diff --git a/pendingtime/pendingtime.go b/pendingtime/pendingtime.go
index e4ce232..ad741fe 100644
--- a/pendingtime/pendingtime.go
+++ b/pendingtime/pendingtime.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sensu-community/sensu-plugin-sdk/sensu"
 )
 
-// Given a path, the time in seconds since the file was last updated is returned
+// GetLastAccess Given a path, the time in seconds since the file was last updated is returned
 func GetLastAccess(path string) (int64, error){
         fileinfo, err := os.Stat(path)
         if err != nil {
@@ -21,30 +21,49 @@ func GetLastAccess(path string) (int64, error){
         return atime, nil
 }
 
+// TouchLastAccess touch the witness file to track the time
 func TouchLastAccess(path string) (error){
         af, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0644)
         if err != nil {
-                return fmt.Errorf("Can not open file for writing %s: %s", path, err)
+                return fmt.Errorf("can not open file for writing %s: %s", path, err)
         }
         defer af.Close()
 
         // Truncate the file to write the new date
         err = af.Truncate(0)
         if err != nil {
-                return fmt.Errorf("Truncate failed on %s: %s\n", path, err)
+                return fmt.Errorf("truncate failed on %s: %s", path, err)
         }
 
         _, err = fmt.Fprintf(af, "%s", time.Now().UTC().Format(time.UnixDate))
         if err != nil {
-                return fmt.Errorf("Writing time failed: %s\n", err)
+                return fmt.Errorf("writing time failed: %s", err)
         }
 
         return nil
 }
 
-// This function returns the status, and the days since the patch counter was last 0
+// CreateIfNotExist if the file is not present create it
+func CreateIfNotExist(path string) (error) {
+        _, err := os.Stat(path)
+        if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+                err2 := TouchLastAccess(path)
+                if err2 != nil {
+                        return err2
+                }
+        }
+        return nil
+}
+
+// PendingTime This function returns the status, and the days since the patch counter was last 0
 // status, days since no patches, error
 func PendingTime(path string, pending int, daysWarn int, daysCrit int) (int, int, error){
+        // Create the empty file if it doesn't exist yet
+        err := CreateIfNotExist(path)
+        if err != nil {
+                return 0, 0, err
+        }
+
         // Only when no patches are outstanding touch the file
         if pending == 0 {
                 err := TouchLastAccess(path)