diff --git a/io/ping/88-ping.js b/io/ping/88-ping.js
index 7990fa6f..b692d846 100644
--- a/io/ping/88-ping.js
+++ b/io/ping/88-ping.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * Copyright 2013,2016 IBM Corp.
+ * Copyright 2013 IBM Corp.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,35 +16,46 @@
 
 module.exports = function(RED) {
     "use strict";
-    var dns = require("dns")
-    var ping = require ("net-ping");
+    var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
+    var plat = require('os').platform();
 
     function PingNode(n) {
         RED.nodes.createNode(this,n);
         this.host = n.host;
         this.timer = n.timer * 1000;
-        this.session = ping.createSession();
         var node = this;
 
         node.tout = setInterval(function() {
-            dns.lookup(node.host, function(err, address, family) {
-                if (typeof address === 'undefined') { address = node.host; }
-                node.session.pingHost(address, function(error, target, sent, rcvd) {
-                    var msg = { payload:false, topic:target };
-                    if (error) {
-                        msg.error = error.toString();
-                    } else {
-                        msg.payload = rcvd - sent;
-                    }
-                    node.send(msg);
-                    node.session.close();
-                });
+            var ex;
+            if (plat == "linux") { ex = spawn('ping', ['-n', '-w', '5', '-c', '1', node.host]); }
+            else if (plat.match(/^win/)) { ex = spawn('ping', ['-n', '1', '-w', '5000', node.host]); }
+            else if (plat == "darwin") { ex = spawn('ping', ['-n', '-t', '5', '-c', '1', node.host]); }
+            else { node.error("Sorry - your platform - "+plat+" - is not recognised."); }
+            var res = false;
+            var line = "";
+            //var regex = /from.*time.(.*)ms/;
+            var regex = /=.*[<|=]([0-9]*).*TTL|ttl..*=([0-9\.]*)/;
+            ex.stdout.on('data', function (data) {
+                line += data.toString();
+            });
+            //ex.stderr.on('data', function (data) {
+            //console.log('[ping] stderr: ' + data);
+            //});
+            ex.on('close', function (code) {
+                var m = regex.exec(line)||"";
+                if (m !== '') {
+                    if (m[1]) { res = Number(m[1]); }
+                    if (m[2]) { res = Number(m[2]); }
+                }
+                var msg = { payload:false, topic:node.host };
+                if (code === 0) { msg = { payload:res, topic:node.host }; }
+                try { node.send(msg); }
+                catch(e) {}
             });
         }, node.timer);
 
         this.on("close", function() {
-            if (node.tout) { clearInterval(this.tout); }
-            if (node.session) { node.session.close(); }
+            if (this.tout) { clearInterval(this.tout); }
         });
     }
     RED.nodes.registerType("ping",PingNode);
diff --git a/io/ping/README.md b/io/ping/README.md
index 536b59d5..f4d38860 100644
--- a/io/ping/README.md
+++ b/io/ping/README.md
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ The fix is to allow it as follows
 Usage
 -----
 
-Pings a machine and returns the trip time in mS as **msg.payload**.
+Pings a machine and returns the trip time in mS as `msg.payload`.
 
 Returns boolean `false` if no response received, or if the host is unresolveable.
-**msg.wrror** will contain any error message if necessary.
+`msg.error` will contain any error message if necessary.
 
-**msg.topic** contains the ip address of the target host.
+`msg.topic` contains the ip address of the target host.
 
 Default ping is every 20 seconds but can be configured.
diff --git a/io/ping/package.json b/io/ping/package.json
index 8518d1c7..0b95da92 100644
--- a/io/ping/package.json
+++ b/io/ping/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name"          : "node-red-node-ping",
-    "version"       : "0.0.9",
+    "version"       : "0.0.10",
     "description"   : "A Node-RED node to ping a remote server, for use as a keep-alive check.",
     "dependencies"  : {
         "net-ping":"1.1.*"