diff --git a/src/appdb.js b/src/appdb.js
index 5fd8aac6b..b658e17ef 100644
--- a/src/appdb.js
+++ b/src/appdb.js
@@ -31,13 +31,10 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     ISTATE_DOWNLOADING_IMAGE: 'downloading_image',
     ISTATE_DOWNLOADED_IMAGE: 'downloaded_image',
     ISTATE_IMAGE_ERROR: 'image_error',
+
     ISTATE_CREATING_CONTAINER: 'creating_container',
     ISTATE_CREATED_CONTAINER: 'created_container',
 
-    ISTATE_STARTING_CONTAINER: 'starting_container',
-    ISTATE_STARTED_CONTAINER: 'started_container',
-    ISTATE_CONTAINER_ERROR: 'container_error',
-
     ISTATE_CREATING_VOLUME: 'creating_volume',
     ISTATE_CREATED_VOLUME: 'created_volume',
     ISTATE_VOLUME_ERROR: 'volume_error',
@@ -46,9 +43,12 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     ISTATE_REGISTERED_SUBDOMAIN: 'registered_subdomain',
     ISTATE_SUBDOMAIN_ERROR: 'subdomain_error',
 
-    ISTATE_RUNNING: 'running',
-    ISTATE_EXITED: 'exited',
-    ISTATE_NOT_RESPONDING: 'not_responding'
+    ISTATE_INSTALLED: 'installed',
+
+    RSTATE_RUNNING: 'running',
+    RSTATE_ERROR: 'error',
+    RSTATE_EXITED: 'exited',
+    RSTATE_NOT_RESPONDING: 'not_responding'
 };
 
 var DatabaseError = require('./databaseerror'),
diff --git a/src/apphealthtask.js b/src/apphealthtask.js
index 2b6c2638c..a120a691c 100644
--- a/src/apphealthtask.js
+++ b/src/apphealthtask.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 var assert = require('assert'),
     config = require('../config.js'),
     database = require('./database.js'),
+    DatabaseError = require('./databaseerror'),
     appdb = require('./appdb.js'),
     async = require('async'),
     Docker = require('dockerode'),
@@ -38,29 +39,36 @@ function initialize() {
     });
 }
 
-function updateApp(app, values, callback) {
-    for (var value in values) {
-        app[value] = values[value];
-    }
-    appdb.update(app.id, values, callback);
- }
-
 // # TODO should probably poll from the outside network instead of the docker network?
+// callback is called with error for fatal errors and not if health check failed
 function checkAppHealth(app, callback) {
+    if (app.installationState !== appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED) return callback(null);
+
     var container = docker.getContainer(app.containerId),
         manifest = JSON.parse(app.manifestJson); // this is guaranteed not to throw since it's already been verified in downloadManifest()
 
+    function updateApp(app, values, callback) {
+        for (var value in values) {
+            app[value] = values[value];
+        }
+        appdb.update(app.id, values, function (error) {
+            if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) { // app got uninstalled
+                return callback(null);
+            }
+
+            callback(error);
+        });
+     }
+
     container.inspect(function (err, data) {
         if (err || !data || !data.State) {
             debug('Error inspecting container');
-            updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_IMAGE_ERROR }, FATAL_CALLBACK);
-            return callback(err);
+            return updateApp(app, { runState: appdb.RSTATE_ERROR }, callback);
         }
 
         if (data.State.Running !== true) {
             debug(app.id + ' has exited');
-            updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_EXITED }, FATAL_CALLBACK);
-            return callback(null);
+            return updateApp(app, { runState: appdb.RSTATE_EXITED }, callback);
         }
 
         var healthCheckUrl = 'http://127.0.0.1:' + app.httpPort + manifest.health_check_url;
@@ -71,12 +79,10 @@ function checkAppHealth(app, callback) {
 
             if (error || res.status !== 200) {
                 debug('Marking application as dead: ' + app.id);
-                updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_NOT_RESPONDING }, FATAL_CALLBACK);
-                callback(null);
+                updateApp(app, { runState: appdb.RSTATE_NOT_RESPONDING }, callback);
             } else {
                 debug('healthy app:' + app.id);
-                updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_RUNNING }, FATAL_CALLBACK);
-                callback(null);
+                updateApp(app, { runState: appdb.RSTATE_RUNNING }, callback);
             }
         });
     });
@@ -86,18 +92,7 @@ function processApps(callback) {
     appdb.getAll(function (error, apps) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
 
-        async.each(apps, function (app, done) {
-            switch (app.installationState) {
-            case appdb.ISTATE_RUNNING:
-            case appdb.ISTATE_NOT_RESPONDING:
-            case appdb.ISTATE_EXITED:
-                checkAppHealth(app, done);
-                break;
-            default:
-                done();
-                break;
-            }
-        }, callback);
+        async.each(apps, checkAppHealth, callback);
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/apptask.js b/src/apptask.js
index 49083d47e..3fb26e0b9 100644
--- a/src/apptask.js
+++ b/src/apptask.js
@@ -314,20 +314,19 @@ function unregisterSubdomain(app, callback) {
         });
 }
 
-// callback is called with error when something fatal happenned (and not when some error state is reached)
-function processInstallState(app, callback) {
-
-    // updates the app object and the database
-    function updateApp(app, values, callback) {
-        for (var value in values) {
-            app[value] = values[value];
-        }
-
-        debug(app.id + ' code:' + app.installationState);
-
-        appdb.update(app.id, values, callback);
+// updates the app object and the database
+function updateApp(app, values, callback) {
+    for (var value in values) {
+        app[value] = values[value];
     }
 
+    debug(app.id + ' code:' + app.installationState);
+
+    appdb.update(app.id, values, callback);
+}
+
+// callback is called with error when something fatal happenned (and not when some error state is reached)
+function processInstallState(app, callback) {
     switch (app.installationState) {
     case appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL:
     case appdb.ISTATE_NGINX_ERROR:
@@ -433,30 +432,8 @@ function processInstallState(app, callback) {
         });
         break;
 
-    case appdb.ISTATE_EXITED:
     case appdb.ISTATE_CREATED_VOLUME:
-    case appdb.ISTATE_STARTING_CONTAINER:
-    case appdb.ISTATE_CONTAINER_ERROR:
-        appdb.getPortBindings(app.id, function (error, portBindings) {
-            if (error) return callback(error);
-
-            updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_STARTING_CONTAINER }, function (error) {
-                if (error) return callback(error);
-
-                startContainer(app, portBindings, function (error) {
-                    if (error) {
-                        debug('Error creating container:' + error);
-                        return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_CONTAINER_ERROR }, callback);
-                    }
-
-                    updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_STARTED_CONTAINER }, callback);
-                });
-            });
-        });
-        break;
-
-    case appdb.ISTATE_STARTED_CONTAINER:
-        updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_RUNNING }, callback);
+        updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED }, callback);
         break;
 
     case appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_UNINSTALL:
@@ -468,11 +445,8 @@ function processInstallState(app, callback) {
         });
         break;
 
-    case appdb.ISTATE_RUNNING:
-    case appdb.ISTATE_NOT_RESPONDING:
-    case appdb.ISTATE_EXITED:
+    default:
         assert(true, 'Should not reach this state: ' + app.installationState);
-        break;
     }
 }
 
@@ -481,8 +455,9 @@ function installApp(app, callback) {
     processInstallState(app, function (error) {
         if (error) return callback(error); // fatal error (not install error)
 
-        if (app.installationState === appdb.ISTATE_UNINSTALLED) {
-            debug('app uninstalled, stopping');
+        if (app.installationState === appdb.ISTATE_UNINSTALLED
+            || app.installationState === appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED) {
+            debug('app ' + app.installationState + ', stopping');
             return callback(null);
         }
 
@@ -491,20 +466,33 @@ function installApp(app, callback) {
             return callback(null);
         }
 
-        // move on
-        if (app.installationState === appdb.ISTATE_RUNNING || app.installationState === appdb.ISTATE_NOT_RESPONDING || app.installationState === appdb.ISTATE_EXITED) {
-            debug('app installed, stopping');
-            return callback(null);
-        }
-
         installApp(app, callback);
     });
 }
 
+function runApp(app, callback) {
+    appdb.getPortBindings(app.id, function (error, portBindings) {
+        if (error) return callback(error);
+
+        startContainer(app, portBindings, function (error) {
+            if (error) {
+                debug('Error creating container:' + error);
+                return updateApp(app, { runState: appdb.RSTATE_ERROR }, callback);
+            }
+
+            updateApp(app, { runState: appdb.RSTATE_RUNNING }, callback);
+        });
+    });
+}
+
 function run(appId, callback) {
     appdb.get(appId, function (error, app) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
-        installApp(app, callback);
+        installApp(app, function (error) {
+            if (error) return callback(error);
+
+            runApp(app, callback);
+        });
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/schema.sql b/src/schema.sql
index db88e7770..28c5ac770 100644
--- a/src/schema.sql
+++ b/src/schema.sql
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS clients(
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS apps(
     id VARCHAR(512) NOT NULL UNIQUE,
     installationState VARCHAR(512) NOT NULL,
+    runState VARCHAR(512),
     containerId VARCHAR(128),
     manifestJson VARCHAR,
     httpPort INTEGER,
diff --git a/src/test/database-test.js b/src/test/database-test.js
index 40abfeb36..05c6ddf0b 100644
--- a/src/test/database-test.js
+++ b/src/test/database-test.js
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ describe('database', function () {
         var APP_0 = {
             id: 'appid-0',
             installationState: 'some-status-0',
+            runState: null,
             location: 'some-location-0',
             manifestJson: null,
             httpPort: null,
@@ -244,6 +245,7 @@ describe('database', function () {
         var APP_1 = {
             id: 'appid-1',
             installationState: 'some-status-1',
+            runState: null,
             location: 'some-location-1',
             manifestJson: null,
             httpPort: null,