diff --git a/services/web/app/src/Features/HealthCheck/HealthCheckController.js b/services/web/app/src/Features/HealthCheck/HealthCheckController.js
index 514c8fa18d..2daa41d0f4 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/Features/HealthCheck/HealthCheckController.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/Features/HealthCheck/HealthCheckController.js
@@ -10,8 +10,14 @@ const {
 
 module.exports = {
   check(req, res, next) {
-    // detach from express for cleaner stack traces
-    setTimeout(() => runSmokeTestsDetached(req, res).catch(next))
+    if (!settings.siteIsOpen || !settings.editorIsOpen) {
+      // always return successful health checks when site is closed
+      res.contentType('application/json')
+      res.sendStatus(200)
+    } else {
+      // detach from express for cleaner stack traces
+      setTimeout(() => runSmokeTestsDetached(req, res).catch(next))
+    }
   },
 
   checkActiveHandles(req, res, next) {
diff --git a/services/web/app/src/Features/ServerAdmin/AdminController.js b/services/web/app/src/Features/ServerAdmin/AdminController.js
index 8a04b70e29..8404a8628d 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/Features/ServerAdmin/AdminController.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/Features/ServerAdmin/AdminController.js
@@ -98,11 +98,13 @@ const AdminController = {
     return res.render('admin/register')
   },
 
-  dissconectAllUsers: (req, res) => {
+  disconnectAllUsers: (req, res) => {
     logger.warn('disconecting everyone')
+    const delay = (req.query && req.query.delay) > 0 ? req.query.delay : 10
     EditorRealTimeController.emitToAll(
       'forceDisconnect',
-      'Sorry, we are performing a quick update to the editor and need to close it down. Please refresh the page to continue.'
+      'Sorry, we are performing a quick update to the editor and need to close it down. Please refresh the page to continue.',
+      delay
     )
     return res.sendStatus(200)
   },
diff --git a/services/web/app/src/router.js b/services/web/app/src/router.js
index 62f27c9337..1bbbdbb3e3 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/router.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/router.js
@@ -954,9 +954,9 @@ function initialize(webRouter, privateApiRouter, publicApiRouter) {
     AdminController.closeEditor
   )
   webRouter.post(
-    '/admin/dissconectAllUsers',
+    '/admin/disconnectAllUsers',
     AuthorizationMiddleware.ensureUserIsSiteAdmin,
-    AdminController.dissconectAllUsers
+    AdminController.disconnectAllUsers
   )
   webRouter.post(
     '/admin/flushProjectToTpds',
@@ -981,14 +981,20 @@ function initialize(webRouter, privateApiRouter, publicApiRouter) {
 
   privateApiRouter.post(
     '/disconnectAllUsers',
-    AdminController.dissconectAllUsers
+    AdminController.disconnectAllUsers
   )
 
   privateApiRouter.get('/perfTest', (req, res) => res.send('hello'))
 
-  publicApiRouter.get('/status', (req, res) =>
-    res.send('web sharelatex is alive (web)')
-  )
+  publicApiRouter.get('/status', (req, res) => {
+    if (!Settings.siteIsOpen) {
+      res.send('web site is closed (web)')
+    } else if (!Settings.editorIsOpen) {
+      res.send('web editor is closed (web)')
+    } else {
+      res.send('web sharelatex is alive (web)')
+    }
+  })
   privateApiRouter.get('/status', (req, res) =>
     res.send('web sharelatex is alive (api)')
   )
diff --git a/services/web/app/views/admin/index.pug b/services/web/app/views/admin/index.pug
index a227e9d0f7..bec1bdbe52 100644
--- a/services/web/app/views/admin/index.pug
+++ b/services/web/app/views/admin/index.pug
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ block content
 									p.small Will stop anyone opening the editor. Will NOT disconnect already connected users.
 
 								.row-spaced
-									form(method='post',action='/admin/dissconectAllUsers')
+									form(method='post',action='/admin/disconnectAllUsers')
 										input(name="_csrf", type="hidden", value=csrfToken)
 										button.btn.btn-danger(type="submit") Disconnect all users
 									p.small Will force disconnect all users with the editor open. Make sure to close the editor first to avoid them reconnecting.
diff --git a/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug b/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
index 62fd40479c..9ad1eef194 100644
--- a/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
+++ b/services/web/app/views/project/editor.pug
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ block content
 		.global-alerts(ng-cloak ng-hide="editor.error_state")
 			.alert.alert-danger.small(ng-if="connection.forced_disconnect")
 				strong #{translate("disconnected")}
-				|  #{translate("please_refresh")}
 
 			.alert.alert-warning.small(ng-if="connection.reconnection_countdown")
 				strong #{translate("lost_connection")}.
diff --git a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/connection/ConnectionManager.js b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/connection/ConnectionManager.js
index bf0e130e67..c2fa64adc9 100644
--- a/services/web/frontend/js/ide/connection/ConnectionManager.js
+++ b/services/web/frontend/js/ide/connection/ConnectionManager.js
@@ -249,22 +249,25 @@ export default ConnectionManager = (function() {
 
       // Site administrators can send the forceDisconnect event to all users
 
-      this.ide.socket.on('forceDisconnect', message => {
+      this.ide.socket.on('forceDisconnect', (message, delay = 10) => {
         this.updateConnectionManagerState('inactive')
+        this.shuttingDown = true // prevent reconnection attempts
         this.$scope.$apply(() => {
           this.$scope.permissions.write = false
           return (this.$scope.connection.forced_disconnect = true)
         })
-        this.ide.socket.disconnect()
-        this.ide.showGenericMessageModal(
-          'Please Refresh',
+        // flush changes before disconnecting
+        this.ide.$scope.$broadcast('flush-changes')
+        setTimeout(() => this.ide.socket.disconnect(), 1000)
+        this.ide.showLockEditorMessageModal(
+          'Please wait',
           `\
-We're performing maintenance on Overleaf and you need to refresh the editor.
+We're performing maintenance on Overleaf and you need to wait a moment.
 Sorry for any inconvenience.
-The editor will refresh in automatically in 10 seconds.\
+The editor will refresh automatically in ${delay} seconds.\
 `
         )
-        return setTimeout(() => location.reload(), 10 * 1000)
+        return setTimeout(() => location.reload(), delay * 1000)
       })
 
       this.ide.socket.on('reconnectGracefully', () => {