diff --git a/btrbk-cron b/btrbk-cron
index fd280f1..c96fab6 100755
--- a/btrbk-cron
+++ b/btrbk-cron
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@ CONF=/etc/btrbk/btrbk-cron.conf
 LOGFILE=$(mktemp)
 trap 'rm -f -- "${LOGFILE}"' EXIT
 
+echo "---" | tee -a "${LOGFILE}"
+echo "Start btrbk-cron: $(date||true)" | tee -a "${LOGFILE}"
+
 if [[ ! -f "${CONF}" ]] ; then
-  echo "Warning: Can't read config file (${CONF}), healthchecks disabled."
+  echo "Warning: Can't read config file (${CONF}), healthchecks disabled." | tee -a "${LOGFILE}"
 else
   # shellcheck disable=SC1090,SC1091
   source "${CONF}"
@@ -16,10 +19,37 @@ HEALTHCHECK_ENABLE=${HEALTHCHECK_ENABLE:-false}
 CURLOPTS=(-fsS -m 10 --retry 5)
 
 if [[ ! -d /run/btrbk ]] ; then
+  echo "Warning: Creating missing directory: /run/btrbk " | tee -a "${LOGFILE}"
   mkdir -p /run/btrbk
 fi
 
-echo "---" | tee -a "${LOGFILE}"
+if [[ "${HEALTHCHECK_ENABLE}" = "true" ]] ; then
+  echo "Info: Healthchecks enabled with URL: ${HEALTHCHECK_URL}"
+else
+  echo "Info: Healthchecks disabled"
+fi
+
+HOST=$(grep -E '^[\ \t]*target[\ \t]+send-receive' /etc/btrbk/btrbk.conf)
+# TODO: support for dashes in hostname and IPv6 ("[2001:db8::7]")
+HOST=$(echo "${HOST}" | sed -r 's/.*ssh:\/\/([0-9\.a-zA-Z]+).*/\1/g' )
+
+IDENTITYFILE=$(grep -E '^[\ \t]*ssh_identity[\ \t].*' /etc/btrbk/btrbk.conf )
+IDENTITYFILE=$(echo "${IDENTITYFILE}" | sed -r 's/.*ssh_identity[\ \t]+//g')
+
+SSHUSER=$(grep -E '^[\ \t]*ssh_user[\ \t].*' /etc/btrbk/btrbk.conf )
+SSHUSER=$(echo "${SSHUSER}" | sed -r 's/.*ssh_user[\ \t]+//g')
+
+SSH_OK=$(ssh -i "${IDENTITYFILE}" "${SSHUSER}@${HOST}" "which btrfs")
+
+if [[ "${SSH_OK}" = "" ]] ; then
+  echo "Warning: exiting because of backup destination unreachable" | tee -a "${LOGFILE}"
+  if [[ "${HEALTHCHECK_ENABLE}" = "true" ]] ; then
+    curl "${CURLOPTS[@]}" --data-binary "@${LOGFILE}" "${HEALTHCHECK_URL}/log"
+  fi
+  rm -f -- "${LOGFILE}"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 echo "Start backup: $(date||true)" | tee -a "${LOGFILE}"
 if [[ "${HEALTHCHECK_ENABLE}" = "true" ]] ; then
   curl "${CURLOPTS[@]}" "${HEALTHCHECK_URL}/start"