diff --git a/hbd b/hbd
index a0d286f..9020887 100755
--- a/hbd
+++ b/hbd
@@ -196,6 +196,14 @@ def email(s, msg):
 		pass
 	return ret
 
+def pushmsg(msg):
+	if  pushsrv == "pushover":
+		return pushover(msg)
+	elif pushsrv == "mattermost":
+		return pushmattermost(msg)
+	else:
+		print(msg)
+
 
 def pushover(msg):
 	if not SEND_PUSHOVER:
@@ -211,7 +219,33 @@ def pushover(msg):
 	except:
 		pass
 
+CHANNEL = "Monitoring"
+TOKEN = "rxz6b3886iygxnhbzpmgbsrocy"
+HOST = "192.168.10.101"
+ICON = "https://in-transit.ca/HeartBeat.png"
+USERNAME = "nagios"
 
+def pushmattermost(msg):
+
+	ses = {
+	 'url': HOST,
+	 'scheme':'http',
+	 'basepath': '/api/v4',
+	 'port':8065,
+	}
+	mm = Driver(ses)
+	
+	msg = {
+	  "text": msg,
+	  "channel":  CHANNEL,
+	  "username": USERNAME,
+	  "icon_url": ICON
+	}
+	
+	rc = mm.webhooks.call_webhook(TOKEN, msg)
+	if not rc:
+		print(rc)
+	
 # nsupdate:  set the DNS A record for a fqdn
 #	return: None if ok, else error text
 def nsupdate(hostname, newip):
@@ -292,7 +326,11 @@ def initlog(logfile):
 		return open(logfile, "a+")
 	except:
 		pass
-	return open(logfile, "w")
+	try:
+		return open(logfile, "w")
+	except Exception as e:
+		print("cannot open loffile %s, using STDERR" % logfile)
+		return sys.stderr
 
 
 #
@@ -314,7 +352,7 @@ def checkoverdue():
 		if pmsg != []:
 			if h in watchhosts:
 				email("overdue", "%s overdue" % " and ".join(pmsg))
-				pushover("%s %s overdue" % (h, " and ".join(pmsg)))
+				pushmsg("%s %s overdue" % (h, " and ".join(pmsg)))
 			log(h, "%s overdue" % " and ".join(pmsg))
 
 
@@ -409,19 +447,19 @@ def readsock(sock):
 		log(name, "booted")
 		if name in watchhosts:
 			email("booted", m)
-			pushover(m)
+			pushmsg(m)
 	if message:
 		log(name, "msg: %s" % message, service=service)
 		if name in watchhosts:
 			email("msg", message)
-			pushover(message)
+			pushmsg(message)
 
 	conn, res = host.conndata(cid, addr[0], rtt, now)
 	if res:
 		log(name, res)
 		if name in watchhosts:
 			email("address change", "%s %s" % (host.name, res))
-			pushover("%s %s" % (host.name, res))
+			pushmsg("%s %s" % (host.name, res))
 
 	if conn.getstate() != hbdclass.Connection.up:  #  XXX  and interval > 0:
 		lasts = conn.state
@@ -430,7 +468,7 @@ def readsock(sock):
 		log(name, m)
 		if name in watchhosts:
 			email("%s back" % conn.afam, name)
-			pushover("%s %s is back" % (name, conn.afam))
+			pushmsg("%s %s is back" % (name, conn.afam))
 
 	if boot or newh:
 		host.upcount = host.doesack
@@ -442,7 +480,7 @@ def readsock(sock):
 		log(name, "%s shutdown" % conn.afam)
 		if name in watchhosts:
 			email("shutdown", "%s %s shutdown" % (name, conn.afam))
-			pushover("%s %s shutdown" % (name, conn.afam))
+			pushmsg("%s %s shutdown" % (name, conn.afam))
 		conn.newstate(hbdclass.Connection.down, now)
 
 	if interval > 0:
@@ -759,9 +797,10 @@ def pickleit():
 #
 # Main
 #
-
+PUSHSRVS = [ "pushover", "mattermost" ]
 helpflag = False
 forground = False
+pushsrv = "pushover"	# mattermost
 optlist = []
 args = []
 home = os.environ['HOME']
@@ -769,7 +808,7 @@ cmdargs = []
 configfile = "%s/.hbrc" % home
 
 try:
-	optlist, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'c:dfh:vx')
+	optlist, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'c:dfh:p:vx')
 except:
 	helpflag = True
 
@@ -785,10 +824,25 @@ for o, a in optlist:
 	elif o == '-v':
 		verbose = True
 		cmdargs += [o]
+	elif o == '-p':
+		if a in PUSHSRVS:
+			pushsrv = a
+			cmdargs += [o, a]
+		else:
+			print("invalid push service, use of of %s" % PUSHSRVS)
+			helpflag = True
 	elif o == '-x':
 		DEBUG += 1
 		cmdargs += [o]
 
+if pushsrv == "mattermost":
+	try:
+		from mattermostdriver import Driver
+	except:
+		print("warning: mattermostdriver python module missing, reverting to pushover")
+		pushsrv = "pushover"
+
+
 if helpflag:
 	print("hbc HeartBeatDaemon")
 	print("usage: hbd [-dfhvx] [-c configfile]")