diff --git a/homeassistant/components/camera/zoneminder.py b/homeassistant/components/camera/zoneminder.py
index 5148ce8b245..be38d468f2d 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/camera/zoneminder.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/camera/zoneminder.py
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ _LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 DEPENDENCIES = ['zoneminder']
 DOMAIN = 'zoneminder'
 
+# From ZoneMinder's web/includes/config.php.in
+ZM_STATE_ALARM = "2"
+
 
 def _get_image_url(hass, monitor, mode):
     zm_data = hass.data[DOMAIN]
@@ -69,10 +72,43 @@ def async_setup_platform(hass, config, async_add_devices, discovery_info=None):
             CONF_MJPEG_URL: _get_image_url(hass, monitor, 'jpeg'),
             CONF_STILL_IMAGE_URL: _get_image_url(hass, monitor, 'single')
         }
-        cameras.append(MjpegCamera(hass, device_info))
+        cameras.append(ZoneMinderCamera(hass, device_info, monitor))
 
     if not cameras:
         _LOGGER.warning('No active cameras found')
         return
 
     async_add_devices(cameras)
+
+
+class ZoneMinderCamera(MjpegCamera):
+    """Representation of a ZoneMinder Monitor Stream."""
+
+    def __init__(self, hass, device_info, monitor):
+        """Initialize as a subclass of MjpegCamera."""
+        super().__init__(hass, device_info)
+        self._monitor_id = int(monitor['Id'])
+        self._is_recording = None
+
+    @property
+    def should_poll(self):
+        """Update the recording state periodically."""
+        return True
+
+    def update(self):
+        """Update our recording state from the ZM API."""
+        _LOGGER.debug('Updating camera state for monitor %i', self._monitor_id)
+        status_response = zoneminder.get_state(
+            'api/monitors/alarm/id:%i/command:status.json' % self._monitor_id
+        )
+        if not status_response:
+            _LOGGER.warning('Could not get status for monitor %i',
+                            self._monitor_id)
+            return
+
+        self._is_recording = status_response['status'] == ZM_STATE_ALARM
+
+    @property
+    def is_recording(self):
+        """Return whether the monitor is in alarm mode."""
+        return self._is_recording