diff --git a/backup/backup.py b/backup/backup.py
index ab979f7..9333a59 100755
--- a/backup/backup.py
+++ b/backup/backup.py
@@ -341,7 +341,33 @@ plugin.add_option(
 )
 
 
+def kill(message: str):
+    plugin.log(message)
+    time.sleep(1)
+    # Search for lightningd in my ancestor processes:
+    procs = [p for p in psutil.Process(os.getpid()).parents()]
+    for p in procs:
+        if p.name() != 'lightningd':
+            continue
+        plugin.log("Killing process {name} ({pid})".format(
+            name=p.name(),
+            pid=p.pid
+        ))
+        p.kill()
+
+    # Sleep forever, just in case the master doesn't die on us...
+    while True:
+        time.sleep(30)
+
+
+def preflight(plugin: Plugin):
+    """Perform some preflight checks.
+    """
+    if not os.path.exists("backup.lock"):
+        kill("Could not find backup.lock in the lightning-dir")
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
+    preflight(plugin)
     # Did we perform the version check of backend versus the first write?
     plugin.initialized = False
     plugin.early_writes = []
diff --git a/backup/test_backup.py b/backup/test_backup.py
index 2846a8a..2e4db96 100644
--- a/backup/test_backup.py
+++ b/backup/test_backup.py
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def test_start_no_init(nf, directory):
         options=opts, cleandir=False, may_fail=True, start=False
     )
 
-    with pytest.raises((RpcError, ConnectionRefusedError, ConnectionResetError)):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
         # The way we detect a failure to start is when we attempt to connect
         # to the RPC.
         l1.start()