diff --git a/discord_bot.py b/discord_bot.py
index f968c39..b58a478 100644
--- a/discord_bot.py
+++ b/discord_bot.py
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ def format_game(game):
 
 
 async def update_status_message():
+    if not client.is_ready():  # Check if the client is connected
+        return
     global current_online
     global global_channel
     global global_online_list_message
@@ -200,73 +202,94 @@ def any_player_name_contains_a_banned_word(players):
 
 
 game_list = {}
-background_task_running = 0
+background_task_running = False
 
 
 async def background_task():
     global gameTTL
     global current_online
+    global background_task_running
     last_refresh = 0
     refresh_seconds = 60  # refresh gamelist every x seconds
-    while True:
-        await asyncio.sleep(1)
-        if time.time() - last_refresh >= refresh_seconds:
-            last_refresh = time.time()
-            # Call the external program and get the output
-            proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_shell(
-                './devilutionx-gamelist',
-                stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-                stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE)
-
-            stdout, stderr = await proc.communicate()
-            output = stdout.decode()
-            if not output:
+    background_task_running = True
+    try:
+        while True:
+            # Before each loop iteration, check if the client is still connected.
+            if not client.is_ready():
+                await asyncio.sleep(10)  # Wait a bit before rechecking.
                 continue
 
-            # Load the output as a JSON list
-            games = json.loads(output)
+            await asyncio.sleep(1)
+            if time.time() - last_refresh >= refresh_seconds:
+                last_refresh = time.time()
+                # Call the external program and get the output
+                proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_shell(
+                    './devilutionx-gamelist',
+                    stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
+                    stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE)
+
+                stdout, stderr = await proc.communicate()
+                output = stdout.decode()
+                if not output:
+                    continue
+
+                # Load the output as a JSON list
+                games = json.loads(output)
 
-            ct = datetime.datetime.now()
-            print('[' + str(ct) + '] Refreshing game list - ' + str(len(games)) + ' games')
+                ct = datetime.datetime.now()
+                print('[' + str(ct) + '] Refreshing game list - ' + str(len(games)) + ' games')
 
-            for game in games:
-                if any_player_name_is_invalid(game['players']) or any_player_name_contains_a_banned_word(game['players']):
-                    continue
+                for game in games:
+                    if any_player_name_is_invalid(game['players']) or any_player_name_contains_a_banned_word(
+                            game['players']):
+                        continue
 
-                key = game['id'].upper()
-                if key in game_list:
-                    game_list[key]['players'] = game['players']
+                    key = game['id'].upper()
+                    if key in game_list:
+                        game_list[key]['players'] = game['players']
+                        game_list[key]['last_seen'] = time.time()
+                        continue
+
+                    game_list[key] = game
+                    game_list[key]['first_seen'] = time.time()
                     game_list[key]['last_seen'] = time.time()
-                    continue
 
-                game_list[key] = game
-                game_list[key]['first_seen'] = time.time()
-                game_list[key]['last_seen'] = time.time()
+                ended_games = []
+                for key, game in game_list.items():
+                    if time.time() - game['last_seen'] < gameTTL:
+                        continue
+                    ended_games.append(key)
+                    await end_game_message(key)
 
-            ended_games = []
-            for key, game in game_list.items():
-                if time.time() - game['last_seen'] < gameTTL:
-                    continue
-                ended_games.append(key)
-                await end_game_message(key)
+                for key in ended_games:
+                    del game_list[key]
 
-            for key in ended_games:
-                del game_list[key]
+                if len(ended_games) != 0:
+                    await remove_game_messages(game_list.keys())
 
-            if len(ended_games) != 0:
-                await remove_game_messages(game_list.keys())
+                for gameId in game_list.keys():
+                    await update_game_message(gameId)
 
-            for gameId in game_list.keys():
-                await update_game_message(gameId)
+                if (current_online == len(game_list)) or len(ended_games) != 0:
+                    continue
 
-            if (current_online == len(game_list)) or len(ended_games) != 0:
-                continue
+                current_online = len(game_list)
+                await update_status_message()
+
+                activity = discord.Activity(name='Games online: ' + str(current_online),
+                                            type=discord.ActivityType.watching)
+                await client.change_presence(activity=activity)
+    finally:
+        # Bot has disconnected during the loop, exit and set flag to false.
+        background_task_running = False
 
-            current_online = len(game_list)
-            await update_status_message()
 
-            activity = discord.Activity(name='Games online: '+str(current_online), type=discord.ActivityType.watching)
-            await client.change_presence(activity=activity)
+@client.event
+async def on_resumed():
+    print("Resumed after a reconnect!")
+    global background_task_running
+    if not background_task_running:
+        await background_task()
 
 
 @client.event
@@ -274,7 +297,10 @@ async def on_ready():
     print(f'We have logged in as {client.user}')
     global global_channel
     global_channel = client.get_channel(DISCORD_CHANNEL_ID)
-    await background_task()
+
+    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+    loop.create_task(background_task())  # Run background_task() as a separate task when the client is ready.
+
 
 with open('./discord_bot_token', 'r') as file:
     token = file.readline()