diff --git a/app/__init__.py b/app/__init__.py
index 2fbdc29ab..3321e72d2 100644
--- a/app/__init__.py
+++ b/app/__init__.py
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ def init_app(app):
             url_for('status.show_status'),
             url_for('notifications.process_ses_response'),
             url_for('notifications.process_firetext_response'),
-            url_for('notifications.process_mmg_response')
+            url_for('notifications.process_mmg_response'),
+            url_for('status.show_delivery_status'),
         ]
         if request.path not in no_auth_req:
             from app.authentication import auth
diff --git a/app/status/healthcheck.py b/app/status/healthcheck.py
index 5a3962c68..a7ac8d3be 100644
--- a/app/status/healthcheck.py
+++ b/app/status/healthcheck.py
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
-from flask import jsonify
+from datetime import (
+    datetime,
+    timedelta
+)
 
-from flask import Blueprint, request
+from flask import (
+    jsonify,
+    Blueprint,
+    request,
+    current_app
+)
 
 from app import db, version
+from app.models import Notification
 
 status = Blueprint('status', __name__)
 
@@ -20,6 +29,34 @@ def show_status():
             db_version=get_db_version()), 200
 
 
+@status.route('/_delivery_status')
+def show_delivery_status():
+    if request.args.get('elb', None):
+        return jsonify(status="ok"), 200
+    else:
+        notifications_alert = current_app.config['NOTIFICATIONS_ALERT']
+        some_number_of_minutes_ago = datetime.now() - timedelta(minutes=notifications_alert)
+        notifications = Notification.query.filter(Notification.status == 'sending',
+                                                  Notification.created_at < some_number_of_minutes_ago).all()
+        message = "{} notifications in sending state over {} minutes".format(len(notifications), notifications_alert)
+        if notifications:
+            return jsonify(
+                status="error",
+                message=message,
+                travis_commit=version.__travis_commit__,
+                travis_build_number=version.__travis_job_number__,
+                build_time=version.__time__,
+                db_version=get_db_version()), 500
+
+        return jsonify(
+            status="ok",
+            message=message,
+            travis_commit=version.__travis_commit__,
+            travis_build_number=version.__travis_job_number__,
+            build_time=version.__time__,
+            db_version=get_db_version()), 200
+
+
 def get_db_version():
     try:
         query = 'SELECT version_num FROM alembic_version'
diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index 13ac1130e..164dd7d9b 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class Config(object):
     FIRETEXT_NUMBER = os.getenv('FIRETEXT_NUMBER')
     FIRETEXT_API_KEY = os.getenv("FIRETEXT_API_KEY")
     CSV_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME = 'local-notifications-csv-upload'
+    NOTIFICATIONS_ALERT = 5  # five mins
 
 
 class Development(Config):
diff --git a/tests/app/status/test_delivery_status.py b/tests/app/status/test_delivery_status.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a46cea93a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/app/status/test_delivery_status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import json
+
+from datetime import (
+    datetime,
+    timedelta
+)
+
+
+def test_get_delivery_status_all_ok(notify_api, notify_db):
+    with notify_api.test_request_context():
+        with notify_api.test_client() as client:
+            path = '/_delivery_status'
+            response = client.get(path)
+            assert response.status_code == 200
+            resp_json = json.loads(response.get_data(as_text=True))
+            assert resp_json['status'] == 'ok'
+            assert resp_json['message'] == '0 notifications in sending state over 5 minutes'
+
+
+def test_get_delivery_status_with_undelivered_notification(notify_api, notify_db, sample_notification):
+
+    more_than_five_mins_ago = datetime.now() - timedelta(minutes=10)
+    sample_notification.created_at = more_than_five_mins_ago
+    notify_db.session.add(sample_notification)
+    notify_db.session.commit()
+
+    with notify_api.test_request_context():
+        with notify_api.test_client() as client:
+            path = '/_delivery_status'
+            response = client.get(path)
+            assert response.status_code == 500
+            resp_json = json.loads(response.get_data(as_text=True))
+            assert resp_json['status'] == 'error'
+            assert resp_json['message'] == '1 notifications in sending state over 5 minutes'