diff --git a/mxqd.c b/mxqd.c
index e6b78f54..bff62e82 100644
--- a/mxqd.c
+++ b/mxqd.c
@@ -1187,6 +1187,16 @@ int user_process(struct mxq_group_list *glist, struct mxq_job *job)
 
 static const char REAPER_PNAME[] = "mxqd reaper";
 
+static int is_reaper(pid_t pid) {
+    char comm[16];
+    if (mx_proc_get_comm(pid, comm) == NULL)
+        return 0;
+    if (strcmp(comm, REAPER_PNAME) == 0)
+        return 1;
+    else
+        return 0;
+}
+
 int reaper_process(struct mxq_server *server,struct mxq_group_list *glist, struct mxq_job *job) {
     pid_t pid;
     struct rusage rusage;
@@ -2285,8 +2295,6 @@ static int lost_scan_one(struct mxq_server *server)
 
     struct mxq_job *job;
 
-    int res;
-
     for (ulist = server->users; ulist; ulist = ulist->next) {
         for (glist = ulist->groups; glist; glist = glist->next) {
             for (jlist = glist->jobs; jlist; jlist = jlist->next) {
@@ -2304,13 +2312,9 @@ static int lost_scan_one(struct mxq_server *server)
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                res = kill(job->host_pid, 0);
-                if (res >= 0)
+                if (is_reaper(job->host_pid))
                     continue;
 
-                if (errno != ESRCH)
-                    return -errno;
-
                 if (!fspool_file_exists(server, job->job_id)) {
                     mx_log_warning("pid %u: process is gone. setting job status of job %lu to unknown.",
                                 jlist->job.host_pid,