diff --git a/backfiller/backfiller.py b/backfiller/backfiller.py
index a26e5bc..5423c96 100644
--- a/backfiller/backfiller.py
+++ b/backfiller/backfiller.py
@@ -2,13 +2,17 @@
 # this is a prototype of the backfiller
 # lots about web services and the like I don't know
 # needs logging, exception handling and the like
+# also proper doc strings
 
 # when starting the backfiller and every few hours, backfill everything
 # more frequently, backfill the last couple hours
 # (last three hour directories so always at least two hours).
 
-import requests
 import os
+import time
+import datetime
+
+import requests
 
 hour_fmt = '%Y-%m-%dT%H'
 
@@ -28,12 +32,18 @@ def get_nodes():
 
 def list_local_segments(base_dir, stream, variant, hour):
 
+	# based on restreamer.list_segments
+	# could just call restreamer.list_segments but this avoids http/json
+	# overheads
 	path = os.path.join(base_dir, stream, variant, hour)
 	local_segments = [name for name in os.listdir(path) if not
 						name.startswith('.')]
 	return local_segments
 
-def get_hours(node, stream, variant):
+def list_remote_hours(node, stream, variant):
+
+	# just a wrapper around a call to restreamer.list_hours
+	# TODO if the call fails, log it and just return an empty list
 
 	resp = requests.get('https://{}/files/{}/{}'.format(node, stream, variant))
 	hours = resp.json()
@@ -42,13 +52,16 @@ def get_hours(node, stream, variant):
 
 def list_remote_segments(node, stream, variant, hour):
 
+	# just a wrapper around a call to restreamer.list_segments
+	# TODO if the call fails, log it and just return an empty list
+
 	resp = requests.get('https://{}/files/{}/{}/{}'.format(node, stream,
 						variant, hour_str))
-	remote_segments = resp.json() #replace with appropriate parser
-
+	remote_segments = resp.json()
 	return remote_segments
 
-#based on _get_segment in downloader/main
+# based on _get_segment in downloader/main
+# very basic error handling
 def get_remote_segment(base_dir, node, stream, variant, hour, missing_segment):
 
 	resp = requests.get('https://{}/segments/{}/{}/{}/{}'.format(node, stream,
@@ -63,19 +76,29 @@ def get_remote_segment(base_dir, node, stream, variant, hour, missing_segment):
 		for chunk in resp.iter_content(8192):
 			f.write(chunk)
 
-	path = os.path.join(base_dir, stream, variant, hour, missing_segment)
-	os.rename(temp_name, segment)
+	dir_path = os.path.join(base_dir, stream, variant, hour)
+
+	if not os.path.exists(dir_path):
+		try:
+			os.mkdir(dir_path)
+		except OSError as e:
+			# Ignore if EEXISTS. This is needed to avoid a race if two getters run at once.
+			if e.errno != errno.EEXIST:
+				raise
+
+	path = os.path.join(dir_path, missing_segment)
+	os.rename(temp_name, path)
 
 	return True
 
 
-def back_fill(static_folder, stream, variants, hours=None, nodes=None,
+
+def backfill(base_dir, stream, variants, hours=None, nodes=None,
 	failure_limit=5):
 
-	# if variants is None, backfill all versions
-	# if hours is None, backfill all hourdirs
-	# if hours is iterable, backfill those hourdirs
 	# if hours is int, backfill last hours hourdirs
+	# else if hours is None, backfill all hourdirs
+	# else assume hours is iterable and backfill those hourdirs
 	
 	# loop over nodes asking for a list of segments then downloads any 
 	# segments it doesn't have
@@ -104,29 +127,33 @@ def back_fill(static_folder, stream, variants, hours=None, nodes=None,
 
 	for node in nodes:
 
-		back_fill_node(static_folder, node, stream, variants, hours,
+		backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours,
 			failure_limit)
 
 
-def back_fill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours, failure_limit):
+def backfill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours, failure_limit):
 
-	# need to figure out how to properly check whether this node is the same
-	if is_local_host(node):
-		return
+	# split into its own function to allow breaking out of two loops at once
+	# count failures this node has and if too many occur, assume node isn't
+	# working and move onto next
 
 	failures = 0
 	for variant in variants:
 
 		if hours is None:
-			node_hours = get_hours(node, stream, variant)
+			# if this fails, get an empty list back so function quickly
+			# finishes
+			node_hours = list_remote_hours(node, stream, variant)
 		else:
 			node_hours = hours
 
 		for hour in node_hours:
-			
+			# if this fails, get an empty list back so this loop quickly
+			# finishes			
 			local_segments = list_local_segments(base_dir, stream, variant,
 								hour)
 			local_segments = set(local_segments)
+			#should include the result of this in the failure count
 			remote_segments = list_remote_segments(node, stream, variant, hour)
 			remote_segments = set(remote_segments)
 			missing_segments = remote_segments - local_segments
@@ -142,13 +169,46 @@ def back_fill_node(base_dir, node, stream, variants, hours, failure_limit):
 				if failures > failure_limit:
 					return
 							
+# all wait times are in minutes
+# obviously adjust default times in response to how long back filling actually
+# takes
+def main(base_dir, stream, variants, fill_wait=5, full_fill_wait=180,
+		sleep_time=1):
+
+	fill_start = datetime.datetime.now()
+	full_fill_start = fill_start
+
+	# Do a full backfill at start
+	backfill(base_dir, stream, variants)
+	
+	# I'm sure there is a module that does this in a more robust way 
+	# but I understand this and it gives the behaviour I want
+	while True:
+
+		now = datetime.datetime.now()
+
+		if now - full_fill_start > datetime.timedelta(minutes=full_fill_wait):
+
+			backfill(base_dir, stream, variants)
+
+			fill_start = now
+			full_fill_start = fill_start
+
+		elif now - fill_start > datetime.timedelta(minutes=fill_wait):
+
+			backfill(base_dir, stream, variants, 3)
+
+			fill_start = now
+
+
+		else:
+			time.sleep(60 * sleep_time)
+
+
+	
+
+
+
+	
 
-def main(base_dir, wait_time=60):
 
-	None
-	# every wait_time call back_fill
-	# time from start of back_fill
-	# to keep things simple don't try two back_fills at the same time
-	# wait for previous one to start before launching second.
-	# if it's taken more than wait_time for back_fill to run, start
-	# immediately