diff --git a/lib/backend.py b/lib/backend.py
index 19764bd..0d9a273 100644
--- a/lib/backend.py
+++ b/lib/backend.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from lib.data_types import (
     BenchmarkResult
 )
 
-VERSION = "0.2.0"
+VERSION = "0.2.1"
 
 MSG_HISTORY_LEN = 100
 log = logging.getLogger(__file__)
diff --git a/lib/server.py b/lib/server.py
index b21c880..0029311 100644
--- a/lib/server.py
+++ b/lib/server.py
@@ -3,38 +3,58 @@ import logging
 from typing import List
 import ssl
 from asyncio import run, gather
-
+import asyncio
 
 from lib.backend import Backend
+from lib.metrics import Metrics
 from aiohttp import web
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__file__)
 
 
 def start_server(backend: Backend, routes: List[web.RouteDef], **kwargs):
-    log.debug("getting certificate...")
-    use_ssl = os.environ.get("USE_SSL", "false") == "true"
-    if use_ssl is True:
-        ssl_context = ssl.create_default_context(ssl.Purpose.CLIENT_AUTH)
-        ssl_context.load_cert_chain(
-            certfile="/etc/instance.crt",
-            keyfile="/etc/instance.key",
-        )
-    else:
-        ssl_context = None
+    try:
+        log.debug("getting certificate...")
+        use_ssl = os.environ.get("USE_SSL", "false") == "true"
+        if use_ssl is True:
+            ssl_context = ssl.create_default_context(ssl.Purpose.CLIENT_AUTH)
+            ssl_context.load_cert_chain(
+                certfile="/etc/instance.crt",
+                keyfile="/etc/instance.key",
+            )
+        else:
+            ssl_context = None
 
-    async def main():
-        log.debug("starting server...")
-        app = web.Application()
-        app.add_routes(routes)
-        runner = web.AppRunner(app)
-        await runner.setup()
-        site = web.TCPSite(
-            runner,
-            ssl_context=ssl_context,
-            port=int(os.environ["WORKER_PORT"]),
-            **kwargs
-        )
-        await gather(site.start(), backend._start_tracking())
+        async def main():
+            log.debug("starting server...")
+            app = web.Application()
+            app.add_routes(routes)
+            runner = web.AppRunner(app)
+            await runner.setup()
+            site = web.TCPSite(
+                runner,
+                ssl_context=ssl_context,
+                port=int(os.environ["WORKER_PORT"]),
+                **kwargs
+            )
+            await gather(site.start(), backend._start_tracking())
 
-    run(main())
+        run(main())
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        err_msg = f"PyWorker failed to launch: {e}"
+        log.error(err_msg)
+
+        async def beacon():
+            metrics = Metrics()
+            metrics._set_version(getattr(backend, "version", "0"))
+            metrics._set_mtoken(getattr(backend, "mtoken", ""))
+            try:
+                while True:
+                    metrics._model_errored(err_msg)
+                    await metrics._Metrics__send_metrics_and_reset()
+                    await asyncio.sleep(10)
+            finally:
+                await metrics.aclose()
+
+        run(beacon())
diff --git a/start_server.sh b/start_server.sh
index edc16a4..4b07e01 100755
--- a/start_server.sh
+++ b/start_server.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ echo_var DEBUG_LOG
 echo_var PYWORKER_LOG
 echo_var MODEL_LOG
 
+# if instance is rebooted, we want to clear out the log file so pyworker doesn't read lines
+# from the run prior to reboot. past logs are saved in $MODEL_LOG.old for debugging only
+if [ -e "$MODEL_LOG" ]; then
+    echo "Rotating model log at $MODEL_LOG to $MODEL_LOG.old"
+    cat "$MODEL_LOG" >> "$MODEL_LOG.old" 
+    : > "$MODEL_LOG"
+fi
+
 # Populate /etc/environment with quoted values
 if ! grep -q "VAST" /etc/environment; then
     env -0 | grep -zEv "^(HOME=|SHLVL=)|CONDA" | while IFS= read -r -d '' line; do
@@ -124,9 +132,43 @@ cd "$SERVER_DIR"
 
 echo "launching PyWorker server"
 
-# if instance is rebooted, we want to clear out the log file so pyworker doesn't read lines
-# from the run prior to reboot. past logs are saved in $MODEL_LOG.old for debugging only
-[ -e "$MODEL_LOG" ] && cat "$MODEL_LOG" >> "$MODEL_LOG.old" && : > "$MODEL_LOG"
+set +e
+python3 -m "workers.$BACKEND.server" |& tee -a "$PYWORKER_LOG"
+PY_STATUS=${PIPESTATUS[0]}
+set -e
 
-(python3 -m "workers.$BACKEND.server" |& tee -a "$PYWORKER_LOG") &
-echo "launching PyWorker server done"
+if [ "${PY_STATUS}" -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "PyWorker exited with status ${PY_STATUS}; notifying autoscaler..."
+  ERROR_MSG="PyWorker exited: code ${PY_STATUS}"
+  MTOKEN="${MASTER_TOKEN:-}"
+  VERSION="${PYWORKER_VERSION:-0}"
+
+  IFS=',' read -r -a REPORT_ADDRS <<< "${REPORT_ADDR}"
+  for addr in "${REPORT_ADDRS[@]}"; do
+    curl -sS -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+      -d "$(cat <<JSON
+{
+  "id": ${CONTAINER_ID:-0},
+  "mtoken": "${MTOKEN}",
+  "version": "${VERSION}",
+  "loadtime": 0,
+  "new_load": 0,
+  "cur_load": 0,
+  "rej_load": 0,
+  "max_perf": 0,
+  "cur_perf": 0,
+  "error_msg": "${ERROR_MSG}",
+  "num_requests_working": 0,
+  "num_requests_recieved": 0,
+  "additional_disk_usage": 0,
+  "working_request_idxs": [],
+  "cur_capacity": 0,
+  "max_capacity": 0,
+  "url": "${URL}"
+}
+JSON
+)" "${addr%/}/worker_status/" || true
+  done
+fi
+
+echo "launching PyWorker server done"
\ No newline at end of file