diff --git a/agent/checks/alias.go b/agent/checks/alias.go
index 3ee7d62171..1b02842d93 100644
--- a/agent/checks/alias.go
+++ b/agent/checks/alias.go
@@ -25,9 +25,10 @@ type CheckAlias struct {
 	Node      string // Node name of the service. If empty, assumed to be this node.
 	ServiceID string // ID (not name) of the service to alias
 
-	CheckID types.CheckID // ID of this check
-	RPC     RPC           // Used to query remote server if necessary
-	Notify  CheckNotifier // For updating the check state
+	CheckID types.CheckID               // ID of this check
+	RPC     RPC                         // Used to query remote server if necessary
+	RPCReq  structs.NodeSpecificRequest // Base request
+	Notify  CheckNotifier               // For updating the check state
 
 	stop     bool
 	stopCh   chan struct{}
@@ -55,7 +56,8 @@ func (c *CheckAlias) Stop() {
 
 // run is invoked in a goroutine until Stop() is called.
 func (c *CheckAlias) run(stopCh chan struct{}) {
-	args := structs.NodeSpecificRequest{Node: c.Node}
+	args := c.RPCReq
+	args.Node = c.Node
 	args.AllowStale = true
 	args.MaxQueryTime = 1 * time.Minute
 
@@ -112,7 +114,12 @@ func (c *CheckAlias) run(stopCh chan struct{}) {
 			msg = "No checks found."
 		}
 		for _, chk := range out.HealthChecks {
-			if chk.ServiceID != c.ServiceID || chk.Node != c.Node {
+			if chk.Node != c.Node {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// We allow ServiceID == "" so that we also check node checks
+			if chk.ServiceID != "" && chk.ServiceID != c.ServiceID {
 				continue
 			}
 
diff --git a/agent/checks/alias_test.go b/agent/checks/alias_test.go
index 27f089bb57..431cf116a3 100644
--- a/agent/checks/alias_test.go
+++ b/agent/checks/alias_test.go
@@ -67,6 +67,55 @@ func TestCheckAlias_remoteNoChecks(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// If the node is critical then the check is critical
+func TestCheckAlias_remoteNodeFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	notify := mock.NewNotify()
+	chkID := types.CheckID("foo")
+	rpc := &mockRPC{}
+	chk := &CheckAlias{
+		Node:      "remote",
+		ServiceID: "web",
+		CheckID:   chkID,
+		Notify:    notify,
+		RPC:       rpc,
+	}
+
+	rpc.Reply.Store(structs.IndexedHealthChecks{
+		HealthChecks: []*structs.HealthCheck{
+			// Should ignore non-matching node
+			&structs.HealthCheck{
+				Node:      "A",
+				ServiceID: "web",
+				Status:    api.HealthCritical,
+			},
+
+			// Node failure
+			&structs.HealthCheck{
+				Node:      "remote",
+				ServiceID: "",
+				Status:    api.HealthCritical,
+			},
+
+			// Match
+			&structs.HealthCheck{
+				Node:      "remote",
+				ServiceID: "web",
+				Status:    api.HealthPassing,
+			},
+		},
+	})
+
+	chk.Start()
+	defer chk.Stop()
+	retry.Run(t, func(r *retry.R) {
+		if got, want := notify.State(chkID), api.HealthCritical; got != want {
+			r.Fatalf("got state %q want %q", got, want)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
 // Only passing should result in passing
 func TestCheckAlias_remotePassing(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()