diff --git a/artemis-web/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/component/WebServerComponent.java b/artemis-web/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/component/WebServerComponent.java
index 8453c46335..7a1a42357f 100644
--- a/artemis-web/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/component/WebServerComponent.java
+++ b/artemis-web/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/component/WebServerComponent.java
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class WebServerComponent implements ExternalComponent
 
    public boolean isStarted()
    {
-      return server.isStarted();
+      return server != null && server.isStarted();
    }
 
    private void deployWar(String url, String warURL, String activeMQHome, String path)
diff --git a/artemis-web/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/test/WebServerComponentTest.java b/artemis-web/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/test/WebServerComponentTest.java
index d432d5f2b8..dafd14ecdb 100644
--- a/artemis-web/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/test/WebServerComponentTest.java
+++ b/artemis-web/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/test/WebServerComponentTest.java
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public class WebServerComponentTest extends Assert
       webServerDTO.bind = "http://localhost:8161";
       webServerDTO.path = "webapps";
       WebServerComponent webServerComponent = new WebServerComponent();
+      Assert.assertFalse(webServerComponent.isStarted());
       webServerComponent.configure(webServerDTO, "./src/test/resources/", "./src/test/resources/");
       webServerComponent.start();
       // Make the connection attempt.
@@ -92,7 +93,9 @@ public class WebServerComponentTest extends Assert
       assertEquals(clientHandler.body, "12345");
       // Wait for the server to close the connection.
       ch.close();
+      Assert.assertTrue(webServerComponent.isStarted());
       webServerComponent.stop();
+      Assert.assertFalse(webServerComponent.isStarted());
    }
 
    class ClientHandler extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<HttpObject>