diff --git a/include/villas/node.h b/include/villas/node.h
index 8f166b2e9..e7d34eac3 100644
--- a/include/villas/node.h
+++ b/include/villas/node.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 struct node {
 	char *name;		/**< A short identifier of the node, only used for configuration and logging */
+	int enabled;
 
 	enum state state;
 
@@ -198,6 +199,8 @@ struct node_type * node_type(struct node *n)
 struct memory_type * node_memory_type(struct node *n, struct memory_type *parent);
 
 int node_is_valid_name(const char *name);
+bool node_is_enabled(const struct node *n);
+
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/lib/node.c b/lib/node.c
index b49c01eb3..f9752f903 100644
--- a/lib/node.c
+++ b/lib/node.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ int node_init(struct node *n, struct node_type *vt)
 	n->name = NULL;
 	n->_name = NULL;
 	n->_name_long = NULL;
+	n->enabled = 1;
 
 #ifdef __linux__
 	n->fwmark = -1;
@@ -113,8 +114,9 @@ int node_parse(struct node *n, json_t *json, const char *name)
 
 	n->name = strdup(name);
 
-	ret = json_unpack_ex(json, &err, 0, "{ s: s, s?: { s?: o } }",
+	ret = json_unpack_ex(json, &err, 0, "{ s: s, s?: b, s?: { s?: o } }",
 		"type", &type,
+		"enabled", &n->enabled,
 		"in",
 			"signals", &json_signals
 	);
@@ -603,4 +605,9 @@ int node_is_valid_name(const char *name)
 	}
 
 	return 0;
+bool node_is_enabled(const struct node *n)
+{
+	return n->enabled;
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/lib/path.c b/lib/path.c
index 9f1288bb3..ddaf6926a 100644
--- a/lib/path.c
+++ b/lib/path.c
@@ -375,6 +375,9 @@ int path_parse(struct path *p, json_t *cfg, struct vlist *nodes)
 			vlist_push(&p->sources, ps);
 		}
 
+		if (!node_is_enabled(ps->node))
+			error("Source %s of path %s is not enabled", node_name(ps->node), path_name(p));
+
 		vlist_push(&ps->mappings, me);
 	}
 
@@ -385,6 +388,9 @@ int path_parse(struct path *p, json_t *cfg, struct vlist *nodes)
 
 		pd->node = n;
 
+		if (!node_is_enabled(pd->node))
+			error("Destination %s of path %s is not enabled", node_name(pd->node), path_name(p));
+
 		vlist_push(&p->destinations, pd);
 	}