diff --git a/src/config/common/svc_info.py b/src/config/common/svc_info.py
index 9f9eba9b1eb..c13ca08c415 100644
--- a/src/config/common/svc_info.py
+++ b/src/config/common/svc_info.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 _VN_SNAT_PREFIX_NAME = 'snat-si-left'
 _VN_SNAT_SUBNET_CIDR = '100.64.0.0/29'
 
-_CHECK_SVC_VM_HEALTH_INTERVAL = 30
+_CHECK_SVC_VM_HEALTH_INTERVAL = 60
 
 _VM_INSTANCE_TYPE = 'virtual-machine'
 _NETNS_INSTANCE_TYPE = 'network-namespace'
diff --git a/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/config_db.py b/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/config_db.py
index 3520a1323e8..212ee179b16 100644
--- a/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/config_db.py
+++ b/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/config_db.py
@@ -329,6 +329,7 @@ def __init__(self, uuid, obj_dict=None):
         self.params = None
         self.state = 'init'
         self.launch_count = 0
+        self.back_off = -1
         self.image = None
         self.flavor = None
         self.max_instances = 0
diff --git a/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/instance_manager.py b/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/instance_manager.py
index 95b018f700a..7ca7c362f42 100644
--- a/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/instance_manager.py
+++ b/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/instance_manager.py
@@ -515,12 +515,8 @@ def delete_service(self, vm):
         self.cleanup_svc_vm_ports(vmi_list)
 
         if vm.virtual_router:
-            vm_obj = VirtualMachine()
-            vm_obj.uuid = vm.uuid
-            vm_obj.fq_name = vm.fq_name
-            vr_obj = self._vnc_lib.virtual_router_read(id=vm.virtual_router)
-            vr_obj.del_virtual_machine(vm_obj)
-            self._vnc_lib.virtual_router_update(vr_obj)
+            self._vnc_lib.ref_update('virtual-router', vm.virtual_router,
+                'virtual-machine', vm.uuid, None, 'DELETE')
             self.logger.log_info("vm %s deleted from vr %s" %
                 (vm_obj.get_fq_name_str(), vr_obj.get_fq_name_str()))
 
@@ -541,16 +537,10 @@ def check_service(self, si):
                 vr = VirtualRouterSM.get(vm.virtual_router)
                 if self.vrouter_scheduler.vrouter_running(vr.name):
                     continue
-                vr_obj = VirtualRouter()
-                vr_obj.uuid = vr.uuid
-                vr_obj.fq_name = vr.fq_name
-                vm_obj = VirtualMachine()
-                vm_obj.uuid = vm.uuid
-                vm_obj.fq_name = vm.fq_name
-                vr_obj.del_virtual_machine(vm_obj)
-                self._vnc_lib.virtual_router_update(vr_obj)
-                self._update_local_preference(si, vm)
-                self.logger.log_error("vrouter down for vm %s" % vm.uuid)
+                self._vnc_lib.ref_update('virtual-router', vr.uuid,
+                    'virtual-machine', vm.uuid, None, 'DELETE')
+                vr.update()
+                self.logger.log_error("vrouter %s down for vm %s" % (vr.name, vm.uuid))
                 service_up = False
 
         return service_up
diff --git a/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/svc_monitor.py b/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/svc_monitor.py
index dd8b83f2a54..753dcc2d6ac 100644
--- a/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/svc_monitor.py
+++ b/src/config/svc-monitor/svc_monitor/svc_monitor.py
@@ -626,6 +626,24 @@ def reset():
             cls.reset()
 
 
+def skip_check_service(si):
+    # wait for first launch
+    if not si.launch_count:
+        return True
+    # back off going on
+    if si.back_off > 0:
+        si.back_off -= 1
+        return True
+    # back off done
+    if si.back_off == 0:
+        si.back_off = -1
+        return False
+    # set back off
+    if not si.launch_count % 10:
+        si.back_off = 10
+        return True
+    return False
+
 def timer_callback(monitor):
     # delete vms without si
     vm_delete_list = []
@@ -646,10 +664,9 @@ def timer_callback(monitor):
         monitor.vm_manager.cleanup_svc_vm_ports(vmi_delete_list)
 
     # check status of service
-    si_id_list = list(ServiceInstanceSM._dict.keys())
-    for si_id in si_id_list:
-        si = ServiceInstanceSM.get(si_id)
-        if not si or not si.launch_count:
+    si_list = list(ServiceInstanceSM.values())
+    for si in si_list:
+        if skip_check_service(si):
             continue
         if not monitor._check_service_running(si):
             monitor._relaunch_service_instance(si)
@@ -672,8 +689,15 @@ def timer_callback(monitor):
                 monitor._delete_shared_vn(vn.uuid)
 
 def launch_timer(monitor):
+    if not monitor._args.check_service_interval.isdigit():
+        monitor.logger.log_emergency("set seconds for check_service_interval "
+            "in contrail-svc-monitor.conf. example: check_service_interval=60")
+        sys.exit()
+    monitor.logger.log_notice("check_service_interval set to %s seconds" %
+        monitor._args.check_service_interval)
+
     while True:
-        gevent.sleep(svc_info.get_vm_health_interval())
+        gevent.sleep(int(monitor._args.check_service_interval))
         try:
             timer_callback(monitor)
         except Exception:
@@ -712,6 +736,7 @@ def parse_args(args_str):
                          --use_syslog
                          --syslog_facility LOG_USER
                          --cluster_id <testbed-name>
+                         --check_service_interval 60
                          [--region_name <name>]
                          [--reset_config]
     '''
@@ -757,6 +782,7 @@ def parse_args(args_str):
         'logging_conf': '',
         'logger_class': None,
         'sandesh_send_rate_limit' : SandeshSystem.get_sandesh_send_rate_limit(),
+        'check_service_interval': '60',
         }
     secopts = {
         'use_certs': False,