diff --git a/stopYACY.sh b/stopYACY.sh
index 9d256bcae..557db43b7 100755
--- a/stopYACY.sh
+++ b/stopYACY.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ if [ ! -d "$YACY_DATA_PATH" ]; then
 	exit 2
 fi
 
+if [ ! -f "$YACY_DATA_PATH/yacy.running" ]; then
+	echo "No YaCy server appears to be running on DATA folder at : $YACY_DATA_PATH"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
 (bin/protectedPostApiCall.sh "Steering.html" "shutdown=true" && \
 echo "Please wait until the YaCy daemon process terminates [wget]" && \
 echo "You can monitor this with 'tail -f $YACY_DATA_PATH/LOG/yacy00.log' and 'fuser $YACY_DATA_PATH/LOG/yacy00.log'") || \