diff --git a/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php b/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
index 5badc2eb..5015aedb 100644
--- a/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
+++ b/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
@@ -595,13 +595,22 @@ class V1_2 extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\AbstractHandler {
     }
 
     protected function userStatus(array $url, array $data): Response {
-        // FIXME: stub
-        $data = Arsse::$db->userPropertiesGet(Arsse::$user->id);
+        $data = Arsse::$user::propertiesGet(Arsse::$user->id, true);
+        // construct the avatar structure, if an image is available
+        if(isset($data['avatar'])) {
+            $avatar = [
+                'data' => base64_encode($data['avatar']['data']),
+                'mime' => $data['avatar']['type'],
+            ];
+        } else {
+            $avatar = null;
+        }
+        // construct the rest of the structure
         $out = [
             'userId' => Arsse::$user->id,
             'displayName' => $data['name'] ?? Arsse::$user->id,
             'lastLoginTimestamp' => time(),
-            'avatar' => null,
+            'avatar' => $avatar,
         ];
         return new Response(200, $out);
     }
@@ -629,12 +638,11 @@ class V1_2 extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\AbstractHandler {
     }
 
     protected function serverStatus(array $url, array $data): Response {
-        // FIXME: stub
         return new Response(200, [
             'version' => self::VERSION,
             'arsse_version' => \JKingWeb\Arsse\VERSION,
             'warnings' => [
-                'improperlyConfiguredCron' => false,
+                'improperlyConfiguredCron' => !\JKingWeb\Arsse\Service::hasCheckedIn(),
             ]
         ]);
     }
diff --git a/lib/Service.php b/lib/Service.php
index 2fed9a18..f5f0aab1 100644
--- a/lib/Service.php
+++ b/lib/Service.php
@@ -22,8 +22,12 @@ class Service {
         return $classes;
     }
     
-    protected static function interval(): \DateInterval {
-        return new \DateInterval(Arsse::$conf->serviceFrequency); // FIXME: this needs to fall back in case of incorrect input
+    public static function interval(): \DateInterval {
+        try{
+            return new \DateInterval(Arsse::$conf->serviceFrequency);
+        } catch(\Exception $e) {
+            return new \DateInterval("PT2M");
+        }
     }
 
     function __construct() {
@@ -32,14 +36,13 @@ class Service {
         $this->interval = static::interval();
     }
 
-    function watch(bool $loop = true) {
+    function watch(bool $loop = true): \DateTimeInterface {
         $t = new \DateTime();
         do {
             $this->checkIn();
             static::cleanupPre();
             $list = Arsse::$db->feedListStale();
             if($list) {
-                echo date("H:i:s")." Updating feeds ".json_encode($list)."\n";
                 $this->drv->queue(...$list);
                 $this->drv->exec();
                 $this->drv->clean();
@@ -47,10 +50,13 @@ class Service {
                 unset($list);
             }
             $t->add($this->interval);
-            do {
-                @time_sleep_until($t->getTimestamp());
-            } while($t->getTimestamp() > time());
+            if($loop) {
+                do {
+                    @time_sleep_until($t->getTimestamp());
+                } while($t->getTimestamp() > time());
+            }
         } while($loop);
+        return $t;
     }
 
     function checkIn(): bool {
@@ -69,8 +75,8 @@ class Service {
         $limit = new \DateTime();
         $limit->sub($int);
         $limit->sub($int);
-        // return whether the check-in time is less than the acceptable limit
-        return ($checkin < $limit);
+        // return whether the check-in time is within the acceptable limit
+        return ($checkin >= $limit);
     }
 
     static function cleanupPre(): bool {
diff --git a/lib/User.php b/lib/User.php
index 13ab49f9..b8a89f59 100644
--- a/lib/User.php
+++ b/lib/User.php
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class User {
         }
     }
 
-    public function propertiesGet(string $user): array {
+    public function propertiesGet(string $user, bool $withAvatar = false): array {
         // prepare default values
         $domain = null;
         if(Arsse::$conf->userComposeNames) $domain = substr($user,strrpos($user,"@")+1);
diff --git a/tests/REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php b/tests/REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php
index a745a564..4641a4e4 100644
--- a/tests/REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php
+++ b/tests/REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ namespace JKingWeb\Arsse;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\Request;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\Response;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\Result;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Db\ExceptionInput;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Db\Transaction;
@@ -260,6 +261,7 @@ class TestNCNV1_2 extends Test\AbstractTest {
 
     function setUp() {
         $this->clearData();
+        Arsse::$conf = new Conf();
         // create a mock user manager
         Arsse::$user = Phake::mock(User::class);
         Phake::when(Arsse::$user)->authHTTP->thenReturn(true);
@@ -715,7 +717,7 @@ class TestNCNV1_2 extends Test\AbstractTest {
         }
         Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), $this->anything())->thenReturn(true);
         Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), (new Context)->editions([]))->thenThrow(new ExceptionInput("tooShort")); // data model function requires one valid integer for multiples
-        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), (new Context)->editions($in[1]))->thenThrow(new ExceptionInput("tooLong")); // data model function for limited to 50 items for multiples
+        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $this->anything(), (new Context)->editions($in[1]))->thenThrow(new ExceptionInput("tooLong")); // data model function limited to 50 items for multiples
         $exp = new Response(422);
         $this->assertEquals($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("PUT", "/items/read/multiple")));
         $this->assertEquals($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("PUT", "/items/unread/multiple")));
@@ -762,4 +764,21 @@ class TestNCNV1_2 extends Test\AbstractTest {
         Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles($in[2]));
         Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->articleMark(Arsse::$user->id, $unstar, (new Context)->articles($in[3]));
     }
+
+    function testQueryTheServerStatus() {
+        $interval = Service::interval();
+        $valid = (new \DateTimeImmutable("now", new \DateTimezone("UTC")))->sub($interval);
+        $invalid = $valid->sub($interval)->sub($interval);
+        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->metaGet("service_last_checkin")->thenReturn(Date::transform($valid, "sql"))->thenReturn(Date::transform($invalid, "sql"));
+        $arr1 = $arr2 = [
+            'version' => REST\NextCloudNews\V1_2::VERSION,
+            'arsse_version' => VERSION,
+            'warnings' => [
+                'improperlyConfiguredCron' => false,
+            ]
+        ];
+        $arr2['warnings']['improperlyConfiguredCron'] = true;
+        $exp = new Response(200, $arr1);
+        $this->assertEquals($exp, $this->h->dispatch(new Request("GET", "/status")));
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/Service/TestService.php b/tests/Service/TestService.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a97516df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Service/TestService.php
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+namespace JKingWeb\Arsse;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
+use Phake;
+
+
+class TestService extends Test\AbstractTest {
+    protected $srv;
+
+    function setUp() {
+        $this->clearData();
+        Arsse::$conf = new Conf();
+        Arsse::$db = Phake::mock(Database::class);
+        $this->srv = new Service();
+    }
+
+    function testComputeInterval() {
+        $in = [
+            Arsse::$conf->serviceFrequency,
+            "PT2M",
+            "PT5M",
+            "P2M",
+            "5M",
+            "interval",
+        ];
+        foreach($in as $index => $spec) {
+            try{$exp = new \DateInterval($spec);} catch(\Exception $e) {$exp = new \DateInterval("PT2M");}
+            Arsse::$conf->serviceFrequency = $spec;
+            $this->assertEquals($exp, Service::interval(), "Interval #$index '$spec' was not correctly calculated");
+        }
+    }
+
+    function testCheckIn() {
+        $now = time();
+        $this->srv->checkIn();
+        Phake::verify(Arsse::$db)->metaSet("service_last_checkin", Phake::capture($then), "datetime");
+        $this->assertTime($now, $then);
+    }
+
+    function testReportHavingCheckedIn() {
+        // the mock's metaGet() returns null by default
+        $this->assertFalse(Service::hasCheckedIn());
+        $interval = Service::interval();
+        $valid = (new \DateTimeImmutable("now", new \DateTimezone("UTC")))->sub($interval);
+        $invalid = $valid->sub($interval)->sub($interval);
+        Phake::when(Arsse::$db)->metaGet("service_last_checkin")->thenReturn(Date::transform($valid, "sql"))->thenReturn(Date::transform($invalid, "sql"));
+        $this->assertTrue(Service::hasCheckedIn());
+        $this->assertFalse(Service::hasCheckedIn());
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/phpunit.xml b/tests/phpunit.xml
index 04178c48..5114ee88 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit.xml
+++ b/tests/phpunit.xml
@@ -53,5 +53,9 @@
         <file>REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNVersionDiscovery.php</file>
         <file>REST/NextCloudNews/TestNCNV1_2.php</file>
     </testsuite>
+    <testsuite name="Refresh service">
+        <file>Service/TestService.php</file>
+    </testsuite>
+
 </testsuites>
 </phpunit>
\ No newline at end of file