diff --git a/hbd b/hbd
index 4573f8a..69ad957 100755
--- a/hbd
+++ b/hbd
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-# $Id: hbd,v 1.31 2012/06/16 14:18:26 andreas Exp $
+# $Id: hbd,v 1.32 2012/09/22 17:51:16 andreas Exp $
 # Wait for heartbeat messages and act on them (or their absence)
 #
 import time, os, string, sys, socket, atexit, select, SocketServer, getopt, signal, cPickle, smtplib, traceback
@@ -570,6 +570,7 @@ interval=INTERVAL
 grace=GRACE
 reportstrict=False
 watchhosts=[]
+drophosts=[]
 
 try:
 	f=open(configfile,"r")	
@@ -603,6 +604,8 @@ if f:
 			reportstrict=r[1] in ["True","true","TRUE","1"]
 		elif r[0] == 'watchhosts':
 			watchhosts=eval(r[1])
+		elif r[0] == 'drophosts':
+			drophosts=eval(r[1])
 	f.close()
 
 if len(args) != 0:
@@ -620,7 +623,11 @@ if os.path.exists(PICKFILE):
 	htab=pick.load()
 	msgs=pick.load()
 	pickf.close()
-	os.unlink(PICKFILE)
+#	os.unlink(PICKFILE)
+	for h in drophosts:
+		if hosts.has_key(h):
+			del hosts[h]
+		
 
 now=time.time()
 startsec=int(now) % interval