diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2fac753..d2d057d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ Accept: application/vnd.schemaorg.ld+json # for JSON-LD format
 
 [OpenAPI documentation available here.](http://petstore.swagger.io/?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/uc-cdis/pidgin/master/openapi/swagger.yml)
 
-The YAML file comtaining the OpenAPI documentation can be found in the `openapi` folder; see the README in that folder for more details.
+The YAML file containing the OpenAPI documentation can be found in the `openapi` folder; see the README in that folder for more details.
diff --git a/deployment/uwsgi/wsgi.py b/deployment/uwsgi/wsgi.py
index f63d0f1..f36c877 100644
--- a/deployment/uwsgi/wsgi.py
+++ b/deployment/uwsgi/wsgi.py
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@
 config = app.config
 
 config["API_URL"] = "http://peregrine-service/v0/submission/graphql/"
+config["API_HEALTH_URL"] = "http://peregrine-service/_status"
 application = app
diff --git a/pidgin/app.py b/pidgin/app.py
index 2729267..f939cf9 100644
--- a/pidgin/app.py
+++ b/pidgin/app.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from cdislogging import get_logger
 import flask
 import json
 import requests
@@ -23,6 +24,8 @@
     },
 }
 
+logger = get_logger(__name__, log_level="info")
+
 
 @app.route("/<path:object_id>")
 def get_core_metadata(object_id):
@@ -59,6 +62,7 @@ def get_core_metadata(object_id):
       404:
         description: No core metadata was found for this object_id
     """
+    logger.info("Getting metadata for object_id: {}".format(object_id))
     accept = flask.request.headers.get("Accept")
     if accept == "x-bibtex":
         return get_bibtex_metadata(object_id)
@@ -286,7 +290,15 @@ def health_check():
     responses:
       200:
         description: Healthy
-      default:
-        description: Unhealthy
+      500:
+        description: Unhealthy (Peregrine not available)
     """
+    api_health_url = app.config.get("API_HEALTH_URL")
+    if not api_health_url:
+        raise PidginException("Pidgin is not configured with API_HEALTH_URL")
+    try:
+        requests.get(api_health_url)
+    except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
+        logger.error("Peregrine not available; returning unhealthy")
+        return "Unhealthy", 500
     return "Healthy", 200
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 646cef2..ccfc5a5 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+cdislogging==1.0.0
 Flask==1.0.2
 requests==2.20.0
diff --git a/run.py b/run.py
index 33f40f0..0642935 100644
--- a/run.py
+++ b/run.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from pidgin.app import app
 
 app.config["API_URL"] = "http://localhost/v0/submission/graphql/"  # peregrine endpoint
+app.config["API_HEALTH_URL"] = "http://localhost/_status"
 app.run("127.0.0.1", 5000, debug=True)
diff --git a/tests/system_test.py b/tests/system_test.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 8d46415..0000000
--- a/tests/system_test.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-def test_status_endpoint(client):
-    res = client.get("/_status")
-    assert res.status_code == 200