diff --git a/heartbeat/VirtualDomain b/heartbeat/VirtualDomain
index 6f80981..b159c2c 100755
--- a/heartbeat/VirtualDomain
+++ b/heartbeat/VirtualDomain
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ for this virtual domain.
 <longdesc lang="en">
 Hypervisor URI to connect to. See the libvirt documentation for
 details on supported URI formats. The default is system dependent.
-Determine your systems default uri by running 'virsh --quiet uri'
+Determine the system's default uri by running 'virsh --quiet uri'.
 </longdesc>
 <shortdesc lang="en">Hypervisor URI</shortdesc>
-<content type="string" />
+<content type="string"/>
 </parameter>
 
 <parameter name="force_stop" unique="0" required="0">
@@ -202,15 +202,44 @@ update_utilization() {
 	fi
 }
 
+# attempt to check domain status outside of libvirt using the emulator process
+pid_status()
+{
+	local rc=$OCF_ERR_GENERIC
+	local emulator
+
+	emulator=$(basename $(egrep '[[:space:]]*<emulator>.*</emulator>[[:space:]]*$' ${OCF_RESKEY_config} | sed -e 's/[[:space:]]*<emulator>\(.*\)<\/emulator>[[:space:]]*$/\1/'))
+
+	case "$emulator" in
+		qemu-kvm|qemu-system-*)
+			ps awx | grep -E "[q]emu-(kvm|system).*-name $DOMAIN_NAME " > /dev/null 2>&1
+			if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+				# domain exists and is running
+				ocf_log debug "Virtual domain $DOMAIN_NAME is currently running."
+				rc=$OCF_SUCCESS
+			else 
+				# domain pid does not exist on local machine
+				ocf_log debug "Virtual domain $DOMAIN_NAME is currently not running."
+				rc=$OCF_NOT_RUNNING
+			fi
+			;;
+		# This can be expanded to check for additional emulators
+		*)
+			;;
+	esac
+
+	return $rc
+}
+
 VirtualDomain_Status() {
 	local try=0
 	rc=$OCF_ERR_GENERIC
 	status="no state"
 	while [ "$status" = "no state" ]; do
 		try=$(($try + 1 ))
-		status="`virsh $VIRSH_OPTIONS domstate $DOMAIN_NAME 2>&1`"
+		status=$(virsh $VIRSH_OPTIONS domstate $DOMAIN_NAME 2>&1|tr 'A-Z' 'a-z')
 		case "$status" in
-			*"error:"*"Domain not found"*|"shut off")
+			*"error:"*"domain not found"*|"shut off")
 				# shut off: domain is defined, but not started, will not happen if
 				#   domain is created but not defined
 				# Domain not found: domain is not defined and thus not started
@@ -226,7 +255,7 @@ VirtualDomain_Status() {
 				ocf_log debug "Virtual domain $DOMAIN_NAME is currently $status."
 				rc=$OCF_SUCCESS
 				;;
-			""|*"Failed to reconnect to the hypervisor"*|"no state")
+			""|*"failed to "*"connect to the hypervisor"*|"no state")
 				# Empty string may be returned when virsh does not
 				# receive a reply from libvirtd.
 				# "no state" may occur when the domain is currently
@@ -240,6 +269,14 @@ VirtualDomain_Status() {
 					# the domain if necessary.
 					ocf_log error "Virtual domain $DOMAIN_NAME has no state during stop operation, bailing out."
 					return $OCF_ERR_GENERIC;
+				elif [ "$__OCF_ACTION" = "monitor" ]; then
+					pid_status
+					rc=$?
+					if [ $rc -ne $OCF_ERR_GENERIC ]; then
+						# we've successfully determined the domains status outside of libvirt
+						return $rc
+					fi
+
 				else
 					# During all other actions, we just wait and try
 					# again, relying on the CRM/LRM to time us out if
@@ -312,11 +349,11 @@ force_stop()
 	local status=0
 
 	ocf_log info "Issuing forced shutdown (destroy) request for domain ${DOMAIN_NAME}."
-	out=$(virsh $VIRSH_OPTIONS destroy ${DOMAIN_NAME} 2>&1)
+	out=$(virsh $VIRSH_OPTIONS destroy ${DOMAIN_NAME} 2>&1|tr 'A-Z' 'a-z')
 	ex=$?
 	echo >&2 "$out"
 	case $ex$out in
-		*"error:"*"domain is not running"*|*"error:"*"Domain not found"*)
+		*"error:"*"domain is not running"*|*"error:"*"domain not found"*)
 			: ;; # unexpected path to the intended outcome, all is well
 		[!0]*)
 			return $OCF_ERR_GENERIC ;;
@@ -544,8 +581,8 @@ case $1 in
 		;;
 esac
 
-OCF_RESKEY_hypervisor_default="$(virsh --quiet uri)"
-: ${OCF_RESKEY_hypervisor=${OCF_RESKEY_hypervisor_default}}
+# Grab the virsh uri default, but only if hypervisor isn't set
+: ${OCF_RESKEY_hypervisor=$(virsh --quiet uri)}
 
 # Set options to be passed to virsh:
 VIRSH_OPTIONS="--connect=${OCF_RESKEY_hypervisor} --quiet"