diff --git a/spearmint/main.py b/spearmint/main.py
index 052bea6..86a6a52 100755
--- a/spearmint/main.py
+++ b/spearmint/main.py
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@
 # to enter into this License and Terms of Use on behalf of itself and
 # its Institution.
 
+
 import sys
 import optparse
 import importlib
@@ -273,6 +274,7 @@ def main():
             # Note: I chose to fill up one resource and them move on to the next
             # You could also do it the other way, by changing "while" to "if" here
 
+            remove_broken_jobs(db, jobs, experiment_name, resources)
             while resource.acceptingJobs(jobs):
 
                 # Load jobs from DB 
diff --git a/spearmint/schedulers/local.py b/spearmint/schedulers/local.py
index 04072d9..68ca972 100755
--- a/spearmint/schedulers/local.py
+++ b/spearmint/schedulers/local.py
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import psutil
 
 def init(*args, **kwargs):
     return LocalScheduler(*args, **kwargs)
@@ -228,12 +229,7 @@ def submit(self, job_id, experiment_name, experiment_dir, database_address):
         
 
     def alive(self, process_id):
-        try:
-            # Send an alive signal to proc (note this could kill it in windows)
-            os.kill(process_id, 0)
-        except OSError:
-            # Job is no longer running.
-            return False
-        else:
-            return True
+        # todo: not correct to check pid b/c it could be taken by
+        # another program .
+        return psutil.pid_exists(process_id)