains(readerNameConfig)))
+                            {
+                                _logger.Warn("No reader found with the name: {0}, defaulting to first available reader {1}",
+                                    readerNameConfig, readerNames.First());
+
+                                readerNameConfig = readerNames.First();
+                            }
+                            _logger.Trace("Choosing reader: {0}", readerNameConfig);
+                            _readerName = readerNameConfig;
+
+                            _cardMonitor = new SCardMonitor(ctxFactory, SCardScope.System);
+                            _cardMonitor.CardInserted += _cardMonitor_CardInserted;
+                            _cardMonitor.Start(_readerName);
+                            _initialised = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                _mainWorkerTerminationSignal.WaitOne(3000);
             }
         }
 
@@ -169,5 +184,23 @@ namespace CardReaderService
         {
             return readerNames == null || readerNames.Count < 1;
         }
+
+        private bool WeHaveValidCardReader()
+        {
+            if (_cardMonitor == null)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+            Console.WriteLine(_cardMonitor.GetCurrentState(0));
+            if (_cardMonitor.GetCurrentState(0) == SCRState.Unknown
+                || _cardMonitor.GetCurrentState(0) == SCRState.Unavailable
+                || _cardMonitor.GetCurrentState(0) == (SCRState.Ignore | SCRState.Unavailable)
+                //|| _cardMonitor.GetCurrentState(0) == SCRState.Unaware //if we say this is an invalid state, we cause a memory leak where we create a duplicate card monitor, subscribe and overwrite.
+            )
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+            return true;
+        }
     }
 }