diff --git a/include/transport/transport.h b/include/transport/transport.h
index b7bd92ef..c0babb17 100644
--- a/include/transport/transport.h
+++ b/include/transport/transport.h
@@ -107,8 +107,8 @@ namespace Transport {
 
 			/// Connects the Jabber server.
 
-			/// In server mode this function does nothing.
-			void connect();
+			void start();
+			void stop();
 
 			/// Sets disco#info features which are sent as answer to disco#info IQ-get.
 			
diff --git a/spectrum/src/main.cpp b/spectrum/src/main.cpp
index 679ac336..dc513959 100644
--- a/spectrum/src/main.cpp
+++ b/spectrum/src/main.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,5 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	NetworkPluginServer plugin(&transport, &config, &userManager);
 
-	transport.connect();
 	eventLoop.run();
 }
diff --git a/src/networkpluginserver.cpp b/src/networkpluginserver.cpp
index ebbe874d..3ad86e73 100644
--- a/src/networkpluginserver.cpp
+++ b/src/networkpluginserver.cpp
@@ -155,6 +155,11 @@ void NetworkPluginServer::handleNewClientConnection(boost::shared_ptr<Swift::Con
 	client->pongReceived = true;
 	client->connection = c;
 
+	if (m_clients.size() == 0) {
+		// first backend connected, start the server, we're ready.
+		m_component->start();
+	}
+
 	m_clients.push_back(client);
 
 	c->onDisconnected.connect(boost::bind(&NetworkPluginServer::handleSessionFinished, this, client));
diff --git a/src/transport.cpp b/src/transport.cpp
index 3d79ae86..ff128ae0 100644
--- a/src/transport.cpp
+++ b/src/transport.cpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Component::Component(Swift::EventLoop *loop, Config *config, Factory *factory) {
 	m_factories = new BoostNetworkFactories(loop);
 
 	m_reconnectTimer = m_factories->getTimerFactory()->createTimer(1000);
-	m_reconnectTimer->onTick.connect(bind(&Component::connect, this)); 
+	m_reconnectTimer->onTick.connect(bind(&Component::start, this)); 
 
 	if (CONFIG_BOOL(m_config, "service.server_mode")) {
 		m_userRegistry = new MyUserRegistry(this);
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ Component::Component(Swift::EventLoop *loop, Config *config, Factory *factory) {
 			TLSServerContextFactory *f = new OpenSSLServerContextFactory();
 			m_server->addTLSEncryption(f, PKCS12Certificate(CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.cert"), createSafeByteArray(CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.cert_password"))));
 		}
-		m_server->start();
+// 		m_server->start();
 		m_stanzaChannel = m_server->getStanzaChannel();
 		m_iqRouter = m_server->getIQRouter();
 
@@ -152,12 +152,26 @@ void Component::setBuddyFeatures(std::list<std::string> &features) {
 	m_discoInfoResponder->setBuddyFeatures(features);
 }
 
-void Component::connect() {
-	if (!m_component)
-		return;
-	m_reconnectCount++;
-	m_component->connect(CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.server"), CONFIG_INT(m_config, "service.port"));
-	m_reconnectTimer->stop();
+void Component::start() {
+	if (m_component) {
+		m_reconnectCount++;
+		m_component->connect(CONFIG_STRING(m_config, "service.server"), CONFIG_INT(m_config, "service.port"));
+		m_reconnectTimer->stop();
+	}
+	else if (m_server) {
+		m_server->start();
+	}
+}
+
+void Component::stop() {
+	if (m_component) {
+		m_reconnectCount = 0;
+		m_component->disconnect();
+		m_reconnectTimer->stop();
+	}
+	else if (m_server) {
+		m_server->stop();
+	}
 }
 
 void Component::handleConnected() {