diff --git a/QUICK/job_manager.sh b/QUICK/job_manager.sh
index 17a84d2..f1a1af3 100644
--- a/QUICK/job_manager.sh
+++ b/QUICK/job_manager.sh
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ report_status() {
     "run_log": "$(base64 < "$run_log")"
 }
 EOF
-        )
+        ) || {
+            log_message "Network error occurred"
+        }
 
         # Handle successful report
         if [[ "$response_code" == "204" ]]; then
@@ -231,7 +233,10 @@ EOF
 fetch_new_job() {
     
     # Request a new job from the API and capture response code and body
-    response=$(curl -s -w "\n%{http_code}" -X GET "$JOB_ASSIGNMENT_ENDPOINT")
+    response=$(curl -s -w "\n%{http_code}" -X GET "$JOB_ASSIGNMENT_ENDPOINT")  || {
+        log_message "Network error occurred"
+    }
+
     http_code=$(echo "$response" | tail -n1)
     response=$(echo "$response" | head -n -1)
 
diff --git a/k8s/manifests/app-deployment.yaml b/k8s/manifests/app-deployment.yaml
index fb12a82..94eb696 100644
--- a/k8s/manifests/app-deployment.yaml
+++ b/k8s/manifests/app-deployment.yaml
@@ -25,23 +25,33 @@ spec:
               - /bin/bash
               - -c
               - |
-                if pgrep -x quick.cuda.MPI >/dev/null; then
-                  pgrep -x quick.cuda.MPI | xargs -I {} ps -o state= -p {} | grep -qv '^Z'
-                else
+                # Pass if no MPI process (waiting for jobs)
+                if ! pgrep -x quick.cuda.MPI > /dev/null; then
+                  exit 0
+                fi
+                # If process exists, check if it's zombie
+                if pgrep -x quick.cuda.MPI | xargs -I {} ps -o state= -p {} | grep -q '^Z'; then
+                  # Found zombie process, fail the probe
                   exit 1
                 fi
+                # Process exists and is not zombie - pass
+                exit 0
           initialDelaySeconds: 60
           periodSeconds: 30
           timeoutSeconds: 10
-          failureThreshold: 4
+          failureThreshold: 3
         readinessProbe:
           exec:
             command:
             - /bin/bash
             - -c
-            - >
-              ! pgrep -x quick.cuda.MPI || 
-              (pgrep -x quick.cuda.MPI | xargs -I {} ps -o state= -p {} | grep -vq '^Z')
+            - |
+              # Container is ready if either:
+              # 1. No MPI process (waiting for jobs)
+              # 2. MPI process exists and is not zombie
+              ! pgrep -x quick.cuda.MPI > /dev/null || \
+              ! pgrep -x quick.cuda.MPI | xargs -I {} ps -o state= -p {} | grep -q '^Z'
+          initialDelaySeconds: 10
           periodSeconds: 10
           timeoutSeconds: 5
           failureThreshold: 3