diff --git a/platypush/backend/ping.py b/platypush/backend/ping.py
index 321d44d11..15dc321a9 100644
--- a/platypush/backend/ping.py
+++ b/platypush/backend/ping.py
@@ -22,31 +22,35 @@ class PingBackend(Backend):
     class Pinger(Worker):
         def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
             self.timeout = kwargs.pop('timeout')
+            self.count = kwargs.pop('count')
             super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
         def process(self, host: str) -> Tuple[str, bool]:
             pinger = get_plugin('ping')
-            response = pinger.ping(host, timeout=self.timeout, count=1).output
+            response = pinger.ping(host, timeout=self.timeout, count=self.count).output
             return host, response['success'] is True
 
-    def __init__(self, hosts: List[str], timeout: float = 5.0, interval: float = 60.0,  *args, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, hosts: List[str], timeout: float = 5.0, interval: float = 60.0, count: int = 1,  *args, **kwargs):
         """
         :param hosts: List of IP addresses or host names to monitor.
         :param timeout: Ping timeout.
         :param interval: Interval between two scans.
+        :param count: Number of pings per host. A host will be considered down
+            if all the ping requests fail.
         """
 
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         self.hosts = {h: None for h in hosts}
         self.timeout = timeout
         self.interval = interval
+        self.count = count
 
     def run(self):
         super().run()
         self.logger.info('Starting ping backend with {} hosts to monitor'.format(len(self.hosts)))
 
         while not self.should_stop():
-            workers = Workers(10, self.Pinger, timeout=self.timeout)
+            workers = Workers(10, self.Pinger, timeout=self.timeout, count=self.count)
 
             with workers:
                 for host in self.hosts.keys():