diff --git a/isitdown/checks/base.py b/isitdown/checks/base.py
index 29d64bb..e61aa28 100644
--- a/isitdown/checks/base.py
+++ b/isitdown/checks/base.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import logging
 import asyncio
 
+from enum import Enum
+
 from ..notifiers import LoggingNotifier
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -15,43 +17,44 @@ class Result:
     reason = attr.ib(default="")
 
 
+class state(Enum):
+    STOPPED = 0
+    RUNNING = 1
+    PAUSED = 2
+
+
 class BaseChecks:
     def __init__(self, name, *, startup_delay=0, check_interval=300, notifiers=None):
-        self.name = name
-        self.running = True
-        self.check_interval = check_interval
-        self.startup_delay = startup_delay
 
         if not notifiers:
             notifiers = [
-                LoggingNotifier(
-                    logger=logging.getLogger(f"isitdown.status.{self.name}")
-                )
+                LoggingNotifier(logger=logging.getLogger(f"isitdown.status.{name}"))
             ]
+
+        self.name = name
+        self._task = None
+        self.state = state.RUNNING
         self.notifiers = notifiers
+        self.startup_delay = startup_delay
+        self.paused_seconds = 0
+        self.check_interval = check_interval
 
-    async def start(self):
+    def start(self):
+        loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+        self._task = loop.create_task(self._start())
+        return self._task
+
+    async def _start(self):
         LOG.info(f"Starting check: {self.name}")
         try:
-            await self.startup()
             await asyncio.sleep(self.startup_delay)
-            while self.running:
-                try:
-                    result = await self.check()
-                except Exception as e:
-                    LOG.debug(f"Error during check: {self.name}", exc_info=1)
-                    result = Result(
-                        check=self.name,
-                        success=False,
-                        reason=f"python exception: {e}",
-                        data=e,
-                    )
-                finally:
-                    if result.success:
-                        await self.ok(result=result)
-                    else:
-                        await self.error(result=result)
-                await asyncio.sleep(self.check_interval)
+            await self.startup()
+            while self.state in (state.RUNNING, state.PAUSED):
+                if self.state == state.PAUSED:
+                    await self._pause()
+                else:
+                    await self._run()
+                    await asyncio.sleep(self.check_interval)
         except asyncio.CancelledError:
             pass
         except Exception as e:
@@ -59,6 +62,35 @@ async def start(self):
         finally:
             await self.shutdown()
 
+    async def _run(self):
+        try:
+            result = await self.check()
+        except Exception as e:
+            LOG.debug(f"Error during check: {self.name}", exc_info=1)
+            result = Result(
+                check=self.name, success=False, reason=f"python exception: {e}", data=e
+            )
+        finally:
+            if result.success:
+                await self.ok(result=result)
+            else:
+                await self.error(result=result)
+
+    async def _pause(self):
+        if self.paused_seconds <= 0:
+            self.state = state.RUNNING
+        else:
+            await asyncio.sleep(1)
+            self.paused_seconds -= 1
+
+    def pause(self, seconds):
+        self.state = state.PAUSED
+        self.paused_seconds = int(seconds)
+
+    async def stop(self):
+        self._task.cancel()
+        await self._task
+
     async def check(self):
         LOG.debug(f"Checking with check: {self.name}")
 
@@ -67,7 +99,7 @@ async def startup(self):
 
     async def shutdown(self):
         LOG.info(f"Shutting down check: {self.name}")
-        self.running = False
+        self.running = state.STOPPED
 
     async def error(self, result):
         await asyncio.gather(*[notifier.error(result) for notifier in self.notifiers])
diff --git a/isitdown/isitdown.py b/isitdown/isitdown.py
index 43cc4db..94b637c 100644
--- a/isitdown/isitdown.py
+++ b/isitdown/isitdown.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import asyncio
 import logging
+import functools
 import aiohttp.web
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -9,23 +10,21 @@ class isitdown(aiohttp.web.Application):
     def __init__(self, *checks, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
         if checks is None:
-            checks = dict()
+            checks = list()
 
-        self.checks = checks
-        self._checks = dict()
-
-        self.on_startup.append(self._start_checks)
+        self.checks = dict()
+        self.on_startup.append(functools.partial(self._start_checks, checks))
         self.on_shutdown.append(self._cleanup_checks)
 
     def start(self, **kwargs):
         LOG.info("Starting isitdown")
         aiohttp.web.run_app(self, **kwargs)
 
-    async def _start_checks(self, isitdown):
-        for check in self.checks:
-            self._checks[check] = self.loop.create_task(check.start())
+    async def _start_checks(self, checks, app):
+        for check in checks:
+            self.checks[check.name] = check
+            check.start()
 
-    async def _cleanup_checks(self, isitdown):
-        for task in self._checks.values():
-            task.cancel()
-        await asyncio.gather(*self._checks.values())
+    async def _cleanup_checks(self, app):
+        tasks = [check.stop() for check in self.checks.values()]
+        await asyncio.gather(*tasks)
diff --git a/isitdown/notifiers/__init__.py b/isitdown/notifiers/__init__.py
index 78f65e4..85abc2d 100644
--- a/isitdown/notifiers/__init__.py
+++ b/isitdown/notifiers/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-class State(Enum):
+class state(Enum):
     OK = 0
     ERROR = 1
 
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ class State(Enum):
 class BaseNotifier:
     def __init__(self, notify_after=1):
         self.errors = 0
-        self.state = State.OK
+        self.state = state.OK
         self.notify_after = notify_after
 
     async def error(self, result):
-        self.state = State.ERROR
+        self.state = state.ERROR
         self.errors += 1
         if self.errors % self.notify_after == 0:
             await self._error(result)
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ async def error(self, result):
             await self._silenced_error(result)
 
     async def ok(self, result):
-        if self.state == State.ERROR:
-            self.state = State.OK
+        if self.state == state.ERROR:
+            self.state = state.OK
             await self._recover(result)
         else:
             await self._ok(result)