diff --git a/server/include/node.h b/server/include/node.h
index 6806236aa..58fe0938a 100644
--- a/server/include/node.h
+++ b/server/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/server/include/path.h b/server/include/path.h
index c7b81d60d..7abd5a9b8 100644
--- a/server/include/path.h
+++ b/server/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) */