diff --git a/monitoring/StuckDetectionAgent.cpp b/monitoring/StuckDetectionAgent.cpp
index 85a97698..616bb188 100644
--- a/monitoring/StuckDetectionAgent.cpp
+++ b/monitoring/StuckDetectionAgent.cpp
@@ -69,56 +69,51 @@ void StuckDetectionAgent::StuckDetectionLoop( StuckDetectionAgent* _agent ) {
 
     LOG( info, "StuckDetection agent: started monitoring." );
 
+    // determine if this is the first restart, or there we restarts
+    // before
+    auto numberOfPreviousRestarts = _agent->getNumberOfPreviousRestarts();
 
-    uint64_t restartIteration = 1;
-
-    while ( true ) {
-        if ( _agent->getSchain()->getNode()->isExitRequested() )
-            return;
-        auto restartFileName = _agent->createStuckFileName( restartIteration );
-
-        if ( !boost::filesystem::exists( restartFileName ) ) {
-            break;
-        }
-        restartIteration++;
+    if ( numberOfPreviousRestarts > 0 ) {
+        LOG( info, "Stuck detection engine: previous restarts detected:" << numberOfPreviousRestarts );
     }
 
-    if ( restartIteration > 1 ) {
-        LOG( info, "Stuck detection engine: previous restarts detected:" << to_string(
-                       restartIteration - 1 ) );
-    }
-
-
-    if ( _agent->getSchain()->getNode()->isExitRequested() )
-        return;
+    uint64_t restartIteration = numberOfPreviousRestarts + 1;
+    uint64_t whenToRestart = 0;
 
-    uint64_t restartTime = 0;
-    uint64_t sleepTime = _agent->getSchain()->getNode()->getStuckMonitoringIntervalMs() * 1000;
-
-    while ( restartTime == 0 ) {
-        if ( _agent->getSchain()->getNode()->isExitRequested() )
-            return;
+    // loop until stuck is detected
+    do {
         try {
-            usleep( sleepTime );
             _agent->getSchain()->getNode()->exitCheck();
-            restartTime = _agent->checkForRestart( restartIteration );
+            usleep(_agent->getSchain()->getNode()->getStuckMonitoringIntervalMs() * 1000);
+            // this will return non-zero if skaled needs to be restarted
+            whenToRestart = _agent->doStuckCheck(restartIteration);
         } catch ( ExitRequestedException& ) {
             return;
         } catch ( exception& e ) {
             SkaleException::logNested( e );
         }
-    }
-
+    } while (whenToRestart == 0 );
 
-    CHECK_STATE( restartTime > 0 );
+    // Stuck detection loop detected stuck. Restart.
     try {
         LOG( info, "Stuck detection engine: restarting skaled because of stuck detected." );
-        _agent->restart( restartTime, restartIteration );
+        _agent->restart(whenToRestart, restartIteration );
     } catch ( ExitRequestedException& ) {
         return;
     }
 }
 
+uint64_t StuckDetectionAgent::getNumberOfPreviousRestarts() {
+    // each time a restart happens, a file with a corresponding name
+    // is created. To find out how many restarts already happened we
+    // count these files
+    uint64_t restartCounter = 0;
+    while (boost::filesystem::exists(restartFileName(restartCounter + 1))) {
+        restartCounter++;
+    }
+    return restartCounter;
+}
+
 void StuckDetectionAgent::join() {
     CHECK_STATE( stuckDetectionThreadPool );
     stuckDetectionThreadPool->joinAll();
@@ -174,7 +169,7 @@ bool StuckDetectionAgent::stuckCheck( uint64_t _restartIntervalMs, uint64_t _tim
     return result;
 }
 
-uint64_t StuckDetectionAgent::checkForRestart( uint64_t _restartIteration ) {
+uint64_t StuckDetectionAgent::doStuckCheck(uint64_t _restartIteration ) {
     CHECK_STATE( _restartIteration >= 1 );
 
     auto baseRestartIntervalMs = getSchain()->getNode()->getStuckRestartIntervalMs();
@@ -229,7 +224,7 @@ void StuckDetectionAgent::restart( uint64_t _restartTimeMs, uint64_t _iteration
     exit( 13 );
 }
 
-string StuckDetectionAgent::createStuckFileName( uint64_t _iteration ) {
+string StuckDetectionAgent::restartFileName(uint64_t _iteration ) {
     CHECK_STATE( _iteration >= 1 );
     auto engine = getNode()->getConsensusEngine();
     CHECK_STATE( engine );
@@ -242,7 +237,7 @@ string StuckDetectionAgent::createStuckFileName( uint64_t _iteration ) {
 
 void StuckDetectionAgent::createStuckRestartFile( uint64_t _iteration ) {
     CHECK_STATE( _iteration >= 1 );
-    auto fileName = createStuckFileName( _iteration );
+    auto fileName = restartFileName(_iteration);
 
     ofstream f;
     f.open( fileName, ios::trunc );
diff --git a/monitoring/StuckDetectionAgent.h b/monitoring/StuckDetectionAgent.h
index e6e78172..f12c6121 100644
--- a/monitoring/StuckDetectionAgent.h
+++ b/monitoring/StuckDetectionAgent.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class StuckDetectionAgent : public Agent {
 
     void join();
 
-    uint64_t checkForRestart( uint64_t _restartIteration );
+    uint64_t doStuckCheck( uint64_t _restartIteration );
 
     void restart( uint64_t _baseRestartTimeMs, uint64_t _iteration );
 
@@ -47,9 +47,11 @@ class StuckDetectionAgent : public Agent {
 
     void cleanupState();
 
-    string createStuckFileName( uint64_t _iteration );
+    string restartFileName(uint64_t _iteration );
 
     bool checkNodesAreOnline();
 
+    uint64_t getNumberOfPreviousRestarts();
+
     bool stuckCheck( uint64_t _restartIntervalMs, uint64_t _timeStamp );
 };