diff --git a/common/backoff/backoff.go b/common/backoff/backoff.go
index 5b7b5005a4..94f5ad6fbf 100644
--- a/common/backoff/backoff.go
+++ b/common/backoff/backoff.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func (b *backoff) Start() {
 
 		if shouldLog {
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Errorf("Error %s, backing off %s: %s",
+				log.Warnf("Error %s, backing off %s: %s",
 					b.msg, backoff, err)
 			} else {
 				log.Infof("Success %s", b.msg)
diff --git a/common/weave/client.go b/common/weave/client.go
index 9835e17c9b..148e5e1425 100644
--- a/common/weave/client.go
+++ b/common/weave/client.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 
-	log "github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/ugorji/go/codec"
 
 	"github.com/weaveworks/scope/common/exec"
@@ -132,11 +131,6 @@ func (c *client) PS() (map[string]PSEntry, error) {
 	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	defer func() {
-		if err := cmd.Wait(); err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("'weave ps' cmd failed: %v", err)
-		}
-	}()
 
 	psEntriesByPrefix := map[string]PSEntry{}
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(out)
@@ -156,10 +150,14 @@ func (c *client) PS() (map[string]PSEntry, error) {
 			IPs:               ips,
 		}
 	}
-	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	scannerErr := scanner.Err()
+	cmdErr := cmd.Wait()
+	if cmdErr != nil {
+		return nil, cmdErr
+	}
+	if scannerErr != nil {
+		return nil, scannerErr
 	}
-
 	return psEntriesByPrefix, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/probe/overlay/weave.go b/probe/overlay/weave.go
index 3f27e85bd7..913117cd85 100644
--- a/probe/overlay/weave.go
+++ b/probe/overlay/weave.go
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ type Weave struct {
 	statusCache weave.Status
 	psCache     map[string]weave.PSEntry
 
-	backoff backoff.Interface
+	backoff   backoff.Interface
+	psBackoff backoff.Interface
 }
 
 // NewWeave returns a new Weave tagger based on the Weave router at
@@ -53,9 +54,14 @@ func NewWeave(hostID string, client weave.Client) *Weave {
 		psCache: map[string]weave.PSEntry{},
 	}
 
-	w.backoff = backoff.New(w.collect, "collecting weave info")
+	w.backoff = backoff.New(w.status, "collecting weave status")
 	w.backoff.SetInitialBackoff(5 * time.Second)
 	go w.backoff.Start()
+
+	w.psBackoff = backoff.New(w.ps, "collecting weave ps")
+	w.psBackoff.SetInitialBackoff(10 * time.Second)
+	go w.psBackoff.Start()
+
 	return w
 }
 
@@ -65,52 +71,35 @@ func (*Weave) Name() string { return "Weave" }
 // Stop gathering weave ps output.
 func (w *Weave) Stop() {
 	w.backoff.Stop()
+	w.psBackoff.Stop()
 }
 
-func (w *Weave) collect() (done bool, err error) {
-	// If we fail to get info from weave
-	// we should wipe away stale data
-	defer func() {
-		if err != nil {
-			w.mtx.Lock()
-			defer w.mtx.Unlock()
-			w.statusCache = weave.Status{}
-			w.psCache = map[string]weave.PSEntry{}
-		}
-	}()
-
-	if err = w.ps(); err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-	if err = w.status(); err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	return
-}
-
-func (w *Weave) ps() error {
+func (w *Weave) ps() (bool, error) {
 	psEntriesByPrefix, err := w.client.PS()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 
 	w.mtx.Lock()
 	defer w.mtx.Unlock()
-	w.psCache = psEntriesByPrefix
-	return nil
-}
 
-func (w *Weave) status() error {
-	status, err := w.client.Status()
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		w.psCache = map[string]weave.PSEntry{}
+	} else {
+		w.psCache = psEntriesByPrefix
 	}
+	return false, err
+}
+
+func (w *Weave) status() (bool, error) {
+	status, err := w.client.Status()
 
 	w.mtx.Lock()
 	defer w.mtx.Unlock()
-	w.statusCache = status
-	return nil
+
+	if err != nil {
+		w.statusCache = weave.Status{}
+	} else {
+		w.statusCache = status
+	}
+	return false, err
 }
 
 // Tag implements Tagger.
diff --git a/prog/app.go b/prog/app.go
index 536a547550..faf8952774 100644
--- a/prog/app.go
+++ b/prog/app.go
@@ -218,9 +218,8 @@ func appMain(flags appFlags) {
 		}
 	})
 
-	// If user supplied a weave router address, periodically try and register
-	// out IP address in WeaveDNS.
-	if flags.weaveAddr != "" {
+	// Periodically try and register out IP address in WeaveDNS.
+	if flags.weaveEnabled {
 		weave, err := newWeavePublisher(
 			flags.dockerEndpoint, flags.weaveAddr,
 			flags.weaveHostname, flags.containerName)
diff --git a/prog/main.go b/prog/main.go
index 41859f0095..a3a7d6631e 100644
--- a/prog/main.go
+++ b/prog/main.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ type probeFlags struct {
 	kubernetesAPI      string
 	kubernetesInterval time.Duration
 
+	weaveEnabled  bool
 	weaveAddr     string
 	weaveHostname string
 }
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ type appFlags struct {
 	logPrefix string
 	logHTTP   bool
 
+	weaveEnabled   bool
 	weaveAddr      string
 	weaveHostname  string
 	containerName  string
@@ -115,12 +117,14 @@ func main() {
 		flags         = flags{}
 		mode          string
 		debug         bool
+		weaveEnabled  bool
 		weaveHostname string
 	)
 
 	// Flags that apply to both probe and app
 	flag.StringVar(&mode, "mode", "help", "For internal use.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&debug, "debug", false, "Force debug logging.")
+	flag.BoolVar(&weaveEnabled, "weave", true, "Enable Weave Net integrations.")
 	flag.StringVar(&weaveHostname, "weave.hostname", "", "Hostname to advertise/lookup in WeaveDNS")
 
 	// We need to know how to parse them, but they are mainly interpreted by the entrypoint script.
@@ -200,6 +204,8 @@ func main() {
 		flags.probe.weaveHostname = weaveHostname
 		flags.app.weaveHostname = weaveHostname
 	}
+	flags.probe.weaveEnabled = weaveEnabled
+	flags.app.weaveEnabled = weaveEnabled
 	flags.probe.noApp = *noApp || *probeOnly
 
 	switch mode {
diff --git a/prog/probe.go b/prog/probe.go
index 2ffa4da8e4..43b58a1b98 100644
--- a/prog/probe.go
+++ b/prog/probe.go
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func probeMain(flags probeFlags) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if flags.weaveAddr != "" {
+	if flags.weaveEnabled {
 		client := weave.NewClient(sanitize.URL("http://", 6784, "")(flags.weaveAddr))
 		weave := overlay.NewWeave(hostID, client)
 		defer weave.Stop()