diff --git a/changedetectionio/fetch_site_status.py b/changedetectionio/fetch_site_status.py
index 2fb16ed48..61b9a40a3 100644
--- a/changedetectionio/fetch_site_status.py
+++ b/changedetectionio/fetch_site_status.py
@@ -2,10 +2,9 @@ import hashlib
 import logging
 import os
 import re
-import time
 import urllib3
 import requests
-import simplejson
+import json
 from changedetectionio import content_fetcher, html_tools
 
 urllib3.disable_warnings(urllib3.exceptions.InsecureRequestWarning)
@@ -57,17 +56,18 @@ class perform_site_check():
         # Tweak the base config with the per-watch ones
         request_headers = self.datastore.data['settings']['headers'].copy()
 
-        if self.datastore.get_val(uuid, 'external_header_server') is not None:
+        if self.datastore.data['watching'][uuid].get('external_header_server') is not None:
             try:
-                resp = requests.get(self.datastore.get_val(uuid, 'external_header_server'))
+                resp = requests.get(self.datastore.data['watching'][uuid].get('external_header_server'))
                 if resp.status_code != 200:
                     raise Exception("External header server returned non-200 response. Please check the URL for the server")
             
+                data = json.loads(resp.text.strip())
                 request_headers.update(resp.json())
 
-            except simplejson.errors.JSONDecodeError:
+            except json.decoder.JSONDecodeError:
                 raise Exception("Failed to decode JSON response from external header server")
-                
+            
         request_headers.update(extra_headers)
 
         # https://github.com/psf/requests/issues/4525