diff --git a/services/docstore/app.coffee b/services/docstore/app.coffee
index 3a6b06f7a8..4fb4b1089c 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app.coffee
+++ b/services/docstore/app.coffee
@@ -25,46 +25,7 @@ app.del  '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id', HttpController.deleteDoc
 app.post  '/project/:project_id/archive', HttpController.archiveAllDocs
 app.post  '/project/:project_id/unarchive', HttpController.unArchiveAllDocs
 
-
-ObjectId = require("mongojs").ObjectId
-request = require("request")
-async = require("async")
-_ = require("underscore")
-crypto = require("crypto")
-
-app.get "/health_check", (req, res)->
-	doc_id = ObjectId()
-	project_id = ObjectId()
-	url = "http://localhost:#{port}/project/#{project_id}/doc/#{doc_id}"
-	lines = ["smoke test - delete me", "#{crypto.randomBytes(32).toString("hex")}"]
-	logger.log lines:lines, url:url, doc_id:doc_id, project_id:project_id, "running health check"
-	jobs = [
-		(cb)->
-			opts = 
-				url:url
-				json: {lines: lines}
-			request.post(opts, cb)
-		(cb)->
-			request.get {url:url, json:true}, (err, res, body)->
-				if res.statusCode != 200
-					cb("status code not 200, its #{res.statusCode}")
-				else if _.isEqual(body.lines, lines) and body._id == doc_id.toString()
-					cb()
-				else
-					cb("lines not equal ")
-		(cb)->
-			request.del url, cb
-	]
-	async.series jobs, (err)->
-		if err?
-			logger.err err:err, "error running health check"
-			res.send 500
-		else
-			res.send()
-
-
-
-
+app.get "/health_check",  HttpController.healthCheck
 
 app.get '/status', (req, res)->
 	res.send('docstore is alive')
diff --git a/services/docstore/app/coffee/HealthChecker.coffee b/services/docstore/app/coffee/HealthChecker.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..793193d68b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/docstore/app/coffee/HealthChecker.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+ObjectId = require("mongojs").ObjectId
+request = require("request")
+async = require("async")
+_ = require("underscore")
+crypto = require("crypto")	
+settings = require("settings-sharelatex")
+port = settings.internal.docstore.port
+logger = require "logger-sharelatex"
+
+
+module.exports = 
+	check : (callback)->
+		doc_id = ObjectId()
+		project_id = ObjectId(settings.docstore.healthCheck.project_id)
+		url = "http://localhost:#{port}/project/#{project_id}/doc/#{doc_id}"
+		lines = ["smoke test - delete me", "#{crypto.randomBytes(32).toString("hex")}"]
+		logger.log lines:lines, url:url, doc_id:doc_id, project_id:project_id, "running health check"
+		jobs = [
+			(cb)->
+				opts = 
+					url:url
+					json: {lines: lines}
+				request.post(opts, cb)
+			(cb)->
+				request.get {url:url, json:true}, (err, res, body)->
+					if res.statusCode != 200
+						cb("status code not 200, its #{res.statusCode}")
+					else if _.isEqual(body.lines, lines) and body._id == doc_id.toString()
+						cb()
+					else
+						cb("health check lines not equal #{body.lines} != #{lines}")
+			(cb)->
+				request.del url, cb
+		]
+		async.series jobs, callback
diff --git a/services/docstore/app/coffee/HttpController.coffee b/services/docstore/app/coffee/HttpController.coffee
index 3b99b090d2..7d6ada30c8 100644
--- a/services/docstore/app/coffee/HttpController.coffee
+++ b/services/docstore/app/coffee/HttpController.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 DocManager = require "./DocManager"
 logger = require "logger-sharelatex"
 DocArchive = require "./DocArchiveManager"
+HealthChecker = require "./HealthChecker"
+
 
 module.exports = HttpController =
 	getDoc: (req, res, next = (error) ->) ->
@@ -94,3 +96,11 @@ module.exports = HttpController =
 			return next(error) if error?
 			res.send 200
 
+	healthCheck: (req, res)->
+		HealthChecker.check (err)->
+			if err?
+				logger.err err:err, "error performing health check"
+				res.send 500
+			else
+				res.send 200
+
diff --git a/services/docstore/config/settings.defaults.coffee b/services/docstore/config/settings.defaults.coffee
index e7b4046b64..da76fec12f 100644
--- a/services/docstore/config/settings.defaults.coffee
+++ b/services/docstore/config/settings.defaults.coffee
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ module.exports =
 	mongo:
 		url: 'mongodb://127.0.0.1/sharelatex'
 
-	#docstore:
+	docstore:
+		healthCheck:
+			project_id: "5620bece05509b0a7a3cbc61"
 	#	s3:
 	#		key: ""
 	#		secret: ""