diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 25487a031b9..03e1c0045c5 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -1003,12 +1003,9 @@ func (c *Client) updateNodeFromFingerprint(response *cstructs.FingerprintRespons
 
 	for name, newVal := range response.Drivers {
 		oldVal := c.config.Node.Drivers[name]
-		if newVal.Equals(oldVal) {
-			continue
-		}
-		if oldVal == nil {
+		if oldVal == nil && newVal != nil {
 			c.config.Node.Drivers[name] = newVal
-		} else {
+		} else if newVal != nil && newVal.Detected != oldVal.Detected {
 			c.config.Node.Drivers[name].MergeFingerprintInfo(newVal)
 		}
 	}
@@ -1027,8 +1024,11 @@ func (c *Client) updateNodeFromHealthCheck(response *cstructs.HealthCheckRespons
 
 	// update the node with the latest driver health information
 	for name, newVal := range response.Drivers {
+		if newVal == nil {
+			continue
+		}
 		oldVal := c.config.Node.Drivers[name]
-		if newVal.Equals(oldVal) {
+		if newVal.HealthCheckEquals(oldVal) {
 			continue
 		}
 		nodeHasChanged = true
@@ -1597,6 +1597,7 @@ func (c *Client) watchNodeUpdates() {
 			c.retryRegisterNode()
 
 			hasChanged = false
+			timer.Reset(c.retryIntv(nodeUpdateRetryIntv))
 		case <-c.triggerNodeUpdate:
 			if hasChanged {
 				continue
diff --git a/client/driver/docker.go b/client/driver/docker.go
index bf24bfc486f..07d3afa9553 100644
--- a/client/driver/docker.go
+++ b/client/driver/docker.go
@@ -560,7 +560,14 @@ func (d *DockerDriver) HealthCheck(req *cstructs.HealthCheckRequest, resp *cstru
 		UpdateTime:        time.Now(),
 	}
 
-	_, _, err := d.dockerClients()
+	client, _, err := d.dockerClients()
+	if err != nil {
+		d.logger.Printf("[WARN] driver.docker: docker driver is available but is unresponsive to `docker ps`")
+		resp.AddDriverInfo("docker", unhealthy)
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = client.ListContainers(docker.ListContainersOptions{All: false})
 	if err != nil {
 		d.logger.Printf("[WARN] driver.docker: docker driver is available but is unresponsive to `docker ps`")
 		resp.AddDriverInfo("docker", unhealthy)
@@ -582,7 +589,7 @@ func (d *DockerDriver) HealthCheck(req *cstructs.HealthCheckRequest, resp *cstru
 // interval at which to do them.
 func (d *DockerDriver) GetHealthCheckInterval(req *cstructs.HealthCheckIntervalRequest, resp *cstructs.HealthCheckIntervalResponse) error {
 	resp.Eligible = true
-	resp.Period = 1 * time.Minute
+	resp.Period = 3 * time.Second
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/client/fingerprint_manager.go b/client/fingerprint_manager.go
index 94791490f17..1d3229b5e79 100644
--- a/client/fingerprint_manager.go
+++ b/client/fingerprint_manager.go
@@ -201,9 +201,7 @@ func (fm *FingerprintManager) fingerprint(name string, f fingerprint.Fingerprint
 func (fm *FingerprintManager) healthCheck(name string, hc fingerprint.HealthCheck) error {
 	request := &cstructs.HealthCheckRequest{}
 	var response cstructs.HealthCheckResponse
-	if err := hc.HealthCheck(request, &response); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	err := hc.HealthCheck(request, &response)
 
 	if node := fm.updateHealthCheck(&response); node != nil {
 		fm.nodeLock.Lock()
@@ -211,7 +209,7 @@ func (fm *FingerprintManager) healthCheck(name string, hc fingerprint.HealthChec
 		fm.nodeLock.Unlock()
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	return err
 }
 
 // setupFingerprints is used to fingerprint the node to see if these attributes are
diff --git a/nomad/structs/node.go b/nomad/structs/node.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..80daed172f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nomad/structs/node.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+package structs
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// DriverInfo is the current state of a single driver. This is updated
+// regularly as driver health changes on the node.
+type DriverInfo struct {
+	Attributes        map[string]string
+	Detected          bool
+	Healthy           bool
+	HealthDescription string
+	UpdateTime        time.Time
+}
+
+func (di *DriverInfo) MergeHealthCheck(other *DriverInfo) {
+	di.Healthy = other.Healthy
+	di.HealthDescription = other.HealthDescription
+	di.UpdateTime = other.UpdateTime
+}
+
+func (di *DriverInfo) MergeFingerprintInfo(other *DriverInfo) {
+	di.Detected = other.Detected
+	di.Attributes = other.Attributes
+}
+
+// DriverInfo determines if two driver info objects are equal..As this is used
+// in the process of health checking, we only check the fields that are
+// computed by the health checker. In the future, this will be merged.
+func (di *DriverInfo) HealthCheckEquals(other *DriverInfo) bool {
+	if di == nil && other != nil || di != nil && other == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if di.Healthy != other.Healthy {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if strings.Compare(di.HealthDescription, other.HealthDescription) != 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/nomad/structs/node_test.go b/nomad/structs/node_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9a5ff7ae2a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nomad/structs/node_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package structs
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestDriverInfoEquals(t *testing.T) {
+	require := require.New(t)
+	var driverInfoTest = []struct {
+		input    []*DriverInfo
+		expected bool
+		errorMsg string
+	}{
+		{
+			[]*DriverInfo{
+				&DriverInfo{
+					Healthy: true,
+				},
+				&DriverInfo{
+					Healthy: false,
+				},
+			},
+			false,
+			"Different healthy values should not be equal.",
+		},
+		{
+			[]*DriverInfo{
+				&DriverInfo{
+					HealthDescription: "not running",
+				},
+				&DriverInfo{
+					HealthDescription: "running",
+				},
+			},
+			false,
+			"Different health description values should not be equal.",
+		},
+		{
+			[]*DriverInfo{
+				&DriverInfo{
+					Healthy:           true,
+					HealthDescription: "running",
+				},
+				&DriverInfo{
+					Healthy:           true,
+					HealthDescription: "running",
+				},
+			},
+			true,
+			"Different health description values should not be equal.",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, testCase := range driverInfoTest {
+		first := testCase.input[0]
+		second := testCase.input[1]
+		require.Equal(testCase.expected, first.HealthCheckEquals(second), testCase.errorMsg)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs.go b/nomad/structs/structs.go
index a24ea8cf699..fda297ff2af 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs.go
@@ -1079,50 +1079,6 @@ func ValidNodeStatus(status string) bool {
 	}
 }
 
-// DriverInfo is the current state of a single driver. This is updated
-// regularly as driver health changes on the node.
-type DriverInfo struct {
-	Attributes        map[string]string
-	Detected          bool
-	Healthy           bool
-	HealthDescription string
-	UpdateTime        time.Time
-}
-
-func (di *DriverInfo) MergeHealthCheck(other *DriverInfo) {
-	di.Healthy = other.Healthy
-	di.HealthDescription = other.HealthDescription
-	di.UpdateTime = other.UpdateTime
-}
-
-func (di *DriverInfo) MergeFingerprintInfo(other *DriverInfo) {
-	di.Detected = other.Detected
-	di.Attributes = other.Attributes
-}
-
-func (di *DriverInfo) Equals(other *DriverInfo) bool {
-	if di == nil && other == nil {
-		return true
-	}
-
-	if di == nil && other != nil || di != nil && other == nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	if !di.Detected == other.Detected {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	if !di.Healthy == other.Healthy {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	if strings.Compare(di.HealthDescription, other.HealthDescription) != 0 {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	return true
-}
-
 // Node is a representation of a schedulable client node
 type Node struct {
 	// ID is a unique identifier for the node. It can be constructed
diff --git a/scheduler/feasible.go b/scheduler/feasible.go
index 76d35138bee..359591c8048 100644
--- a/scheduler/feasible.go
+++ b/scheduler/feasible.go
@@ -135,13 +135,14 @@ func (c *DriverChecker) hasDrivers(option *structs.Node) bool {
 		// be on a later version than a Nomad client, we need to check for
 		// compatibility here to verify the client supports this.
 		if option.Drivers != nil {
-			driverInfo := option.Drivers[driverStr]
+			driverInfo := option.Drivers[driver]
 			if driverInfo == nil {
 				c.ctx.Logger().
 					Printf("[WARN] scheduler.DriverChecker: node %v has no driver info set for %v",
-						option.ID, driverStr)
+						option.ID, driver)
 				return false
 			}
+
 			return driverInfo.Detected && driverInfo.Healthy
 		} else {
 			value, ok := option.Attributes[driverStr]
diff --git a/scheduler/feasible_test.go b/scheduler/feasible_test.go
index e5de59efc5b..54830726300 100644
--- a/scheduler/feasible_test.go
+++ b/scheduler/feasible_test.go
@@ -134,21 +134,21 @@ func TestDriverChecker_HealthChecks(t *testing.T) {
 		mock.Node(),
 	}
 	nodes[0].Attributes["driver.foo"] = "1"
-	nodes[0].Drivers["driver.foo"] = &structs.DriverInfo{
+	nodes[0].Drivers["foo"] = &structs.DriverInfo{
 		Detected:          true,
 		Healthy:           true,
 		HealthDescription: "running",
 		UpdateTime:        time.Now(),
 	}
 	nodes[1].Attributes["driver.bar"] = "1"
-	nodes[1].Drivers["driver.bar"] = &structs.DriverInfo{
+	nodes[1].Drivers["bar"] = &structs.DriverInfo{
 		Detected:          true,
 		Healthy:           false,
 		HealthDescription: "not running",
 		UpdateTime:        time.Now(),
 	}
 	nodes[2].Attributes["driver.baz"] = "0"
-	nodes[2].Drivers["driver.baz"] = &structs.DriverInfo{
+	nodes[2].Drivers["baz"] = &structs.DriverInfo{
 		Detected:          false,
 		Healthy:           false,
 		HealthDescription: "not running",