diff --git a/src/server/distrend.c b/src/server/distrend.c
--- a/src/server/distrend.c
+++ b/src/server/distrend.c
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ int updateJobListXML(struct distrenjob *
   xmlTextWriterWriteAttribute(writer, (xmlChar*)"amount", (xmlChar*)tmp);
 
   counter = 0;
-  for(job = head->next; !job; job = job->next)
+  for(job = head->next; job; job = job->next)
     {
       _distren_asprintf(&tmp, "jobnum%d", counter);
       _distren_asprintf(&tmp2, "%d", job->jobnum);
@@ -944,7 +944,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	  fprintf(stderr, "Usage: distrend [option] \nStarts the distrend server\n\t-h\tshow this help\n\t-t\tlaunches queue testing interface \n");
 	  return 2;
 	}
-      
+
       else if(strcmp(argv[counter], "-t") == 0)
 	{
 	  fprintf(stderr, "Entering into test mode...\n\n");
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
   cont = 1;
   memset(&head, '\0', sizeof(struct distrenjob));
-  
+
   start_data(&head); // Starts fresh or loads data from xml dump. Should we grab the return?
 
   distrend_do_config(argc, argv, &config);
diff --git a/src/server/distrenjob.c b/src/server/distrenjob.c
--- a/src/server/distrenjob.c
+++ b/src/server/distrenjob.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ int distrenjob_new(struct distrenjob **d
   dj->assigned_frames = 0;
   dj->total_render_time = 0;
   dj->hibernate = 0;
+  dj->watchdog_forgiveness = 3600; // initialize watchdog forgiveness at 1 hour
   dj->frameset = (struct frameset *)NULL; /*< @todo does frameset need to be initialized here? */
 
   return 0;