The present method for advanced fail-over packet label swapping for a packet network having a working path and a protection path, each of the working path and protection path interconnected by a near-end switch and a far-end switch includes: provisioning the working path, protection path, near-end switch, and far-end switch with a failure counter delay; monitoring heartbeat packets on one of the near-end switch and the far-end switch during a monitoring period to determine a number of packets that were not received by at least one of the switches during the monitoring period; determining if the determined number of packets exceeds a predetermined lost packet value for the failure counter delay; and responsive to the determined number of packets exceeding the predetermined lost packet value, delaying the monitoring for a period of time equal to the failure counter delay.