diff --git a/internal/checkdefaults/defaults.go b/internal/checkdefaults/defaults.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8c4b72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/checkdefaults/defaults.go
@@ -0,0 +1,204 @@
+package checkdefaults
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5"
+)
+
+type CheckDef struct {
+	Kind       string
+	Script     string
+	Host       string
+	User       string
+	Port       int
+	Thresholds map[string]any
+	Extra      map[string]any
+}
+
+func ResolveHost(attrs map[string]any) string {
+	if ip, ok := attrs["lan_ip"].(string); ok && ip != "" {
+		return ip
+	}
+	if mesh, ok := attrs["mesh"].(map[string]any); ok {
+		if nb, ok := mesh["netbird"].(map[string]any); ok {
+			if ip, ok := nb["ip"].(string); ok && ip != "" {
+				return ip
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if ip, ok := attrs["mesh_ip"].(string); ok && ip != "" {
+		return ip
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+func resolveSSHUser(attrs map[string]any) string {
+	if ssh, ok := attrs["ssh"].(map[string]any); ok {
+		if u, ok := ssh["user"].(string); ok && u != "" {
+			return u
+		}
+	}
+	return "root"
+}
+
+func resolveSSHPort(attrs map[string]any) int {
+	if ssh, ok := attrs["ssh"].(map[string]any); ok {
+		switch p := ssh["port"].(type) {
+		case float64:
+			return int(p)
+		case int:
+			return p
+		}
+	}
+	return 22
+}
+
+func ForEntityType(entityType string, attrs map[string]any) []CheckDef {
+	host := ResolveHost(attrs)
+	user := resolveSSHUser(attrs)
+	port := resolveSSHPort(attrs)
+
+	ssh := func(script string) CheckDef {
+		return CheckDef{Kind: "ssh-script", Script: script, Host: host, User: user, Port: port}
+	}
+
+	switch entityType {
+	case "proxmox-host", "standalone-server":
+		if host == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return []CheckDef{
+			{Kind: "ping", Host: host},
+			ssh("cpu_check.sh"),
+			ssh("memory_check.sh"),
+			ssh("load_check.sh"),
+			ssh("disk_usage_check.sh"),
+			ssh("updates_check.sh"),
+		}
+	case "workstation":
+		if host == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return []CheckDef{
+			{Kind: "ping", Host: host},
+			ssh("cpu_check.sh"),
+			ssh("memory_check.sh"),
+			ssh("load_check.sh"),
+		}
+	case "lxc":
+		if host == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return []CheckDef{
+			ssh("cpu_check.sh"),
+			ssh("memory_check.sh"),
+			ssh("load_check.sh"),
+			ssh("disk_usage_check.sh"),
+		}
+	case "vm":
+		if host == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return []CheckDef{
+			{Kind: "ping", Host: host},
+		}
+	case "service":
+		if host == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		n, _ := attrs["name"].(string)
+		if n == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return []CheckDef{
+			{Kind: "ssh-script", Script: "process_check.sh", Host: host, User: user, Port: port,
+				Extra: map[string]any{"args": n}},
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func ShortSlug(slug string) string {
+	const n = 8
+	if len(slug) > n {
+		return slug[len(slug)-n:]
+	}
+	return slug
+}
+
+func DefaultInterval(kind string) int32 {
+	switch kind {
+	case "ping":
+		return 30
+	case "ssh-script":
+		return 60
+	default:
+		return 300
+	}
+}
+
+func Ensure(ctx context.Context, tx pgx.Tx, entityID uuid.UUID, slug, entityType string, attrsJSON []byte) {
+	_, _ = tx.Exec(ctx,
+		`INSERT INTO entity_status (entity_id, health, updated_at)
+		 VALUES ($1, 'unknown', now())
+		 ON CONFLICT (entity_id) DO NOTHING`,
+		entityID)
+
+	var attrs map[string]any
+	if len(attrsJSON) > 0 {
+		json.Unmarshal(attrsJSON, &attrs)
+	}
+	if attrs == nil {
+		attrs = map[string]any{}
+	}
+
+	defs := ForEntityType(entityType, attrs)
+	if len(defs) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
+	for i, def := range defs {
+		checkID, err := uuid.NewV7()
+		if err != nil {
+			checkID = uuid.New()
+		}
+		checkSlug := fmt.Sprintf("check:%s:%s:%d", def.Kind, ShortSlug(slug), i)
+
+		_, _ = tx.Exec(ctx,
+			`INSERT INTO entities (id, slug, type, name, state, attributes, version, created_at, updated_at)
+			 VALUES ($1, $2, 'check', $2, 'active', '{}', 1, now(), now())
+			 ON CONFLICT (slug) DO NOTHING`,
+			checkID, checkSlug)
+
+		configMap := map[string]any{}
+		if def.Script != "" {
+			configMap["script"] = def.Script
+		}
+		if def.Host != "" {
+			configMap["host"] = def.Host
+		}
+		if def.User != "" && def.User != "root" {
+			configMap["user"] = def.User
+		}
+		if def.Port != 0 && def.Port != 22 {
+			configMap["port"] = def.Port
+		}
+		if def.Thresholds != nil {
+			configMap["thresholds"] = def.Thresholds
+		}
+		for k, v := range def.Extra {
+			configMap[k] = v
+		}
+		configJSON, _ := json.Marshal(configMap)
+
+		_, _ = tx.Exec(ctx,
+			`INSERT INTO check_defs (entity_id, kind, config, interval_s, timeout_s, enabled)
+			 VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4, 30, true)
+			 ON CONFLICT (entity_id) DO NOTHING`,
+			checkID, def.Kind, configJSON, DefaultInterval(def.Kind))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/db/seed.go b/internal/db/seed.go
index 5aead93..e93a1d6 100644
--- a/internal/db/seed.go
+++ b/internal/db/seed.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/dtoro/oikos/internal/checkdefaults"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5"
 )
@@ -143,6 +144,8 @@ func IngestInventorySeed(ctx context.Context, tx pgx.Tx, data map[string]any) (*
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("entity_status %s: %w", slug, err)
 		}
 
+		checkdefaults.Ensure(ctx, tx, entityID, slug, typeName, attrsBytes)
+
 		r.Entities++
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/httpapi/default_checks.go b/internal/httpapi/default_checks.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ff6f7fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/httpapi/default_checks.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package httpapi
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/dtoro/oikos/internal/checkdefaults"
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5"
+)
+
+func ensureDefaultChecks(ctx context.Context, tx pgx.Tx, entityID uuid.UUID, slug, entityType string, attrsJSON []byte) {
+	checkdefaults.Ensure(ctx, tx, entityID, slug, entityType, attrsJSON)
+}
diff --git a/internal/httpapi/impl.go b/internal/httpapi/impl.go
index 3903819..b4e3c15 100644
--- a/internal/httpapi/impl.go
+++ b/internal/httpapi/impl.go
@@ -955,6 +955,8 @@ func (s *Server) CreateEntity(ctx context.Context, req gen.CreateEntityRequestOb
 		return nil, eventErr
 	}
 
+	ensureDefaultChecks(ctx, tx, inserted.ID, slug, req.Body.Type, attrsJSON)
+
 	if err := tx.Commit(ctx); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1219,6 +1221,8 @@ func (s *Server) EnrollClient(ctx context.Context, req gen.EnrollClientRequestOb
 		"info", "oikos-api", "",
 		map[string]any{"slug": req.Body.Slug, "type": current.Type})
 
+	ensureDefaultChecks(ctx, tx, id, req.Body.Slug, current.Type, attrsJSON)
+
 	if err := tx.Commit(ctx); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}