diff --git a/controller/metrics/amqpSink.go b/controller/metrics/amqpSink.go
index 520e86b7..336d85ed 100644
--- a/controller/metrics/amqpSink.go
+++ b/controller/metrics/amqpSink.go
@@ -31,36 +31,51 @@ func loadAmqpSinkConfig(v interface{}, _ *cf.Options) (interface{}, error) {
 }
 
 type amqpSink struct {
-	conn  *amqp.Connection
-	ch    *amqp.Channel
-	queue amqp.Queue
+	cfg       *AmqpSinkConfig
+	conn      *amqp.Connection
+	ch        *amqp.Channel
+	queue     amqp.Queue
+	connected bool
 }
 
 func newAmqpSink(cfg *AmqpSinkConfig) (*amqpSink, error) {
-	conn, err := amqp.Dial(cfg.Url)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error dialing amqp broker")
-	}
-
-	ch, err := conn.Channel()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error getting amqp channel")
-	}
-
-	queue, err := ch.QueueDeclare(cfg.QueueName, true, false, false, false, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error declaring queue")
-	}
-
-	return &amqpSink{conn, ch, queue}, nil
+	as := &amqpSink{cfg: cfg}
+	return as, nil
 }
 
 func (s *amqpSink) Handle(event ZitiEventJson) error {
+	if !s.connected {
+		if err := s.connect(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		logrus.Infof("connected to '%v'", s.cfg.Url)
+		s.connected = true
+	}
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 	logrus.Infof("pushing '%v'", event)
-	return s.ch.PublishWithContext(ctx, "", s.queue.Name, false, false, amqp.Publishing{
+	err := s.ch.PublishWithContext(ctx, "", s.queue.Name, false, false, amqp.Publishing{
 		ContentType: "application/json",
 		Body:        []byte(event),
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		s.connected = false
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+func (s *amqpSink) connect() (err error) {
+	s.conn, err = amqp.Dial(s.cfg.Url)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "error dialing '%v'", s.cfg.Url)
+	}
+	s.ch, err = s.conn.Channel()
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "error getting amqp channel from '%v'", s.cfg.Url)
+	}
+	s.queue, err = s.ch.QueueDeclare(s.cfg.QueueName, true, false, false, false, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "error declaring queue '%v' with '%v'", s.cfg.QueueName, s.cfg.Url)
+	}
+	return nil
 }