diff --git a/tmcd/ron/update b/tmcd/ron/update
index d85dd06fee099b95017b13305afde51849bdedc0..2a5f0ce4e64bc2083c09546c0e6f2bc6660d4639 100755
--- a/tmcd/ron/update
+++ b/tmcd/ron/update
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ while (flock(LOCK, LOCK_EX|LOCK_NB) == 0) {
     sleep(5);
 }
 
-remotenodeupdate();
+my $failed = remotenodeupdate();
 
 close(LOCK);
-exit(0);
+exit($failed);
diff --git a/tmcd/ron/upemuman.sh b/tmcd/ron/upemuman.sh
index f76edd29c794d162fbad8e6c639994e4089b4f8a..85728cb42d92cf79e4e28887815962dd4ab83782 100755
--- a/tmcd/ron/upemuman.sh
+++ b/tmcd/ron/upemuman.sh
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ chown root update vnodesetup
 chmod u+s update vnodesetup
 chown root /usr/bin/suidperl
 chmod u+s /usr/bin/suidperl
-chown emulabman client.pem emulab.pem
-chmod 640 client.pem emulab.pem
+chown emulabman client.pem emulab.pem ronnode.pem
+chmod 640 client.pem emulab.pem ronnode.pem
 /usr/bin/install -c -o root -g wheel -d -m 755 -o root -g 0 /var/testbed
 cp rc.testbed /usr/local/etc/rc.d/testbed.sh
 
diff --git a/tmcd/ron/watchdog b/tmcd/ron/watchdog
index ecdc40e3a09b90e1f7afd411dc757eddb62c4c43..8bf3020a14022c5931b8edd87d29d6691653c93f 100755
--- a/tmcd/ron/watchdog
+++ b/tmcd/ron/watchdog
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ system("tmcc state ISUP");
 #
 my $mypid = fork();
 if (! $mypid) {
+    my $failed  = 0;
+    
     print "Keep alive starting up ... \n";
 
     while (1) {
@@ -144,9 +146,10 @@ if (! $mypid) {
 		
 		chomp $result;
 		my (undef,$update) = split("=", $result);
-		if ($update) {
+		if ($update || $failed) {
 		    print "Running an update at $date ...\n";
 		    system("update -i");
+		    $failed = $?;
 		}
 		last;
 	    }