diff --git a/collector/collector_test.go b/collector/collector_test.go
index a65977e..971c896 100644
--- a/collector/collector_test.go
+++ b/collector/collector_test.go
@@ -242,6 +242,30 @@ func TestConnz(t *testing.T) {
 	verifyCollector(CoreSystem, url, "connz", cases, t)
 }
 
+func TestHealthz(t *testing.T) {
+	s := pet.RunServer()
+	defer s.Shutdown()
+
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d", pet.MonitorPort)
+	// see if we get the same stats as the original monitor testing code.
+	// just for our monitoring_port
+
+	cases := map[string]float64{
+		"gnatsd_healthz_status": 0,
+	}
+
+	verifyCollector(CoreSystem, url, "healthz", cases, t)
+
+	// test after server shutdown
+	s.Shutdown()
+
+	cases = map[string]float64{
+		"gnatsd_healthz_status": 1,
+	}
+
+	verifyCollector(CoreSystem, url, "healthz", cases, t)
+}
+
 func TestNoServer(t *testing.T) {
 	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d", pet.MonitorPort)
 
diff --git a/collector/healthz.go b/collector/healthz.go
index 6cb5f39..c495155 100644
--- a/collector/healthz.go
+++ b/collector/healthz.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func newHealthzCollector(system, endpoint string, servers []*CollectedServer) pr
 		status: prometheus.NewDesc(
 			prometheus.BuildFQName(system, endpoint, "status"),
 			"status",
-			[]string{"server_id"},
+			[]string{"server_id", "value"},
 			nil,
 		),
 	}
@@ -69,16 +69,21 @@ func (nc *healthzCollector) Collect(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
 	for _, server := range nc.servers {
 		var health Healthz
 		if err := getMetricURL(nc.httpClient, server.URL, &health); err != nil {
-			Debugf("ignoring server %s: %v", server.ID, err)
-			continue
+			Debugf("error collecting server %s: %v", server.ID, err)
+			health.Error = err.Error()
 		}
 
-		var status float64 = 1
+		var (
+			status float64 = 1
+			value          = health.Error
+		)
+
 		if health.Status == "ok" {
 			status = 0
+			value = health.Status
 		}
 
-		ch <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(nc.status, prometheus.GaugeValue, status, server.ID)
+		ch <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(nc.status, prometheus.GaugeValue, status, server.ID, value)
 	}
 }