diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/TorControl/TorManager.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/TorControl/TorManager.cpp
index b7b14e5dc..33d4eb4c8 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/TorControl/TorManager.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/TorControl/TorManager.cpp
@@ -161,18 +161,6 @@ bool TorManager::setupHiddenService()
 		std::cerr << "legacy dir not set! Cannot proceed." << std::endl;
 		return false ;
 	}
-//    if (!keyData.isEmpty())
-//    {
-//        CryptoKey key;
-//        if (!key.loadFromData(QByteArray::fromBase64(keyData.toLatin1()), CryptoKey::PrivateKey, CryptoKey::DER))
-//        {
-//            qWarning() << "Cannot load service key from configuration";
-//            return;
-//        }
-//
-//        mHiddenService = new Tor::HiddenService(key, legacyDir, this);
-//    }
-//    else
 
 	std::cerr << "Using legacy dir: " << legacyDir.toStdString() << std::endl;
 
@@ -193,11 +181,6 @@ bool TorManager::setupHiddenService()
 		std::cerr << "Got key from legacy dir: " << std::endl;
 		std::cerr << keyData.toStdString() << std::endl;
     }
-//    else if (!m_settings->read("initializing").toBool())
-//    {
-//        qWarning() << "Missing private key for initialized identity";
-//        return;
-//    }
     else
     {
         d->hiddenService = new Tor::HiddenService(legacyDir, this);
@@ -235,7 +218,7 @@ bool TorManager::setupHiddenService()
 	return true ;
 }
 
-void hiddenServiceStatusChanged(int old_status,int new_status)
+void TorManager::hiddenServiceStatusChanged(int old_status,int new_status)
 {
 	std::cerr << "Hidden service status changed from " << old_status << " to " << new_status << std::endl;
 }
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/TorControl/TorManager.h b/retroshare-gui/src/TorControl/TorManager.h
index 254306779..c9b013be1 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/TorControl/TorManager.h
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/TorControl/TorManager.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ public slots:
 
 private slots:
 	void hiddenServicePrivateKeyChanged();
+	void hiddenServiceStatusChanged(int old_status,int new_status);
 
 signals:
     void configurationNeededChanged();
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
index e8b33b1d5..40ef5a1aa 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget* parent, Qt::WindowFlags flags)
 		statusBar()->addWidget(dhtstatus);
 		dhtstatus->getDHTStatus();
 	}
-	
+
     hashingstatus = new HashingStatus();
     hashingstatus->setVisible(Settings->valueFromGroup("StatusBar", "ShowHashing", QVariant(true)).toBool());
     statusBar()->addPermanentWidget(hashingstatus, 1);
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/statusbar/torstatus.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/statusbar/torstatus.cpp
index 5b541a70b..bb5aefab1 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/statusbar/torstatus.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/statusbar/torstatus.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,28 @@ void TorStatus::getTorStatus()
 	statusTor->setVisible(!_compactMode);
 	QString text = _compactMode?statusTor->text():"";
 
+	/* check local network state. We cannot make sure that Tor is running yet. */
+	uint32_t netState = rsConfig -> getNetState();
+	bool online ;
+
+	switch(netState)
+	{
+		default:
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_BAD_UNKNOWN:
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_BAD_OFFLINE: online = false ;
+										 break ;
+
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_WARNING_RESTART:
+
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_BAD_NATSYM:
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_BAD_NODHT_NAT:
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_WARNING_NATTED:
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_WARNING_NODHT:
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_GOOD:
+		case RSNET_NETSTATE_ADV_FORWARD: online = true ;
+										 break ;
+	}
+
 	/* now the extra bit .... switch on check boxes */
 
 	int S = QFontMetricsF(torstatusLabel->font()).height();
@@ -70,15 +92,16 @@ void TorStatus::getTorStatus()
 	int torstatus = Tor::TorManager::instance()->control()->torStatus();
 
 	QString tor_control_status_str,torstatus_str ;
+	bool tor_control_ok ;
 
 	switch(tor_control_status)
 	{
 	default:
-	case Tor::TorControl::Error :			tor_control_status_str = "Error" ; break ;
-	case Tor::TorControl::NotConnected:		tor_control_status_str = "Not connected" ; break ;
-	case Tor::TorControl::Connecting:		tor_control_status_str = "Connecting" ; break ;
-	case Tor::TorControl::Authenticating:	tor_control_status_str = "Authenticating" ; break ;
-	case Tor::TorControl::Connected:		tor_control_status_str = "Connected" ; break ;
+	case Tor::TorControl::Error :			tor_control_ok = false ; tor_control_status_str = "Error" ; break ;
+	case Tor::TorControl::NotConnected:		tor_control_ok = false ; tor_control_status_str = "Not connected" ; break ;
+	case Tor::TorControl::Connecting:		tor_control_ok = false ; tor_control_status_str = "Connecting" ; break ;
+	case Tor::TorControl::Authenticating:	tor_control_ok = false ; tor_control_status_str = "Authenticating" ; break ;
+	case Tor::TorControl::Connected:		tor_control_ok = true  ; tor_control_status_str = "Connected" ; break ;
 	}
 
 	switch(torstatus)
@@ -91,13 +114,15 @@ void TorStatus::getTorStatus()
 
 #define MIN_RS_NET_SIZE		10
 
-	if(torstatus == Tor::TorControl::TorOffline)
+	std::cerr << "(II) tor status: net=" << netState << " tor_control= " << tor_control_status << " tor_status=" << torstatus << std::endl;
+
+	if(torstatus == Tor::TorControl::TorOffline || !online || !tor_control_ok)
 	{
 		// RED - some issue.
 		torstatusLabel->setPixmap(QPixmap(":/icons/tor-stopping.png").scaledToHeight(1.5*S,Qt::SmoothTransformation));
 		torstatusLabel->setToolTip( text + tr("Tor is currently offline"));
 	}
-	else if(torstatus == Tor::TorControl::TorReady)
+	else if(torstatus == Tor::TorControl::TorReady && online && tor_control_ok)
 	{
 		torstatusLabel->setPixmap(QPixmap(":/icons/tor-on.png").scaledToHeight(1.5*S,Qt::SmoothTransformation));
 		torstatusLabel->setToolTip( text + tr("Tor is OK"));