diff --git a/include/udplistener/UDPListener.h b/include/udplistener/UDPListener.h
index 3245b81e..457b603b 100644
--- a/include/udplistener/UDPListener.h
+++ b/include/udplistener/UDPListener.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 // Qt includes
 #include <QUdpSocket>
 #include <QSet>
+#include <QHostAddress>
 
 // Hyperion includes
 #include <hyperion/Hyperion.h>
@@ -33,6 +34,25 @@ public:
 	/// @return the port number on which this UDP listens for incoming connections
 	///
 	uint16_t getPort() const;
+	
+	///
+	/// @return true if server is active (bind to a port)
+	///
+	bool active() { return _isActive; };
+
+public slots:
+	///
+	/// bind server to network
+	///
+	void start();
+	
+	///
+	/// close server
+	///
+	void stop();
+
+signals:
+	void statusChanged(bool isActive);
 
 private slots:
 	///
@@ -41,7 +61,6 @@ private slots:
 	void readPendingDatagrams();
 	void processTheDatagram(const QByteArray * _datagram);
 
-
 private:
 	/// Hyperion instance
 	Hyperion * _hyperion;
@@ -58,9 +77,17 @@ private:
 	/// hyperion priority
 	int _timeout;
 
-        /// The latest led color data
-        std::vector<ColorRgb> _ledColors;
+	/// The latest led color data
+	std::vector<ColorRgb> _ledColors;
 
 	/// Logger instance
 	Logger * _log;
+	
+	/// state of connection
+	bool _isActive;
+	
+	/// address to bind
+	QHostAddress _listenAddress;
+	quint16      _listenPort;
+	QAbstractSocket::BindFlag _bondage;
 };
diff --git a/libsrc/udplistener/UDPListener.cpp b/libsrc/udplistener/UDPListener.cpp
index e613b9e8..70ed4c77 100644
--- a/libsrc/udplistener/UDPListener.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/udplistener/UDPListener.cpp
@@ -18,38 +18,14 @@ UDPListener::UDPListener(const int priority, const int timeout, const std::strin
 	_priority(priority),
 	_timeout(timeout),
 	_ledColors(Hyperion::getInstance()->getLedCount(), ColorRgb::BLACK),
-	_log(Logger::getInstance("UDPLISTENER"))
+	_log(Logger::getInstance("UDPLISTENER")),
+	_isActive(false),
+	_bondage(shared ? QAbstractSocket::ShareAddress : QAbstractSocket::DefaultForPlatform)
 {
 	_server = new QUdpSocket(this);
-
-	QAbstractSocket::BindFlag bondage = QAbstractSocket::DefaultForPlatform;
-	if (shared) {
-		bondage = QAbstractSocket::ShareAddress;
-	}
-	QHostAddress listenAddress = QHostAddress(QHostAddress::Any);
-	QHostAddress mcastGroup;
-
-	if (!address.empty()) {
-		listenAddress = QHostAddress( QString::fromStdString(address) );
-	}
-	if (listenAddress.isInSubnet(QHostAddress::parseSubnet("224.0.0.0/4"))) {
-		mcastGroup = listenAddress;
-		listenAddress = QHostAddress(QHostAddress::AnyIPv4);
-	}
-
-	if (!_server->bind(listenAddress, listenPort, bondage))
-	{
-		Warning(_log, "Could not bind to %s:%d parsed from %s", listenAddress.toString().toStdString().c_str(), listenPort, address.c_str());
-	} else {
-		Info(_log, "Started, listening on %s:%d", listenAddress.toString().toStdString().c_str(), listenPort);
-		if (!mcastGroup.isNull()) {
-			if (_server->joinMulticastGroup(mcastGroup)) {
-				Info(_log, "Multicast listening on %s",mcastGroup.toString().toStdString().c_str());
-			} else {
-				Warning(_log, "Multicast failed for %s", mcastGroup.toString().toStdString().c_str());
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	QHostAddress listenAddress = address.empty() 
+	                           ? QHostAddress::AnyIPv4 
+	                           : QHostAddress( QString::fromStdString(address) );
 
 	// Set trigger for incoming connections
 	connect(_server, SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(readPendingDatagrams()));
@@ -58,9 +34,50 @@ UDPListener::UDPListener(const int priority, const int timeout, const std::strin
 UDPListener::~UDPListener()
 {
 	// clear the current channel
+	stop();
+	delete _server;
 	_hyperion->clear(_priority);
 }
 
+
+void UDPListener::start()
+{
+	if ( active() )
+		return;
+
+	QHostAddress mcastGroup;
+	if (_listenAddress.isInSubnet(QHostAddress::parseSubnet("224.0.0.0/4"))) {
+		mcastGroup = _listenAddress;
+	}
+
+	if (!_server->bind(_listenAddress, _listenPort, _bondage))
+	{
+		Warning(_log, "Could not bind to %s:%d", _listenAddress.toString().toStdString().c_str(), _listenPort);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		Info(_log, "Started, listening on %s:%d", _listenAddress.toString().toStdString().c_str(), _listenPort);
+		if (!mcastGroup.isNull()) {
+			bool joinGroupOK = _server->joinMulticastGroup(_listenAddress);
+			InfoIf   (   joinGroupOK, _log, "Multicast enabled");
+			WarningIf( ! joinGroupOK, _log, "Multicast failed");
+		}
+		_isActive = true;
+		emit statusChanged(_isActive);
+	}
+}
+
+void UDPListener::stop()
+{
+	if ( ! active() )
+		return;
+
+	_server->close();
+	_isActive = false;
+	emit statusChanged(_isActive);
+}
+
+
 uint16_t UDPListener::getPort() const
 {
 	return _server->localPort();
diff --git a/src/hyperiond/hyperiond.cpp b/src/hyperiond/hyperiond.cpp
index 04f57adb..cb2d8364 100644
--- a/src/hyperiond/hyperiond.cpp
+++ b/src/hyperiond/hyperiond.cpp
@@ -245,16 +245,19 @@ void HyperionDaemon::startNetworkServices()
 	if (_config.isMember("udpListener"))
 	{
 		const Json::Value & udpListenerConfig = _config["udpListener"];
+		_udpListener = new UDPListener(
+					udpListenerConfig.get("priority",700).asInt(),
+					udpListenerConfig.get("timeout",10000).asInt(),
+					udpListenerConfig.get("address", "").asString(),
+					udpListenerConfig.get("port", 2801).asUInt(),
+					udpListenerConfig.get("shared", false).asBool()
+				);
+		Info(_log, "UDP listener created on port %d", _udpListener->getPort());
+
 		if ( udpListenerConfig.get("enable", true).asBool() )
 		{
-			_udpListener = new UDPListener(
-						udpListenerConfig.get("priority",700).asInt(),
-						udpListenerConfig.get("timeout",10000).asInt(),
-						udpListenerConfig.get("address", "").asString(),
-						udpListenerConfig.get("port", 2801).asUInt(),
-						udpListenerConfig.get("shared", false).asBool()
-					);
-			Info(_log, "UDP listener created and started on port %d", _udpListener->getPort());
+			Info(_log, "UDP listener started" );
+			_udpListener->start();
 		}
 	}