diff --git a/workers/null/README.md b/workers/null/README.md
index 63920df..1ee4035 100644
--- a/workers/null/README.md
+++ b/workers/null/README.md
@@ -36,6 +36,25 @@ to scale it down.
 - The handler is a `remote_function` rather than an HTTP proxy, so the
   framework never tries to forward the request anywhere.
 
+## Healthchecking
+
+The framework periodically GETs a healthcheck URL after startup; if it ever
+fails after the first success, the worker is marked errored and the
+autoscaler can decommission it. The null worker exposes two modes:
+
+- **Stub (default)** — a tiny HTTP server runs on
+  `http://127.0.0.1:18999/health` (override the port with
+  `NULL_STUB_HEALTH_PORT`) and always returns `200`. This is just enough to
+  satisfy the framework while you wire up real consumers.
+- **Point at your queue consumer (recommended)** — set
+  `BACKEND_HEALTH_URL=http://127.0.0.1:9090/health` (absolute URL) and the
+  pyworker will healthcheck *your* consumer instead. If your consumer
+  process crashes, the autoscaler will see the worker as broken.
+
+Run your queue consumer on the instance alongside the PyWorker, expose a
+plain `/health` endpoint on it, then set `BACKEND_HEALTH_URL` accordingly in
+your template.
+
 ## API
 
 ### `POST /reserve`
@@ -66,6 +85,11 @@ Behavior:
 - `MAX_RESERVATION_SECONDS` — upper bound on how long a single `/reserve`
   call can hold a worker. Defaults to `3600`. Set lower if you want a tighter
   safety cap against stuck clients.
+- `BACKEND_HEALTH_URL` — absolute URL the framework should healthcheck
+  (e.g. `http://127.0.0.1:9090/health`). When set, the stub server does not
+  run. When unset, the built-in stub is used.
+- `NULL_STUB_HEALTH_PORT` — port for the built-in stub healthcheck server.
+  Defaults to `18999`. Only used when `BACKEND_HEALTH_URL` is unset.
 
 ## Deploying on Vast Serverless
 
diff --git a/workers/null/worker.py b/workers/null/worker.py
index 99453f8..59b0dad 100644
--- a/workers/null/worker.py
+++ b/workers/null/worker.py
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ import asyncio
 import logging
 import os
 from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from urllib.parse import urlsplit
+
+from aiohttp import web
 
 from vastai import (
     Worker,
@@ -22,14 +25,63 @@ MAX_RESERVATION_SECONDS = float(os.environ.get("MAX_RESERVATION_SECONDS", 3600))
 # immediately during capacity estimation instead of sleeping.
 BENCHMARK_SENTINEL = "__null_worker_benchmark__"
 
+# Healthcheck wiring. The framework periodically GETs
+# `<model_server_url>:<model_server_port><model_healthcheck_url>` and marks the
+# worker errored if that ever fails after the first success. For the null
+# worker we either:
+#   * point at a URL the user supplies via BACKEND_HEALTH_URL — typically
+#     their own queue-consumer's health endpoint, so the autoscaler sees the
+#     worker as broken if the consumer dies, or
+#   * run a tiny built-in stub that always returns 200, so the framework has
+#     something live to talk to until the user wires up a real consumer.
+BACKEND_HEALTH_URL = os.environ.get("BACKEND_HEALTH_URL", "").strip()
+STUB_HEALTH_HOST = "127.0.0.1"
+STUB_HEALTH_PORT = int(os.environ.get("NULL_STUB_HEALTH_PORT", 18999))
+STUB_HEALTH_PATH = "/health"
+
+if BACKEND_HEALTH_URL:
+    _parsed = urlsplit(BACKEND_HEALTH_URL)
+    if not _parsed.scheme or not _parsed.hostname:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"BACKEND_HEALTH_URL must be an absolute URL, got: {BACKEND_HEALTH_URL!r}"
+        )
+    HEALTH_BASE_URL = f"{_parsed.scheme}://{_parsed.hostname}"
+    HEALTH_PORT = _parsed.port or (443 if _parsed.scheme == "https" else 80)
+    HEALTH_PATH = _parsed.path or "/"
+    USE_STUB = False
+else:
+    HEALTH_BASE_URL = f"http://{STUB_HEALTH_HOST}"
+    HEALTH_PORT = STUB_HEALTH_PORT
+    HEALTH_PATH = STUB_HEALTH_PATH
+    USE_STUB = True
+
 
 @asynccontextmanager
 async def null_lifecycle():
-    log.info("Null pyworker active (no model server)")
+    runner = None
+    if USE_STUB:
+        async def stub_health(_request: web.Request) -> web.Response:
+            return web.Response(status=200, text="ok")
+
+        app = web.Application()
+        app.router.add_get(STUB_HEALTH_PATH, stub_health)
+        runner = web.AppRunner(app)
+        await runner.setup()
+        site = web.TCPSite(runner, STUB_HEALTH_HOST, STUB_HEALTH_PORT)
+        await site.start()
+        log.info(
+            f"Null pyworker stub healthcheck listening on "
+            f"http://{STUB_HEALTH_HOST}:{STUB_HEALTH_PORT}{STUB_HEALTH_PATH} "
+            f"(override by setting BACKEND_HEALTH_URL)"
+        )
+    else:
+        log.info(f"Null pyworker healthcheck pointing at {BACKEND_HEALTH_URL}")
+
     try:
         yield
     finally:
-        log.info("Null pyworker shutting down")
+        if runner is not None:
+            await runner.cleanup()
 
 
 async def reserve_worker(**params: object) -> dict:
@@ -59,8 +111,9 @@ async def reserve_worker(**params: object) -> dict:
 
 
 worker_config = WorkerConfig(
-    model_server_url="http://127.0.0.1",
-    model_server_port=1,
+    model_server_url=HEALTH_BASE_URL,
+    model_server_port=HEALTH_PORT,
+    model_healthcheck_url=HEALTH_PATH,
     lifecycle=null_lifecycle(),
     handlers=[
         HandlerConfig(