diff --git a/site-modules/profile/files/swh/deploy/worker/swh-worker-ping-restart b/site-modules/profile/files/swh/deploy/worker/swh-worker-ping-restart
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c025a199
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-modules/profile/files/swh/deploy/worker/swh-worker-ping-restart
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+is_service_enabled () {
+	service_name=$1
+
+	if [[ $(systemctl is-enabled $service_name) = "enabled" ]]; then
+		return 0
+	else
+		return 1
+	fi
+}
+
+is_service_active () {
+	service_name=$1
+
+	if [[ $(systemctl is-active $service_name) = "active" ]]; then
+		return 0
+	else
+		return 1
+	fi
+}
+
+restart_service_with_prejudice () {
+	service_name=$1
+
+	systemctl kill --kill-who all --signal 9 "$service_name"
+	systemctl restart "$service_name"
+}
+
+
+if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
+	echo "$0 CELERY_WORKER_NAME WORKER_INSTANCE"
+	echo
+	echo "e.g. $0 celery@loader_git.`hostname` loader_git"
+	exit 2
+fi
+
+celery_name="$1"
+worker_instance="$2"
+service_name="swh-worker@${worker_instance}.service"
+
+SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME="/etc/softwareheritage/${worker_instance}.yml"
+
+if ! [ -e "$SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME" ]; then
+	echo "Missing configuration $SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME" >&2
+else
+	export SWH_CONFIG_FILENAME
+fi
+
+if ! is_service_enabled "${service_name}"; then
+	echo "Service ${service_name} not enabled; exiting" >&2
+	exit 0
+fi
+
+if ! is_service_active "${service_name}"; then
+	echo "Service ${service_name} inactive; starting" >&2
+	systemctl start "${service_name}"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+ping_count=0
+max_ping_attempts=5
+
+while [ $ping_count -lt $max_ping_attempts ]; do
+	ping_count=$((ping_count + 1))
+	echo "Ping attempt number $ping_count..." >&2
+	if swh scheduler celery-monitor --pattern "$celery_name" ping-workers >&2; then
+		echo "Got an answer from $celery_name at attempt $ping_count; exiting" >&2
+		exit 0
+	fi
+done
+
+
+echo "$ping_count ping attempts failed; killing and restarting $service_name" >&2
+
+restart_service_with_prejudice "$service_name"
+exit 1
diff --git a/site-modules/profile/manifests/swh/deploy/worker/base.pp b/site-modules/profile/manifests/swh/deploy/worker/base.pp
index 553234a0..8c3b801a 100644
--- a/site-modules/profile/manifests/swh/deploy/worker/base.pp
+++ b/site-modules/profile/manifests/swh/deploy/worker/base.pp
@@ -1,36 +1,43 @@
 # Base worker profile
 class profile::swh::deploy::worker::base {
 
   $systemd_template_unit_name = 'swh-worker@.service'
   $systemd_unit_name = 'swh-worker.service'
   $systemd_slice_name = 'system-swh\x2dworker.slice'
 
   package {'python3-swh.scheduler':
     ensure => installed,
   }
 
   ::systemd::unit_file {$systemd_template_unit_name:
     ensure => 'present',
     source => "puppet:///modules/profile/swh/deploy/worker/${systemd_template_unit_name}",
   }
 
   ::systemd::unit_file {$systemd_unit_name:
     ensure => 'present',
     source => "puppet:///modules/profile/swh/deploy/worker/${systemd_unit_name}",
   } ~> service {'swh-worker':
       ensure => running,
       enable => true,
   }
 
   ::systemd::unit_file {$systemd_slice_name:
     ensure => 'present',
     source => "puppet:///modules/profile/swh/deploy/worker/${systemd_slice_name}",
   }
 
   profile::cron::d {'cleanup-workers-tmp':
     command => 'find /tmp -depth -mindepth 3 -maxdepth 3 -type d -ctime +2 -exec rm -rf {} \+',
     target  => 'swh-worker',
     minute  => 'fqdn_rand',
     hour    => 'fqdn_rand/2',
   }
+
+  file {'/usr/local/sbin/swh-worker-ping-restart':
+    source => 'puppet:///profile/swh/deploy/worker/swh-worker-ping-restart',
+    owner  => 'root',
+    group  => 'root',
+    mode   => '0755',
+  }
 }