diff --git a/lib/poller.test.js b/lib/poller.test.js
index 18f5579a..29916813 100644
--- a/lib/poller.test.js
+++ b/lib/poller.test.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ describe('Poller', () => {
     loggerMock = sinon.mock()
 
     loggerMock.info = sinon.stub()
+    loggerMock.debug = sinon.stub()
     loggerMock.error = sinon.stub()
 
     pollerFactory = (secretDescriptor = {
@@ -53,10 +54,19 @@ describe('Poller', () => {
   })
 
   describe('_createSecretManifest', () => {
+    let clock
+
     beforeEach(() => {
+      clock = sinon.useFakeTimers({
+        now: Date.now()
+      })
       backendMock.getSecretManifestData = sinon.stub()
     })
 
+    afterEach(() => {
+      clock.restore()
+    })
+
     it('creates secret manifest', async () => {
       const poller = pollerFactory({
         backendType: 'fakeBackendType',
@@ -90,7 +100,10 @@ describe('Poller', () => {
         kind: 'Secret',
         metadata: {
           name: 'fakeSecretName',
-          ownerReferences: [ownerReference]
+          ownerReferences: [ownerReference],
+          annotations: {
+            'externalsecret.kubernetes-client.io/last-poll': `${Date.now()}`
+          }
         },
         type: 'Opaque',
         data: {
@@ -110,6 +123,7 @@ describe('Poller', () => {
         properties: ['fakePropertyName1', 'fakePropertyName2']
       })
       poller._upsertKubernetesSecret = sinon.stub()
+      poller._setNextPoll = sinon.stub()
     })
 
     it('polls secrets', async () => {
@@ -119,6 +133,7 @@ describe('Poller', () => {
 
       expect(loggerMock.info.calledWith('running poll')).to.equal(true)
       expect(poller._upsertKubernetesSecret.calledWith()).to.equal(true)
+      expect(poller._setNextPoll.calledWith()).to.equal(true)
     })
 
     it('logs error if storing secret operation fails', async () => {
@@ -130,6 +145,112 @@ describe('Poller', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('_checkForSecret', () => {
+    let kubeNamespaceMock
+    let poller
+    let clock
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      poller = pollerFactory({
+        backendType: 'fakeBackendType',
+        name: 'fakeSecretName',
+        properties: ['fakePropertyName']
+      })
+      clock = sinon.useFakeTimers({
+        now: Date.now()
+      })
+      kubeNamespaceMock = sinon.mock()
+      kubeNamespaceMock.secrets = sinon.stub().returns(kubeNamespaceMock)
+      kubeClientMock.api = sinon.mock()
+      kubeClientMock.api.v1 = sinon.mock()
+      kubeClientMock.api.v1.namespaces = sinon.stub().returns(kubeNamespaceMock)
+      poller._setNextPoll = sinon.stub()
+      poller._poll = sinon.stub()
+    })
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      clock.restore()
+    })
+
+    it('existing secret - no last poll', async () => {
+      kubeNamespaceMock.get = sinon.stub().resolves({
+        body: {
+          apiVersion: 'v1',
+          kind: 'Secret',
+          metadata: {
+            name: 'fakeSecretName'
+          },
+          type: 'Opaque',
+          data: {
+            fakePropertyName: 'ZmFrZVByb3BlcnR5VmFsdWU='
+          }
+        }
+      })
+
+      await poller._checkForSecret()
+
+      expect(kubeNamespaceMock.secrets.calledWith('fakeSecretName')).to.equal(true)
+      expect(poller._setNextPoll.calledWith(0)).to.equal(true)
+    })
+
+    describe('with last poll', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        kubeNamespaceMock.get = sinon.stub().resolves({
+          body: {
+            apiVersion: 'v1',
+            kind: 'Secret',
+            metadata: {
+              name: 'fakeSecretName',
+              annotations: {
+                'externalsecret.kubernetes-client.io/last-poll': `${Date.now()}`
+              }
+            },
+            type: 'Opaque',
+            data: {
+              fakePropertyName: 'ZmFrZVByb3BlcnR5VmFsdWU='
+            }
+          }
+        })
+      })
+
+      it('time remaining until next poll', async () => {
+        const elapsedTime = poller._intervalMilliseconds / 2
+        clock.tick(elapsedTime)
+
+        await poller._checkForSecret()
+
+        expect(kubeNamespaceMock.secrets.calledWith('fakeSecretName')).to.equal(true)
+        expect(poller._setNextPoll.calledWith(elapsedTime)).to.equal(true)
+      })
+
+      it('ready for next poll', async () => {
+        clock.tick(poller._intervalMilliseconds * 2) // greater than poller._intervalMilliseconds
+
+        await poller._checkForSecret()
+
+        expect(kubeNamespaceMock.secrets.calledWith('fakeSecretName')).to.equal(true)
+        expect(poller._setNextPoll.calledWith(0)).to.equal(true)
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('not existing secret', async () => {
+      kubeNamespaceMock.get = sinon.stub().throws({ statusCode: 404 })
+
+      await poller._checkForSecret()
+
+      expect(poller._poll.calledWith()).to.equal(true)
+    })
+
+    it('logs error if it fails', async () => {
+      const error = new Error('something boom')
+      kubeNamespaceMock.get = sinon.stub().throws(error)
+
+      await poller._checkForSecret()
+
+      expect(loggerMock.error.calledWith(error, 'Secret check went boom for %s in %s', 'fakeSecretName', 'fakeNamespace')).to.equal(true)
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('_upsertKubernetesSecret', () => {
     let kubeNamespaceMock
     let poller
@@ -223,49 +344,55 @@ describe('Poller', () => {
   })
 
   describe('start', () => {
-    let clock
     let poller
 
     beforeEach(() => {
       poller = pollerFactory()
-      clock = sinon.useFakeTimers()
       poller._poll = sinon.stub()
+      poller._checkForSecret = sinon.stub()
     })
 
     afterEach(() => {
       poller.stop()
-      clock.restore()
     })
 
-    it('starts poller', async () => {
-      expect(poller._interval).to.equal(null)
+    it('starts poller on force poll', async () => {
+      expect(poller._timeoutId).to.equal(null)
+
       poller.start({ forcePoll: true })
-      clock.tick(poller._intervalMilliseconds)
-      expect(loggerMock.info.calledWith('starting poller')).to.equal(true)
-      expect(poller._interval).to.not.equal(null)
+
+      expect(loggerMock.debug.calledWith('starting poller')).to.equal(true)
       expect(poller._poll.called).to.equal(true)
     })
+
+    it('checks for secret if not forced poll', async () => {
+      expect(poller._timeoutId).to.equal(null)
+
+      poller.start({ forcePoll: false })
+
+      expect(loggerMock.debug.calledWith('starting poller')).to.equal(true)
+      expect(poller._poll.called).to.equal(false)
+      expect(poller._checkForSecret.called).to.equal(true)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('stop', () => {
-    let clock
     let poller
 
     beforeEach(() => {
       poller = pollerFactory()
-      clock = sinon.useFakeTimers()
       poller._poll = sinon.stub()
     })
 
-    afterEach(() => {
-      clock.restore()
-    })
-
     it('stops poller', async () => {
-      poller.start({ forcePoll: true })
+      poller._timeoutId = 'some id'
+
+      expect(poller._timeoutId).to.not.equal(null)
+
       poller.stop()
-      expect(loggerMock.info.calledWith('stopping poller')).to.equal(true)
-      expect(poller._interval).to.equal(null)
+
+      expect(loggerMock.debug.calledWith('stopping poller')).to.equal(true)
+      expect(poller._timeoutId).to.equal(null)
     })
   })
 })