diff --git a/src/invidious/helpers/backend_info.cr b/src/invidious/helpers/backend_info.cr
index 107258a5..4bb4899f 100644
--- a/src/invidious/helpers/backend_info.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/helpers/backend_info.cr
@@ -3,61 +3,104 @@ module BackendInfo
   @@exvpp_url : Array(String) = Array.new(CONFIG.invidious_companion.size, "")
   @@status : Array(Int32) = Array.new(CONFIG.invidious_companion.size, 0)
   @@csp : Array(String) = Array.new(CONFIG.invidious_companion.size, "")
-  @@mutex : Mutex = Mutex.new
+  @@working_ends : Array(Int32) = Array(Int32).new(0)
+  @@csp_mutex : Mutex = Mutex.new
+  @@check_mutex : Mutex = Mutex.new
+
+  enum BackendStatus
+      Dead
+      Problems
+      Working
+  end
 
   def check_backends
     check_companion()
+    LOGGER.debug("Invidious companion: New working_ends \"#{@@working_ends}\"")
+    LOGGER.debug("Invidious companion: New status \"#{@@status}\"")
   end
 
   private def check_companion
+    # Create Channels the size of CONFIG.invidious_companion
+    comp_size = CONFIG.invidious_companion.size
+    channels = Channel(Nil).new(comp_size)
+    updated_ends = Array(Int32).new(0)
+    updated_status = Array(Int32).new(CONFIG.invidious_companion.size, 0)
+    LOGGER.debug("Invidious companion: comp_size \"#{comp_size}\"")
     CONFIG.invidious_companion.each_with_index do |companion, index|
       spawn do
         begin
-          response = HTTP::Client.get "#{companion.private_url}/healthz"
+          client = HTTP::Client.new(companion.private_url)
+          client.connect_timeout = 10.seconds
+          response = client.get("/healthz")
           if response.status_code == 200
-            check_videoplayback_proxy(companion, index)
+            check_videoplayback_proxy(companion, index, updated_status, updated_ends)
             generate_csp([companion.public_url.to_s, companion.i2p_public_url.to_s], @@exvpp_url[index], index)
           else
-            @@status[index] = 0
+            @@check_mutex.synchronize do
+              updated_status[index] = BackendStatus::Dead.to_i
+            end
           end
         rescue
-          @@status[index] = 0
+          @@check_mutex.synchronize do
+            updated_status[index] = BackendStatus::Dead.to_i
+          end
+        ensure
+          LOGGER.debug("Invidious companion: Done Index: \"#{index}\"")
+          channels.send(nil)
         end
       end
     end
+    # Wait until we receive a signal from them all
+    LOGGER.debug("Invidious companion: Updating working_ends")
+    comp_size.times { channels.receive }
+    @@working_ends = updated_ends
+    @@status = updated_status
   end
 
-  private def check_videoplayback_proxy(companion : Config::CompanionConfig, index : Int32)
+  private def check_videoplayback_proxy(companion : Config::CompanionConfig, index : Int32, updated_status : Array(Int32), updated_ends : Array(Int32))
     begin
       info = HTTP::Client.get "#{companion.private_url}/info"
       exvpp_url = JSON.parse(info.body)["external_videoplayback_proxy"]?.try &.to_s
     rescue JSON::ParseException
-      @@status[index] = 2
+      @@check_mutex.synchronize do
+        updated_status[index] = BackendStatus::Working.to_i
+        updated_ends.push(index)
+      end
       return
     end
 
     exvpp_url = "" if exvpp_url.nil?
     @@exvpp_url[index] = exvpp_url
     if exvpp_url.empty?
-      @@status[index] = 2
+      @@check_mutex.synchronize do
+        updated_status[index] = BackendStatus::Working.to_i
+        updated_ends.push(index)
+      end
       return
     else
       begin
         exvpp_health = HTTP::Client.get "#{exvpp_url}/health"
         if exvpp_health.status_code == 200
-          @@status[index] = 2
+            @@check_mutex.synchronize do
+              updated_status[index] = BackendStatus::Working.to_i
+              updated_ends.push(index)
+            end
           return exvpp_url
         else
-          @@status[index] = 1
+          @@check_mutex.synchronize do
+            updated_status[index] = BackendStatus::Problems.to_i
+          end
         end
       rescue
-        @@status[index] = 1
+        @@check_mutex.synchronize do
+          updated_status[index] = BackendStatus::Problems.to_i
+        end
       end
     end
   end
 
   private def generate_csp(companion_url : Array(String), exvpp_url : String? = nil, index : Int32? = nil)
-    @@mutex.synchronize do
+    @@csp_mutex.synchronize do
       @@csp[index] = ""
       companion_url.each do |url|
         @@csp[index] += " #{url}"
@@ -67,9 +110,15 @@ module BackendInfo
   end
 
   def get_status
+    # Shouldn't need to lock since we never edit this array, only change the pointer.
     return @@status
   end
 
+  def get_working_ends
+    # Shouldn't need to lock since we never edit this array, only change the pointer.
+    return @@working_ends
+  end
+
   def get_exvpp
     return @@exvpp_url
   end
@@ -78,7 +127,7 @@ module BackendInfo
     # A little mutex to prevent sending a partial CSP header
     # Not sure if this is necessary. But if the @@csp[index] is being assigned
     # at the same time when it's being accessed, a data race will appear
-    @@mutex.synchronize do
+    @@csp_mutex.synchronize do
       return @@csp[index], @@csp[index]
     end
   end
diff --git a/src/invidious/jobs/backend_checker.cr b/src/invidious/jobs/backend_checker.cr
index 0e0b3152..fdfa0a45 100644
--- a/src/invidious/jobs/backend_checker.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/jobs/backend_checker.cr
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ class Invidious::Jobs::CheckBackend < Invidious::Jobs::BaseJob
 
   def begin
     loop do
+      LOGGER.info("Backend Checker: Starting")
       BackendInfo.check_backends
       LOGGER.info("Backend Checker: Done, sleeping for #{CONFIG.check_backends_interval} seconds")
       sleep CONFIG.check_backends_interval.seconds
diff --git a/src/invidious/routes/before_all.cr b/src/invidious/routes/before_all.cr
index 20113a6c..1cc7b04a 100644
--- a/src/invidious/routes/before_all.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/routes/before_all.cr
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ module Invidious::Routes::BeforeAll
         begin
           current_companion = env.request.cookies[CONFIG.server_id_cookie_name].value.try &.to_i
         rescue
-          current_companion = rand(CONFIG.invidious_companion.size)
+          working_ends = BackendInfo.get_working_ends
+          current_companion = working_ends.sample
         end
 
         if current_companion > CONFIG.invidious_companion.size
diff --git a/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr b/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
index e811e2ba..a850425c 100644
--- a/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
@@ -689,7 +689,8 @@ module YoutubeAPI
 
     begin
       if env.nil?
-        current_companion = rand(CONFIG.invidious_companion.size)
+        working_ends = BackendInfo.get_working_ends
+        current_companion = working_ends.sample
       else
         current_companion = env.get("current_companion").as(Int32)
       end