diff --git a/examples/MANUAL.md b/examples/MANUAL.md
index 562cce2e..a89fb096 100644
--- a/examples/MANUAL.md
+++ b/examples/MANUAL.md
@@ -83,9 +83,14 @@ is provided so the application can be easily adapted to any environment.
         errors will be logged. Using this with debug=true adds line numbers to
         any error logs.
 
-    lambda         default: false
-        * Until reports of astonishing success with this mode, it is EXPERIMENTAL.
-        Setting this to true will invoke a run-once mode where the application
+    mode           default: "influx"
+        * Value: influx
+        This default mode runs this application as a daemon. It will poll
+        the controller at the configured interval. Providing an invalid value
+        will run in this default mode.
+
+        * Value: influxlambda  -  (the only other available option right now)
+        Setting this value will invoke a run-once mode where the application
         immediately polls the controller and reports the metrics to InfluxDB.
         Then it exits. This mode is useful in an AWS Lambda or a crontab where
         the execution timings are controlled. This mode may also be adapted
diff --git a/examples/up.conf.example b/examples/up.conf.example
index 91a4d86c..7f3f33d4 100644
--- a/examples/up.conf.example
+++ b/examples/up.conf.example
@@ -20,10 +20,16 @@
 # Recommend enabling debug with this setting for better error logging.
 #quiet = false
 
-# Lambda mode makes the application exit after collecting and reporting metrics one time.
-# This mode requires an external process like an AWS Lambda or a simple crontab to keep
-# the timings accurate on UniFi Poller run intervals.
-#lambda = false
+# Which mode to run this application in. The default mode is "influx". Providing
+# an invalid mode will also result in "influx". In this default mode the application
+# runs as a daemon and polls the controller at the configured interval.
+#
+# There is only one other option at this time: "influxlambda"
+#
+# Lambda mode makes the application exit after collecting and reporting metrics
+# to InfluxDB one time. This mode requires an external process like an AWS Lambda
+# or a simple crontab to keep the timings accurate on UniFi Poller run intervals.
+#mode = "influx"
 
 # If the poller experiences an error from the UniFi controller or from InfluxDB
 # it will exit. If you do not want it to exit, change max_errors to -1. You can
diff --git a/examples/up.json.example b/examples/up.json.example
index 019c9b13..4ebbf7e8 100644
--- a/examples/up.json.example
+++ b/examples/up.json.example
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  "interval": "30s",
  "debug": false,
  "quiet": false,
- "lambda": false,
+ "mode": "influx",
  "max_errors": 0,
  "influx_url": "http://127.0.0.1:8086",
  "influx_user": "unifi",
diff --git a/examples/up.xml.example b/examples/up.xml.example
index 5247154d..ba09ee5a 100644
--- a/examples/up.xml.example
+++ b/examples/up.xml.example
@@ -36,11 +36,17 @@
   <quiet>false</quiet>
 
   <!--
-  # Lambda mode makes the application exit after collecting and reporting metrics one time.
-  # This mode requires an external process like an AWS Lambda or a simple crontab to keep
-  # the timings accurate on UniFi Poller run intervals.
+  # Which mode to run this application in. The default mode is "influx". Providing
+  # an invalid mode will also result in "influx". In this default mode the application
+  # runs as a daemon and polls the controller at the configured interval.
+  #
+  # There is only one other option at this time: "influxlambda"
+  #
+  # Lambda mode makes the application exit after collecting and reporting metrics
+  # to InfluxDB one time. This mode requires an external process like an AWS Lambda
+  # or a simple crontab to keep the timings accurate on UniFi Poller run intervals.
   -->
-  <lambda>false</lambda>
+  <mode>influx</mode>
 
   <!--
   # If the poller experiences an error from the UniFi controller or from InfluxDB
diff --git a/examples/up.yaml.example b/examples/up.yaml.example
index 792b05d1..407bce22 100644
--- a/examples/up.yaml.example
+++ b/examples/up.yaml.example
@@ -21,10 +21,16 @@ debug: false
 # Recommend enabling debug with this setting for better error logging.
 quiet: false
 
-# Lambda mode makes the application exit after collecting and reporting metrics one time.
-# This mode requires an external process like an AWS Lambda or a simple crontab to keep
-# the timings accurate on UniFi Poller run intervals.
-lambda: false
+# Which mode to run this application in. The default mode is "influx". Providing
+# an invalid mode will also result in "influx". In this default mode the application
+# runs as a daemon and polls the controller at the configured interval.
+#
+# There is only one other option at this time: "influxlambda"
+#
+# Lambda mode makes the application exit after collecting and reporting metrics
+# to InfluxDB one time. This mode requires an external process like an AWS Lambda
+# or a simple crontab to keep the timings accurate on UniFi Poller run intervals.
+mode: "influx"
 
 # If the poller experiences an error from the UniFi controller or from InfluxDB
 # it will exit. If you do not want it to exit, change max_errors to -1. You can
diff --git a/unifipoller/config.go b/unifipoller/config.go
index 9c66df55..e869847c 100644
--- a/unifipoller/config.go
+++ b/unifipoller/config.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Debug      bool     `json:"debug" toml:"debug" xml:"debug" yaml:"debug"`
 	Quiet      bool     `json:"quiet,_omitempty" toml:"quiet,_omitempty" xml:"quiet" yaml:"quiet"`
 	VerifySSL  bool     `json:"verify_ssl" toml:"verify_ssl" xml:"verify_ssl" yaml:"verify_ssl"`
-	Lambda     bool     `json:"lambda" toml:"lambda" xml:"lambda" yaml:"lambda"`
+	Mode       string   `json:"mode" toml:"mode" xml:"mode" yaml:"mode"`
 	InfluxURL  string   `json:"influx_url,_omitempty" toml:"influx_url,_omitempty" xml:"influx_url" yaml:"influx_url"`
 	InfluxUser string   `json:"influx_user,_omitempty" toml:"influx_user,_omitempty" xml:"influx_user" yaml:"influx_user"`
 	InfluxPass string   `json:"influx_pass,_omitempty" toml:"influx_pass,_omitempty" xml:"influx_pass" yaml:"influx_pass"`
diff --git a/unifipoller/unifipoller.go b/unifipoller/unifipoller.go
index 1f3960e5..ee03b361 100644
--- a/unifipoller/unifipoller.go
+++ b/unifipoller/unifipoller.go
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ func (u *UnifiPoller) Run() (err error) {
 	if err = u.GetInfluxDB(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	switch {
-	case u.Lambda:
+	switch strings.ToLower(u.Mode) {
+	case "influxlambda", "lambdainflux", "lambda_influx", "influx_lambda":
 		u.LogDebugf("Lambda Mode Enabled")
 		return u.CollectAndReport()
 	default:
@@ -128,13 +128,12 @@ func (u *UnifiPoller) GetUnifi() (err error) {
 	}
 	u.Unifi.ErrorLog = u.LogErrorf // Log all errors.
 	u.Unifi.DebugLog = u.LogDebugf // Log debug messages.
-	// this may fail? but we'll try one more time with u.CheckSites below.
 	v, err := u.GetServer()
 	if err != nil {
-		v.ServerVersion = "unknown"
+		return err
 	}
 	u.Logf("Authenticated to UniFi Controller at %s version %s as user %s", u.UnifiBase, v.ServerVersion, u.UnifiUser)
-	if err = u.CheckSites(); err != nil {
+	if err := u.CheckSites(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	u.Logf("Polling UniFi Controller Sites: %v", u.Sites)
diff --git a/unifipoller/worker.go b/unifipoller/worker.go
index 8192d4d7..424aaa34 100644
--- a/unifipoller/worker.go
+++ b/unifipoller/worker.go
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 // CheckSites makes sure the list of provided sites exists on the controller.
+// This does not run in Lambda (run-once) mode.
 func (u *UnifiPoller) CheckSites() error {
+	if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(u.Mode), "lambda") {
+		return nil // Skip this in lambda mode.
+	}
 	sites, err := u.GetSites()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err