diff --git a/arangosh/V8Client/check-server.cpp b/arangosh/V8Client/check-server.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d69e4e8f33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arangosh/V8Client/check-server.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,232 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief checks server is alive and answering requests
+///
+/// @file
+///
+/// DISCLAIMER
+///
+/// Copyright 2004-2013 triAGENS GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+/// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+/// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+///
+///     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+///
+/// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+/// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+/// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+/// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+/// limitations under the License.
+///
+/// Copyright holder is triAGENS GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+///
+/// @author Dr. Frank Celler
+/// @author Copyright 2013, triAGENS GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#include "BasicsC/common.h"
+
+#include "ArangoShell/ArangoClient.h"
+#include "BasicsC/init.h"
+#include "BasicsC/logging.h"
+#include "Rest/InitialiseRest.h"
+#include "V8Client/V8ClientConnection.h"
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace triagens::basics;
+using namespace triagens::rest;
+using namespace triagens::httpclient;
+using namespace triagens::v8client;
+using namespace triagens::arango;
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// --SECTION--                                                 private functions
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief startup function
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+
+static void arangoshEntryFunction () {
+  int maxOpenFiles = 1024;
+  int res = 0;
+
+  // ...........................................................................
+  // Uncomment this to call this for extended debug information.
+  // If you familiar with valgrind ... then this is not like that, however
+  // you do get some similar functionality.
+  // ...........................................................................
+  //res = initialiseWindows(TRI_WIN_INITIAL_SET_DEBUG_FLAG, 0);
+
+  res = initialiseWindows(TRI_WIN_INITIAL_SET_INVALID_HANLE_HANDLER, 0);
+
+  if (res != 0) {
+    _exit(1);
+  }
+
+  res = initialiseWindows(TRI_WIN_INITIAL_SET_MAX_STD_IO,(const char*)(&maxOpenFiles));
+
+  if (res != 0) {
+    _exit(1);
+  }
+
+  res = initialiseWindows(TRI_WIN_INITIAL_WSASTARTUP_FUNCTION_CALL, 0);
+
+  if (res != 0) {
+    _exit(1);
+  }
+
+  TRI_Application_Exit_SetExit(arangoshExitFunction);
+}
+
+#else
+
+static void arangoshEntryFunction () {
+}
+
+#endif
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief exit function
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+
+static void arangoshExitFunction (int exitCode, void* data) {
+  int res = 0;
+
+  // ...........................................................................
+  // TODO: need a terminate function for windows to be called and cleanup
+  // any windows specific stuff.
+  // ...........................................................................
+
+  res = finaliseWindows(TRI_WIN_FINAL_WSASTARTUP_FUNCTION_CALL, 0);
+
+  if (res != 0) {
+    exit(1);
+  }
+
+  exit(exitCode);
+}
+
+#else
+
+static void arangoshExitFunction (int exitCode, void* data) {
+}
+
+#endif
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief return a new client connection instance
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+static V8ClientConnection* CreateConnection (Endpoint* endpoint) {
+  return new V8ClientConnection(endpoint,
+                                "_system",  // database
+                                "",         // user
+                                "",         //
+                                300,        // request timeout
+                                3,          // connection timeout
+                                3,          // retries
+                                false);
+}
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// --SECTION--                                                  public functions
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief main
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+int main (int argc, char* argv[]) {
+  int ret = EXIT_SUCCESS;
+
+  arangoshEntryFunction();
+
+  TRIAGENS_C_INITIALISE(argc, argv);
+  TRIAGENS_REST_INITIALISE(argc, argv);
+
+  TRI_InitialiseLogging(false);
+
+  if (4 < argc || argc < 2) {
+    cerr << "usage: " << argv[0] << " <endpoint> [<retries> [start|stop]]" << endl;
+    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+  }
+
+  int loop = 1;
+  bool start = true;
+
+  if (2 < argc) {
+    loop = StringUtils::int32(argv[2]);
+  }
+
+  if (3 < argc) {
+    if (strcmp(argv[3], "stop") == 0) {
+      start = false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  const char* endpointString = argv[1];
+  Endpoint* endpoint = Endpoint::clientFactory(endpointString);
+
+  if (endpoint != 0) {
+    bool connected = false;
+    bool waitFor = start;
+    int i = 0;
+
+    do {
+      V8ClientConnection* connection = CreateConnection(endpoint);
+
+      if (connection->isConnected() && connection->getLastHttpReturnCode() == HttpResponse::OK) {
+        cout << "version: " << connection->getVersion() << endl;
+        connected = true;
+      }
+      else {
+        cout << "cannot connect to '" << endpointString << "'" << endl;
+      }
+
+      delete connection;
+
+      i++;
+
+      if (waitFor != connected && i < loop) {
+        sleep(1);
+      }
+    }
+    while (waitFor != connected && i < loop);
+
+    if (connected != waitFor) {
+      if (start) {
+        cout << "server '" << endpointString << "' failed to start" << endl;
+      }
+      else {
+        cout << "server '" << endpointString << "' failed to stop" << endl;
+      }
+
+      ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
+    }
+  }
+  else {
+    cout << "cannot parse endpoint definition '" << endpointString << "'" << endl;
+    ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
+  }
+
+  TRIAGENS_REST_SHUTDOWN;
+
+  arangoshExitFunction(ret, NULL);
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// --SECTION--                                                       END-OF-FILE
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// Local Variables:
+// mode: outline-minor
+// outline-regexp: "/// @brief\\|/// {@inheritDoc}\\|/// @addtogroup\\|/// @page\\|// --SECTION--\\|/// @\\}"
+// End: