diff --git a/ClusterController/Job.py b/ClusterController/Job.py
index 9fd3f17..6cb2bb8 100644
--- a/ClusterController/Job.py
+++ b/ClusterController/Job.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ class JobStateFlags:
 	DELETED=16
 	HOLD=32
 	ERROR=64
+	SUSPENDED=128
 	
 class ParallelEnvironment:
 	MPI=1
diff --git a/ClusterController/QstatParser.py b/ClusterController/QstatParser.py
index c45b9db..db6b2a4 100644
--- a/ClusterController/QstatParser.py
+++ b/ClusterController/QstatParser.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ class QstatParser:
 				jobState += JobStateFlags.DELETED
 			elif c == 'h':
 				jobState += JobStateFlags.HOLD
+			elif c == 's':
+				jobState += JobStateFlags.SUSPENDED
 			elif c == 'E':
 				jobState += JobStateFlags.ERROR
 			else:
@@ -42,6 +44,8 @@ class QstatParser:
 				queueMachineState += QueueMachineStateFlags.ERROR
 			elif c == 'o':
 				queueMachineState += QueueMachineStateFlags.OBSOLETE
+			elif c == 's':
+				queueMachineState += QueueMachineStateFlags.SUSPENDED
 			else:
 				assert False, 'unhandled queue machine state flag :"' + c + '"'
 		return queueMachineState
diff --git a/ClusterController/QueueMachine.py b/ClusterController/QueueMachine.py
index 6b02292..1b521ab 100644
--- a/ClusterController/QueueMachine.py
+++ b/ClusterController/QueueMachine.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ class QueueMachineStateFlags: #
 	UNKNOWN=4 # the queue machine is in unknown state because sge_execd cannot be contected (see man qstat)  
 	ERROR=8 # the queue is in error state
 	OBSOLETE=16 # the queue no longer exists but it is still visible because it still contains running jobs 
+	SUSPENDED=32 # the queue machine is suspended 
 
 class QueueMachine:
 	"""
@@ -49,6 +50,12 @@ class QueueMachine:
 		return self.m_stateFlags & QueueMachineStateFlags.DISABLED
 	def isInErrorState( self ):
 		return self.m_stateFlags & QueueMachineStateFlags.ERROR
+	def isResponding( self ):
+		return not (self.m_stateFlags & QueueMachineStateFlags.UNKNOWN)
+	def isInAlarmState( self ):
+		return self.m_stateFlags & QueueMachineStateFlags.ALARM
+	def isSuspended( self ):
+		return self.m_stateFlags & QueueMachineStateFlags.SUSPENDED
 	"""
 	def getStateAsString( self ):
 		assert( self.m_strState != None )