diff --git a/setup-scripts/bot_utils.py b/setup-scripts/bot_utils.py
index 4e174097..91d20589 100644
--- a/setup-scripts/bot_utils.py
+++ b/setup-scripts/bot_utils.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def setup():
     return bot_token
 
 # send_msg sends the msg to the specified discord channel. If force_notify is set to true it adds "@here".
-async def send_msg(client, msg, force_notify=False):
+async def send_msg(client, msg, force_notify=False, file=None):
     await client.wait_until_ready()
 
     guild = client.guilds[0]
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ async def send_msg(client, msg, force_notify=False):
 
     if force_notify:
         msg = "@here: \n{}".format(msg)
-    await chan.send(msg)
+    await chan.send(msg, file=file)
 
 
 #siad class provides wrappers for the necessary siad commands.
diff --git a/setup-scripts/health-checker.py b/setup-scripts/health-checker.py
index 513500b5..a9d80042 100755
--- a/setup-scripts/health-checker.py
+++ b/setup-scripts/health-checker.py
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
-import discord
+"""
+health-checker runs simple health checks on a portal node using the siad API and
+dispatches messages to a Discord channel.
+"""
+
+import discord, traceback
 from bot_utils import setup, send_msg, siad, sc_precision
 
 bot_token = setup()
diff --git a/setup-scripts/log-checker.py b/setup-scripts/log-checker.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c15f527a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup-scripts/log-checker.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import discord, sys, traceback, io
+from bot_utils import setup, send_msg, sc_precision
+
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
+
+"""
+log-checker checks journal logs for siad.
+
+Arguments:
+    1. path to a .env file (default is none so env variables can already be
+    preset)
+
+"""
+
+DEFAULT_CHECK_INTERVAL = timedelta(hours=1)
+
+bot_token = setup()
+client = discord.Client()
+
+@client.event
+async def on_ready():
+    await run_checks()
+    await client.close()
+
+
+async def run_checks():
+    print("Running Skynet portal log checks")
+    try:
+        await check_journal()
+
+    except: # catch all exceptions
+        trace = traceback.format_exc()
+        await send_msg(client, "```\n{}\n```".format(trace), force_notify=False)
+
+
+# check_journal checks the journal
+async def check_journal():
+    print("\nChecking journal...")
+
+    now = datetime.now()
+    time = now - DEFAULT_CHECK_INTERVAL
+    time_string = "{}-{}-{} {}:{}:{}".format(time.year, time.month, time.day, time.hour, time.minute, time.second)
+
+    # Get the systemd service name as an argument, or use "siad" as default.
+    service_name = "siad"
+    if len(sys.argv) > 2:
+        service_name = sys.argv[2]
+
+    # Open the journal.
+    proc = Popen(["journalctl", "--user-unit", service_name, "--since", time_string], stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE, text=True)
+    std_out, std_err = proc.communicate()
+
+    if len(std_err) > 0:
+        await send_msg(client, "Error reading journalctl output: {}".format(std_err))
+        return
+
+    # If there are any critical errors. upload the whole log file.
+    if "Critical" in std_out:
+        upload_name = "{}-{}-{}-{}-{}:{}:{}.log".format(service_name, time.year, time.month, time.day, time.hour, time.minute, time.second)
+        await send_msg(client, "Critical error found in log!", file=discord.File(io.BytesIO(std_out.encode()), filename=upload_name))
+        return
+
+    # No critical errors, return a heartbeat type message.
+    await send_msg(client, "No critical warnings in log (size of log portion checked: {})".format(len(std_out)))
+
+
+client.run(bot_token)