diff --git a/larigira/event.py b/larigira/event.py
index ce1ea5b..8ef46ff 100644
--- a/larigira/event.py
+++ b/larigira/event.py
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ class Monitor(ParentedLet):
         while True:
             value = self.q.get()
             kind = value['kind']
-            if kind == 'timer':
+            if kind in ('forcetick', 'timer'):
                 gevent.spawn(self.on_tick)
             else:
                 self.log.warning("Unknown message: %s" % str(value))
diff --git a/larigira/larigira.py b/larigira/larigira.py
index 58ce116..5cad9ea 100644
--- a/larigira/larigira.py
+++ b/larigira/larigira.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import gevent
 from gevent.wsgi import WSGIServer
 
 from .mpc import Controller, get_mpd_client
-from .event import Monitor
 from .config import get_conf
 from .rpc import create_app
 
@@ -31,18 +30,12 @@ class Larigira(object):
         self.log = logging.getLogger('larigira')
         self.conf = get_conf()
         self.controller = Controller(self.conf)
-        if 'DB_URI' in self.conf:
-            self.monitor = Monitor(self.controller.q, self.conf)
-        else:
-            self.monitor = None
         self.controller.link_exception(on_main_crash)
         self.http_server = WSGIServer(('', 5000),
                                       create_app(self.controller.q, self))
 
     def start(self):
         self.controller.start()
-        if self.monitor is not None:
-            self.monitor.start()
         self.http_server.start()
 
 
@@ -71,7 +64,8 @@ def main():
     def sig(*args):
         print('invoked sig', args)
         larigira.controller.q.put(dict(kind='signal', args=args))
-    gevent.signal(signal.SIGHUP, sig, signal.SIGHUP)
+    for signum in (signal.SIGHUP, signal.SIGALRM):
+        gevent.signal(signum, sig, signum)
     gevent.wait()
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/larigira/mpc.py b/larigira/mpc.py
index b800185..4ffecef 100644
--- a/larigira/mpc.py
+++ b/larigira/mpc.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 import logging
+import signal
 
 import gevent
 from gevent.queue import Queue
 from mpd import MPDClient, ConnectionError, CommandError
 
+from .event import Monitor
 from .eventutils import ParentedLet, Timer
 from .audiogen import audiogenerate
 
@@ -96,8 +98,15 @@ class Controller(gevent.Greenlet):
         self.conf = conf
         self.q = Queue()
         self.player = Player(self.conf)
+        if 'DB_URI' in self.conf:
+            self.monitor = Monitor(self.q, self.conf)
+            self.monitor.parent_greenlet = self
+        else:
+            self.monitor = None
 
     def _run(self):
+        if self.monitor is not None:
+            self.monitor.start()
         mw = MpcWatcher(self.q, self.conf, client=None)
         mw.parent_greenlet = self
         mw.start()
@@ -112,7 +121,8 @@ class Controller(gevent.Greenlet):
             # emitter = value['emitter']
             kind = value['kind']
             args = value['args']
-            if kind == 'timer' or (kind == 'mpc' and args[0] in ('player', 'playlist')):
+            if kind == 'timer' or (kind == 'mpc' and
+                                   args[0] in ('player', 'playlist')):
                 gevent.Greenlet.spawn(self.player.check_playlist)
             elif kind == 'mpc':
                 pass
@@ -122,6 +132,11 @@ class Controller(gevent.Greenlet):
                 except AssertionError:
                     raise
                 except Exception:
-                    self.log.exception("Error while adding to queue; bad audiogen output?")
+                    self.log.exception("Error while adding to queue; "
+                                       "bad audiogen output?")
+            elif kind == 'signal' and args[0] == signal.SIGALRM:
+                # it's a tick!
+                self.monitor.q.put(dict(kind='forcetick'))
+                gevent.Greenlet.spawn(self.player.check_playlist)
             else:
                 self.log.warning("Unknown message: %s" % str(value))