diff --git a/hbd b/hbd
index fc67997..15b6952 100755
--- a/hbd
+++ b/hbd
@@ -423,12 +423,12 @@ def checkoverdue():
                 continue
             timeout = hbdclass.Host.hosts[h].interval + grace
             if conn.state == hbdclass.Connection.up and (now - conn.lastbeat) > timeout:
-                conn.newstate(hbdclass.Connection.overdue, now, grace)
+                conn.newstate(hbdclass.Connection.OVERDUE, now, grace)
                 pmsg.append(conn.afam)
             if (
-                conn.state == hbdclass.Connection.overdue and (now - conn.lastbeat) > DROPOVERDUE
+                conn.state == hbdclass.Connection.OVERDUE and (now - conn.lastbeat) > DROPOVERDUE
             ):
-                conn.newstate(hbdclass.Connection.unknown, conn.lastbeat)
+                conn.newstate(hbdclass.Connection.UNKNOWN, conn.lastbeat)
         if pmsg != []:
             if h in watchhosts:
                 email("overdue", "%s overdue" % " and ".join(pmsg))
diff --git a/hbdclass.py b/hbdclass.py
index 6a9501a..5d9d7cb 100644
--- a/hbdclass.py
+++ b/hbdclass.py
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ class Connection:
     # map of addrs to names
 
     htab = {}
-    unknown = "unknown"
-    up = "up"
-    down = "down"
-    overdue = "overdue"
+    UNKNOWN = "unknown"
+    UP = "up"
+    DOWN = "down"
+    OVERDUE = "overdue"
 
     def __init__(self, host, cid, addr, afam):
         self.host = host
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class Connection:
         self.lastbeat = time.time()
         self.statetime = self.lastbeat
         self.deltastatetime = "computed"
-        self.state = Connection.unknown
+        self.state = Connection.UNKNOWN
 
         if host:
             Connection.htab[addr] = self.host.name
@@ -57,18 +57,18 @@ class Connection:
             d["addr"] = self.addr
             if self.rtts[-1]:
                 d["rtt"] = "%0.1f" % self.rtts[-1]
-            elif self.state == Connection.unknown:
+            elif self.state == Connection.UNKNOWN:
                 d["rtt"] = ""
             else:
                 d["rtt"] = "?"
             d["lastbeat"] = self.lastbeat
-            if self.state == Connection.overdue:
+            if self.state == Connection.OVERDUE:
                 d["state"] = "<b>%s</b>" % self.state
             else:
                 d["state"] = self.state
-            if self.state == Connection.up:
+            if self.state == Connection.UP:
                 d["rttstate"] = d["rtt"]
-            elif self.state == Connection.overdue:
+            elif self.state == Connection.OVERDUE:
                 d["rttstate"] = ""
             else:
                 d["rttstate"] = d["state"]
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class Connection:
             )
             delta = now - self.statetime
 
-            if self.state == Connection.unknown:
+            if self.state == Connection.UNKNOWN:
                 d["deltastatetime"] = ""
             elif delta > 86400:
                 # 				d['deltastatetime'] = time.strftime("%d %H:%M:%S", time.gmtime(delta))