diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/Broker.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/Broker.java
index 4cd016b905..a343681b60 100755
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/Broker.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/Broker.java
@@ -197,9 +197,13 @@ public interface Broker extends Region, Service {
     public void processDispatchNotification(MessageDispatchNotification messageDispatchNotification) throws Throwable;
     
     /**
-     * 
      * @return true if the broker is running as a slave
      */
     public boolean isSlaveBroker();
     
+    /**
+     * @return true if the broker has stopped
+     */
+    public boolean isStopped();
+    
 }
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/BrokerFilter.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/BrokerFilter.java
index 38cac4f589..fabc48961b 100755
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/BrokerFilter.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/BrokerFilter.java
@@ -183,5 +183,9 @@ public class BrokerFilter implements Broker {
     public boolean isSlaveBroker(){
         return next.isSlaveBroker();
     }
+    
+    public boolean isStopped(){
+        return next.isStopped();
+    }
 
 }
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/EmptyBroker.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/EmptyBroker.java
index 6c2346fe86..6c6d1d6c7f 100644
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/EmptyBroker.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/EmptyBroker.java
@@ -181,5 +181,9 @@ public class EmptyBroker implements Broker{
     public boolean isSlaveBroker(){
         return false;
     }
+    
+    public boolean isStopped(){
+        return false;
+    }
 
 }
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/ErrorBroker.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/ErrorBroker.java
index fe5ee6d2dd..18097982bc 100644
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/ErrorBroker.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/ErrorBroker.java
@@ -180,5 +180,9 @@ public class ErrorBroker implements Broker {
         throw new IllegalStateException(this.message);
     }
     
+    public boolean isStopped(){
+        return true;
+    }
+    
    
 }
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/MutableBrokerFilter.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/MutableBrokerFilter.java
index d828dc67af..5946ec24c8 100644
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/MutableBrokerFilter.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/MutableBrokerFilter.java
@@ -193,5 +193,9 @@ public class MutableBrokerFilter implements Broker {
     public boolean isSlaveBroker(){
         return getNext().isSlaveBroker();
     }
+    
+    public boolean isStopped(){
+        return getNext().isStopped();
+    }
 
 }
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/region/RegionBroker.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/region/RegionBroker.java
index 1d0d78b5f6..d5946eaca2 100755
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/region/RegionBroker.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/region/RegionBroker.java
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ public class RegionBroker implements Broker {
     private final Region tempQueueRegion;
     private final Region tempTopicRegion;
     private BrokerService brokerService;
+    private boolean stopped = false;
     
     protected final DestinationStatistics destinationStatistics = new DestinationStatistics();
     
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ public class RegionBroker implements Broker {
     }
 
     public void stop() throws Exception {
+        stopped = true;
         ServiceStopper ss = new ServiceStopper();
         ss.stop(queueRegion);
         ss.stop(topicRegion);
@@ -442,6 +444,10 @@ public class RegionBroker implements Broker {
     public boolean isSlaveBroker(){
         return brokerService.isSlave();
     }
+    
+    public boolean isStopped(){
+        return stopped;
+    }
 
     
 
diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/vm/VMTransportFactory.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/vm/VMTransportFactory.java
index e52d0e652f..feb43008fc 100755
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/vm/VMTransportFactory.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/vm/VMTransportFactory.java
@@ -88,8 +88,9 @@ public class VMTransportFactory extends TransportFactory {
             location = new URI("vm://"+host);
         }
         
-        VMTransportServer server = (VMTransportServer) servers.get(host);        
-        if( server == null ) {
+        VMTransportServer server = (VMTransportServer) servers.get(host);   
+        //validate the broker is still active
+        if( !validateBroker(host) || server == null ) {
             BrokerService broker = BrokerRegistry.getInstance().lookup(host);
             if (broker == null) {
                 try {
@@ -112,6 +113,8 @@ public class VMTransportFactory extends TransportFactory {
                 connector.start();
                 connectors.put(host, connector);
             }
+        }else {
+            
         }
 
         VMTransport vmtransport = server.connect();
@@ -171,4 +174,25 @@ public class VMTransportFactory extends TransportFactory {
         this.brokerFactoryHandler = brokerFactoryHandler;
     }
 
+    
+    private boolean validateBroker(String host){
+        boolean result=true;
+        if(brokers.containsKey(host)||servers.containsKey(host)||connectors.containsKey(host)){
+            //check the broker is still in the BrokerRegistry
+            TransportConnector connector=(TransportConnector) connectors.get(host);
+            if(BrokerRegistry.getInstance().lookup(host)==null||(connector!=null&&connector.getBroker().isStopped())){
+                result=false;
+                //clean-up
+                brokers.remove(host);
+                servers.remove(host);
+                if(connector!=null){
+                    connectors.remove(host);
+                    if(connector!=null){
+                        ServiceSupport.dispose(connector);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
 }