diff --git a/daemons/ganeti-confd b/daemons/ganeti-confd
index cf56aa8f2667d14c1fc2d5a45f17e9ecb7edc2f0..558d82a2615cb481e50cf260df2cf4075c62c624 100755
--- a/daemons/ganeti-confd
+++ b/daemons/ganeti-confd
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ class ConfdConfigurationReloader(object):
       try:
         self.inotify_handler.enable()
       except errors.InotifyError:
-        raise errors.ConfdFatalError(err)
+        self.polling = True
 
     try:
       reloaded = self.processor.reader.Reload()
@@ -244,14 +244,13 @@ class ConfdConfigurationReloader(object):
       else:
         logging.debug("Skipped double config reload")
     except errors.ConfigurationError:
-      # transform a ConfigurationError in a fatal error, that will cause confd
-      # to quit.
-      raise errors.ConfdFatalError(err)
+      self.DisableConfd()
+      self.inotify_handler.disable()
+      return
 
     # Reset the timer. If we're polling it will go to the polling rate, if
     # we're not it will delay it again to its base safe timeout.
-    self._DisableTimer()
-    self._EnableTimer()
+    self._ResetTimer()
 
   def _DisableTimer(self):
     if self.timer_handle is not None:
@@ -268,17 +267,27 @@ class ConfdConfigurationReloader(object):
       self.timer_handle = self.mainloop.scheduler.enter(
         timeout, 1, self.OnTimer, [])
 
+  def _ResetTimer(self):
+    self._DisableTimer()
+    self._EnableTimer()
+
   def OnTimer(self):
     """Function called when the timer fires
 
     """
     self.timer_handle = None
+    reloaded = False
+    was_disabled = False
     try:
-      reloaded = self.processor.reader.Reload()
+      if self.processor.reader is None:
+        was_disabled = True
+        self.EnableConfd()
+        reloaded = True
+      else:
+        reloaded = self.processor.reader.Reload()
     except errors.ConfigurationError:
-      # transform a ConfigurationError in a fatal error, that will cause confd
-      # to quit.
-      raise errors.ConfdFatalError(err)
+      self.DisableConfd()
+      return
 
     if self.polling and reloaded:
       logging.info("Reloaded ganeti config")
@@ -286,19 +295,37 @@ class ConfdConfigurationReloader(object):
       # We have reloaded the config files, but received no inotify event.  If
       # an event is pending though, we just happen to have timed out before
       # receiving it, so this is not a problem, and we shouldn't alert
-      if not self.notifier.check_events():
+      if not self.notifier.check_events() and not was_disabled:
         logging.warning("Config file reload at timeout (inotify failure)")
     elif self.polling:
       # We're polling, but we haven't reloaded the config:
       # Going back to inotify mode
       logging.debug("Moving from polling mode to inotify mode")
       self.polling = False
-      self.inotify_handler.enable()
+      try:
+        self.inotify_handler.enable()
+      except errors.InotifyError:
+        self.polling = True
     else:
       logging.debug("Performed configuration check")
 
     self._EnableTimer()
 
+  def DisableConfd(self):
+    """Puts confd in non-serving mode
+
+    """
+    logging.warning("Confd is being disabled")
+    self.processor.Disable()
+    self.polling = False
+    self._ResetTimer()
+
+  def EnableConfd(self):
+    self.processor.Enable()
+    logging.warning("Confd is being enabled")
+    self.polling = True
+    self._ResetTimer()
+
 
 def CheckConfd(options, args):
   """Initial checks whether to run exit with a failure.
@@ -310,8 +337,6 @@ def CheckConfd(options, args):
     print >> sys.stderr, "Need HMAC key %s to run" % constants.HMAC_CLUSTER_KEY
     sys.exit(constants.EXIT_FAILURE)
 
-  ssconf.CheckMasterCandidate(options.debug)
-
 
 def ExecConfd(options, args):
   """Main confd function, executed with PID file held