diff --git a/include/node.h b/include/node.h
index 6806236aa..58fe0938a 100644
--- a/include/node.h
+++ b/include/node.h
@@ -163,6 +163,13 @@ struct node
 	int combine;		/**< Number of messages to send / recv at once (scatter / gather) */
 	int affinity;		/**< CPU Affinity of this node */
 
+	enum node_state {
+		NODE_INVALID,	/**< This node object is not in a valid state. */
+		NODE_CREATED,	/**< This node has been parsed from the configuration. */
+		NODE_RUNNING,	/**< This node has been started by calling node_open() */
+		NODE_STOPPED	/**< Node was running, but has been stopped by calling node_close() */
+	} state;		/**< Node state */
+
 	struct node_type *_vt;	/**< C++ like virtual function call table */
 
 	union {
diff --git a/include/path.h b/include/path.h
index c7b81d60d..7abd5a9b8 100644
--- a/include/path.h
+++ b/include/path.h
@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@
  */
 struct path
 {
+	enum {
+		PATH_INVALID,		/**< */
+		PATH_CREATED,		/**< */
+		PATH_RUNNING,		/**< */
+		PATH_STOPPED		/**< */
+	} state;			/**< Path state */
+	
 	struct node *in;		/**< Pointer to the incoming node */
 	struct node *out;		/**< Pointer to the first outgoing node ( path::out == list_first(path::destinations) */
 	
diff --git a/lib/node.c b/lib/node.c
index cb16c041b..62480ca6e 100644
--- a/lib/node.c
+++ b/lib/node.c
@@ -70,20 +70,33 @@ int node_deinit()
 
 int node_start(struct node *n)
 { INDENT
-	info("Starting node '%s' of type '%s' (%s)", n->name, n->_vt->name, node_print(n));
+	int ret;
 
+	info("Starting node '%s' of type '%s' (%s)", n->name, n->_vt->name, node_print(n));
 	{ INDENT
-		return node_open(n);
+		ret = node_open(n);
 	}
+	
+	if (ret == 0)
+		n->state = NODE_RUNNING;
+	
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int node_stop(struct node *n)
 { INDENT
+	int ret;
+
 	info("Stopping node '%s'", n->name);
 
 	{ INDENT
-		return node_close(n);
+		ret = node_close(n);
 	}
+	
+	if (ret == 0)
+		n->state = NODE_STOPPED;
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 char * node_print(struct node *n)
@@ -106,6 +119,7 @@ struct node * node_create(struct node_type *vt)
 	list_push(&vt->instances, n);
 	
 	n->_vt = vt;
+	n->state = NODE_CREATED;
 	
 	return n;
 }
diff --git a/src/path.c b/src/path.c
index 7658e621c..78ab92e42 100644
--- a/src/path.c
+++ b/src/path.c
@@ -166,8 +166,10 @@ int path_start(struct path *p)
 
 		pthread_create(&p->sent_tid, NULL, &path_run_async, p);
 	}
+	
+	p->state = PATH_RUNNING;
 
-	return  pthread_create(&p->recv_tid, NULL, &path_run,  p);
+	return pthread_create(&p->recv_tid, NULL, &path_run,  p);
 }
 
 int path_stop(struct path *p)
@@ -183,6 +185,8 @@ int path_stop(struct path *p)
 
 		close(p->tfd);
 	}
+	
+	p->state = PATH_STOPPED;
 
 	if (path_run_hook(p, HOOK_PATH_STOP))
 		return -1;
@@ -215,6 +219,8 @@ struct path * path_create()
 		if (h->type & HOOK_INTERNAL)
 			list_push(&p->hooks, memdup(h, sizeof(*h)));
 	}
+	
+	p->state = PATH_CREATED;
 
 	return p;
 }