diff --git a/lib/config_reader.js b/lib/config_reader.js
index 8b17e2e..6278bf1 100644
--- a/lib/config_reader.js
+++ b/lib/config_reader.js
@@ -9,25 +9,31 @@ var logger = require('./logging.js');
  * Grab the meta config to bootstrap git2consul.
  */
 exports.read = function(params, cb) {
-  if (!cb) {
-    cb = params;
-    params = {'key': 'git2consul/config'};
-  }
-
-  if (global.token) {
-    params = _.extend(params, {'token': global.token});
-  }
-
-  consul.kv.get(params, function(err, item) {
-    if (err) return cb(err);
-
-    try {
-      var config = JSON.parse(item.Value);
-    } catch(e) {
-      return cb('Config value is not valid JSON: ' + require('util').inspect(item));
+    if (!cb) {
+        cb = params;
+        params = {};
     }
-    cb(null, config, item);
-  });
+
+    //If a key is not passed, default to the global configuration value. If that isn't set (which appears not to be
+    // the case in a test or two), explicitly fall back to default.
+    if (! params.key ){
+        params['key'] = global.config_key || 'git2consul/config';
+    }
+
+    if (global.token) {
+        params = _.extend(params, {'token': global.token});
+    }
+
+    consul.kv.get(params, function(err, item) {
+        if (err)  return cb(err);
+
+        try {
+            var config = JSON.parse(item.Value);
+        } catch(e) {
+            return cb('Config value is not valid JSON: ' + require('util').inspect(item));
+        }
+        cb(null, config, item);
+    });
 };
 
 /* istanbul ignore next */
@@ -35,25 +41,31 @@ exports.read = function(params, cb) {
  * Wait for the consul config KV to change
  */
 exports.wait = function(cb) {
-  exports.read(function(err, config, item) {
-    if (err) return cb(err);
+    exports.read(function(err, config, item) {
+        if (err) return logger.error("Could not set up configuration watch, encountered error on initial read: %s", err );
 
-    var modify_index = item.ModifyIndex;
-    logger.info("Current config index is %s, waiting for changes.", modify_index);
 
-    var wait_for_change = function() {
-      exports.read({'key': 'git2consul/config', index: item.ModifyIndex}, function(err, config, item) {
-        if (err) return cb(err);
+        var modify_index = item.ModifyIndex;
+        logger.info("Current config index is %s, waiting for changes.", modify_index);
 
-        if (modify_index !== item.ModifyIndex) {
-          logger.warn("Config changed.");
-          return cb(null);
-        }
+        var wait_for_change = function() {
+            exports.read({index: item.ModifyIndex}, function(err, config, item) {
 
-        process.nextTick(wait_for_change);
-      });
-    };
+                if (err) {
+                    //if we run into an error, report then pause for a while before trying again
+                    //so we don't just spin in a tight loop spitting out errors
+                    cb(err);
+                    setTimeout(wait_for_change, global.config_read_retry_wait);
+                }
+                else if (modify_index !== item.ModifyIndex) {
+                    logger.warn("Config changed.");
+                    return cb(null);
+                } else {
+                    process.nextTick(wait_for_change);
+                }
+            });
+        };
 
-    process.nextTick(wait_for_change);
-  });
+        process.nextTick(wait_for_change);
+    });
 };
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 48efd49..7fb14e9 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ global.secure = process.env.CONSUL_SECURE || false;
 global.token = process.env.TOKEN || null;
 global.config_file = null;
 global.config_key = "git2consul/config"
+global.config_read_retry_wait = 60000;
 
 /**
  * Parse out flags and override defaults if they are set
diff --git a/test/git2consul_halt_on_change_test.js b/test/git2consul_halt_on_change_test.js
index 7b48290..74c62b4 100644
--- a/test/git2consul_halt_on_change_test.js
+++ b/test/git2consul_halt_on_change_test.js
@@ -22,55 +22,126 @@ var token = process.env.TOKEN;
  * Test halt_on_change.  We register a config with halt on change functionality and validate
  * that halt is called on a consul config change.
  */
-describe('halt_on_change', function() {
-
-  it ('should halt git2consul when config changes', function(done) {
-
-    consul.kv.set({'key': "git2consul/config", value: '{"fake":"config"}', token: token}, function(err) {
-      if (err) done(err);
-
-      var repo_config = git_utils.createRepoConfig();
-      repo_config.hooks = [{
-        'type': 'stash',
-        'url': '/stashpoke_bogus_branch',
-        'port': 5053
-      }];
-      repo_config.name = "halt_on_change_repo";
-
-      git_commands.init(git_utils.TEST_REMOTE_REPO, function(err) {
-        if (err) return done(err);
-
-        var sample_key = 'readme.md';
-        var sample_value = 'stub data';
-        git_utils.addFileToGitRepo(sample_key, sample_value, "Stub commit.", function(err) {
-          if (err) return done(err);
-
-          var config = {
-            repos: [repo_config],
-            local_store: git_utils.TEST_WORKING_DIR,
-            halt_on_change: true
-          };
-
-          // Now, create a repo with hooks.  The hooks should be active.
-          git.createRepos(config, function(err) {
-            (undefined === err).should.equal(true);
-
-            var repo = git.repos['halt_on_change_repo'];
-            repo.hooks_active.should.equal(true);
-
-            // Now update config and validate that a halt is seen.
-            consul.kv.set({'key': "git2consul/config", value: '{"fake":"config2electricboogaloo"}', token: token}, function(err) {
-              if (err) done(err);
-
-              var check_halt = function() {
-                if (git.halt_seen) return done();
-                setTimeout(check_halt, 50);                
-              };
-              check_halt();
+describe('halt_on_change', function () {
+
+    it('should halt git2consul when config changes', function (done) {
+
+        consul.kv.set({'key': "git2consul/config", value: '{"fake":"config"}', token: token}, function (err) {
+            if (err) done(err);
+
+            var repo_config = git_utils.createRepoConfig();
+            repo_config.hooks = [{
+                'type': 'stash',
+                'url': '/stashpoke_bogus_branch',
+                'port': 5053
+            }];
+            repo_config.name = "halt_on_change_repo";
+
+            git_commands.init(git_utils.TEST_REMOTE_REPO, function (err) {
+                if (err) return done(err);
+
+                var sample_key = 'readme.md';
+                var sample_value = 'stub data';
+                git_utils.addFileToGitRepo(sample_key, sample_value, "Stub commit.", function (err) {
+                    if (err) return done(err);
+
+                    var config = {
+                        repos: [repo_config],
+                        local_store: git_utils.TEST_WORKING_DIR,
+                        halt_on_change: true
+                    };
+
+                    // Now, create a repo with hooks.  The hooks should be active.
+                    git.createRepos(config, function (err) {
+                        (undefined === err).should.equal(true);
+
+                        var repo = git.repos['halt_on_change_repo'];
+                        repo.hooks_active.should.equal(true);
+
+                        // Now update config and validate that a halt is seen.
+                        consul.kv.set({
+                            'key': "git2consul/config",
+                            value: '{"fake":"config2electricboogaloo"}',
+                            token: token
+                        }, function (err) {
+                            if (err) return done(err);
+
+                            var check_halt = function () {
+                                if (git.halt_seen) return done();
+                                setTimeout(check_halt, 50);
+                            };
+                            check_halt();
+                        });
+                    });
+                });
+            });
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should halt git2consul even after error in communicating', function (done) {
+
+        consul.kv.set({'key': "git2consul/config2", value: '{"fake":"config"}', token: token}, function (err) {
+            if (err) done(err);
+
+            global.config_key = "git2consul/config2"
+            global.config_read_retry_wait = 500;
+            var repo_config = git_utils.createRepoConfig();
+            repo_config.hooks = [{
+                'type': 'stash',
+                'url': '/totally_bogus',
+                'port': 5053
+            }];
+            repo_config.name = "halt_on_change_repo";
+
+            git_commands.init(git_utils.TEST_REMOTE_REPO, function (err) {
+                if (err) return done(err);
+
+                var sample_key = 'readme.md';
+                var sample_value = 'stub data';
+                git_utils.addFileToGitRepo(sample_key, sample_value, "Stub commit.", function (err) {
+                    if (err) return done(err);
+
+                    var config = {
+                        repos: [repo_config],
+                        local_store: git_utils.TEST_WORKING_DIR,
+                        halt_on_change: true
+                    };
+
+                    // Now, create a repo with hooks.  The hooks should be active.
+                    git.createRepos(config, function (err) {
+                        (undefined === err).should.equal(true);
+
+                        var repo = git.repos['halt_on_change_repo'];
+                        repo.hooks_active.should.equal(true);
+
+                        // Now remove the config data so it doesn't exist
+                        // This will cause an error with the read
+                        consul.kv.del({
+                            'key': "git2consul/config2",
+                            token: token
+                        }, function (err) {
+                            if (err) return done(err);
+
+                            // Add the configuration back, except modified. This should
+                            // trigger a halt
+                            consul.kv.set({
+                                'key': "git2consul/config2",
+                                value: '{"fake":"config2electricboogaloo"}',
+                                token: token
+                            }, function (err) {
+                                if (err) return done(err);
+
+                                var check_halt = function () {
+                                    if (git.halt_seen) return done();
+                                    setTimeout(check_halt, 50);
+                                };
+                                check_halt();
+                            });
+                        });
+
+                    });
+                });
             });
-          });
         });
-      });
     });
-  });
 });