diff --git a/bin/request_http_resource.sh b/bin/request_http_resource.sh
index 161eeda..0f7c52c 100755
--- a/bin/request_http_resource.sh
+++ b/bin/request_http_resource.sh
@@ -22,21 +22,15 @@
 
 display_help () {
 /bin/cat <<- HELP_MSG
-	This script parses one or more SAML metadata aggregates and 
-	produces a JSON file of vital statistics (such as validUntil, 
-	creationInstant, etc.)
+	This script requests one or more HTTP resources just-in-time.
 	
-	The script depends on cached metadata. It will not fetch
-	a metadata file from the server.
+	Usage: ${0##*/} [-hv] -d OUT_DIR LOCATION ...
 	
-	Usage: ${0##*/} [-hv] -d OUT_DIR MD_LOCATION ...
-	
-	The script takes one or more metadata locations on the
-	command line. For each location, the corresponding metadata
-	is read from cache and parsed. The script produces a JSON 
-	array, with one array element for each metadata location. 
-	If successful, the resulting JSON file is finally moved 
-	to the output directory specified on the command line.
+	The script takes one or more HTTP locations on the command line. 
+	A HEAD request is issued for each location. The script produces 
+	a JSON array, with one array element for each location. The 
+	resulting JSON file is moved to the output directory specified 
+	on the command line.
 	
 	Options:
 	   -h      Display this help message
@@ -79,34 +73,37 @@ display_help () {
 	
 	$( printf "  %s\n" ${lib_filenames[*]} )
 	
-	Also, the following XSLT file MUST be installed in LIB_DIR:
-	
-	  $xsl_filename
-	
 	OUTPUT
 	
-	The script outputs a JSON file containing a single array.
-	Each array element is a JavaScript object with the following 
-	fields:
+	The script outputs a JSON file to OUT_DIR:
+	
+	  $out_filename
+	  
+	The JSON file contains a single array. Each array element is 
+	a JavaScript object with the following fields:
 	
-	  location:  location
-	  currentTime:       dateTime
-	  validUntil:        dateTime
-	  creationInstant:   dateTime
-	  validityInterval:  duration
-	  untilInvalid:      duration
-	  sinceCreation:     duration
+	  successFlag       boolean    success or failure?
+	  message           string     message string
+	  location          string     HTTP location
+	  ResponseCode      string     HTTP response code
+	  Date              string     HTTP response header
+	  LastModified      string     HTTP response header
+	  ETag              string     HTTP response header
+	  ContentLength     string     HTTP response header
+	  ContentType       string     HTTP response header
 	  
 	For example:
 	
 	  {
+	    "successFlag": true,
+	    "message": "Integrity of compressed metadata confirmed",
 	    "location": "http://md.incommon.org/InCommon/InCommon-metadata.xml",
-	    "currentTime": "2017-06-06T23:57:54Z",
-	    "validUntil": "2017-06-16T18:41:12Z",
-	    "creationInstant": "2017-06-02T18:41:12Z",
-	    "validityInterval": "P14DT0H0M0S",
-	    "untilInvalid": "P9DT18H43M18S",
-	    "sinceCreation": "P4DT5H16M42S"
+	    "ResponseCode": "200",
+	    "Date": "Fri, 09 Jun 2017 20:04:12 GMT",
+	    "LastModified": "Fri, 09 Jun 2017 19:05:16 GMT",
+	    "ETag": "\"80bbff-5518ba6585320\"",
+	    "ContentLength": "8436735",
+	    "ContentType": "application/samlmetadata+xml"
 	  }
 	
 	EXAMPLES
@@ -177,11 +174,15 @@ for lib_filename in ${lib_filenames[*]}; do
 	fi
 done
 
+# output filename
+out_filename=http_response_headers.json
+
 #######################################################################
 # Process command-line options and arguments
 #######################################################################
 
-help_mode=false; local_opts=
+help_mode=false
+local_opts=; curl_opts="--silent"
 while getopts ":hvd:" opt; do
 	case $opt in
 		h)
@@ -190,6 +191,7 @@ while getopts ":hvd:" opt; do
 		v)
 			LOG_LEVEL=4
 			local_opts="$local_opts -$opt"
+			curl_opts="--verbose --progress-bar"
 			;;
 		d)
 			out_dir="$OPTARG"
@@ -252,7 +254,6 @@ if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
 fi
 
 # specify temporary files
-out_filename=http_response_headers.json
 out_file="${tmp_dir}/$out_filename"
 header_file="${tmp_dir}/resource-header.txt"
 
@@ -268,19 +269,25 @@ escape_special_json_chars () {
 }
 
 append_json_object () {
+	local message=$( escape_special_json_chars "$message" )
 	local location=$( escape_special_json_chars "$location" )
 	local response_code=$( escape_special_json_chars "$response_code" )
-	local date=$( escape_special_json_chars "$date" )
+	local response_date=$( escape_special_json_chars "$response_date" )
 	local last_modified=$( escape_special_json_chars "$last_modified" )
 	local e_tag=$( escape_special_json_chars "$e_tag" )
 	local content_length=$( escape_special_json_chars "$content_length" )
 	local content_type=$( escape_special_json_chars "$content_type" )
 
+	local boolean_value="true"
+	! $success && boolean_value="false"
+	
 	/bin/cat <<- JSON_OBJECT
 	  {
+	    "successFlag": $boolean_value,
+	    "message": "$message",
 	    "location": "$location",
 	    "ResponseCode": "$response_code",
-	    "Date": "$date",
+	    "Date": "$response_date",
 	    "LastModified": "$last_modified",
 	    "ETag": "$e_tag",
 	    "ContentLength": "$content_length",
@@ -289,34 +296,46 @@ append_json_object () {
 JSON_OBJECT
 }
 
-parse_metadata () {
+get_response () {
+
+	local status_code
 
 	location="$1"
 
 	# get resource headers
 	print_log_message -I "$script_name requesting resource: $location"
-	/usr/bin/curl $curl_opts --silent --head $location > $header_file
+	/usr/bin/curl $curl_opts --head $location > $header_file
 	status_code=$?
 	if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
+		success=false
+		message="Resource request failed"
 		print_log_message -E "$script_name: curl failed ($status_code) on resource: $location"
-		clean_up_and_exit -d "$tmp_dir" $status_code
+		return 3
 	fi
+	
+	# success
+	message="Resource request successful"
+	return 0
+}
+
+parse_response () {
+
+	local header_name
+	local status_code
 
 	# get the HTTP response code
 	response_code=$( get_response_code $header_file )
 	status_code=$?
 	if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
-		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_response_code failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_file"
-		clean_up_and_exit -d "$tmp_dir" $status_code
+		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_response_code failed ($status_code) to parse response code"
 	fi
 
 	# get the Date response header
 	header_name=Date
-	date=$( get_header_value $header_file $header_name )
+	response_date=$( get_header_value $header_file $header_name )
 	status_code=$?
 	if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
-		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_file"
-		clean_up_and_exit -d "$tmp_dir" $status_code
+		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_name"
 	fi
 
 	# get the Last-Modified response header
@@ -324,8 +343,7 @@ parse_metadata () {
 	last_modified=$( get_header_value $header_file $header_name )
 	status_code=$?
 	if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
-		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_file"
-		clean_up_and_exit -d "$tmp_dir" $status_code
+		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_name"
 	fi
 
 	# get the ETag response header
@@ -333,8 +351,7 @@ parse_metadata () {
 	e_tag=$( get_header_value $header_file $header_name )
 	status_code=$?
 	if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
-		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_file"
-		clean_up_and_exit -d "$tmp_dir" $status_code
+		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_name"
 	fi
 
 	# get the Content-Length response header
@@ -342,8 +359,7 @@ parse_metadata () {
 	content_length=$( get_header_value $header_file $header_name )
 	status_code=$?
 	if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
-		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_file"
-		clean_up_and_exit -d "$tmp_dir" $status_code
+		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_name"
 	fi
 
 	# get the Content-Type response header
@@ -351,19 +367,26 @@ parse_metadata () {
 	content_type=$( get_header_value $header_file $header_name )
 	status_code=$?
 	if [ $status_code -ne 0 ]; then
-		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_file"
-		clean_up_and_exit -d "$tmp_dir" $status_code
+		print_log_message -E "$script_name: get_header_value failed ($status_code) to parse response header: $header_name"
 	fi
+	
+	return 0
 }
 
-print_response_headers () {
+print_output_file () {
 
 	# begin output list
 	printf "[\n"
 
 	while true; do
 	
-		parse_metadata "$1"
+		success=true
+		
+		get_response "$1"
+		status_code=$?
+		if [ $status_code -eq 0 ]; then
+			parse_response
+		fi
 		append_json_object
 		
 		shift; (( "$#" )) || break
@@ -383,7 +406,7 @@ print_response_headers () {
 print_log_message -I "$script_name BEGIN"
 
 # create the JSON output
-print_response_headers "$@" > "$out_file"
+print_output_file "$@" > "$out_file"
 print_log_message -I "$script_name writing output file: $out_filename"
 
 # move the output file to the web directory