diff --git a/include/villas/path.h b/include/villas/path.h
index 654131e2e..abd1dfbc2 100644
--- a/include/villas/path.h
+++ b/include/villas/path.h
@@ -35,9 +35,11 @@ struct path
 {
 	enum {
 		PATH_INVALID,		/**< Path is invalid. */
-		PATH_CREATED,		/**< Path has been created. */
+		PATH_CREATED,		/**< Path has been created: lists initialized */
+		PATH_INITIALIZED,	/**< Path queues, memory pools & hook system initialized. */
 		PATH_RUNNING,		/**< Path is currently running. */
-		PATH_STOPPED		/**< Path has been stopped. */
+		PATH_STOPPED,		/**< Path has been stopped. */
+		PATH_DESTROYED		/**< Path is destroyed. */
 	} state;			/**< Path state */
 	
 	struct node *in;		/**< Pointer to the incoming node */
diff --git a/lib/path.c b/lib/path.c
index ec8e100ba..dde5b0e0e 100644
--- a/lib/path.c
+++ b/lib/path.c
@@ -120,11 +120,11 @@ int path_stop(struct path *p)
 	pthread_cancel(p->recv_tid);
 	pthread_join(p->recv_tid, NULL);
 
-	p->state = PATH_STOPPED;
-
 	if (hook_run(p, NULL, 0, HOOK_PATH_STOP))
 		return -1;
 
+	p->state = PATH_STOPPED;
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -179,6 +179,8 @@ int path_prepare(struct path *p)
 	ret = queue_init(&p->queue, p->queuelen, &memtype_hugepage);
 	if (ret)
 		error("Failed to initialize queue for path");
+	
+	p->state = PATH_INITIALIZED;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -192,6 +194,8 @@ void path_destroy(struct path *p)
 	
 	queue_destroy(&p->queue);
 	pool_destroy(&p->pool);
+	
+	p->state = PATH_DESTROYED;
 
 	free(p->_name);
 }