diff --git a/webserver/plugin.jelly b/webserver/plugin.jelly
index 8773d1d1..497da333 100644
--- a/webserver/plugin.jelly
+++ b/webserver/plugin.jelly
@@ -138,9 +138,6 @@
     <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.test.socket') == null}">
       <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.test.socket" />
     </j:if>
-    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.test.url') == null}">
-      <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.test.url" />
-    </j:if>
     <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.root') == null}">
       <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.root" />
     </j:if>
@@ -157,23 +154,6 @@
       propvalue="${maven.webserver.conf.dir}" />
     </j:if>
 
-    <!-- a flag to see if the webserver is started -->
-    <ant:condition property="maven.webserver.started">
-      <ant:and>
-        <ant:socket server="${maven.webserver.host}"
-          port="${maven.webserver.test.socket}" />
-        <ant:http url="${maven.webserver.test.url}" />
-      </ant:and>
-    </ant:condition>
-
-    <!-- a flag to see if the webserver is installed -->
-    <ant:condition property="maven.webserver.installed">
-      <ant:and>
-        <ant:available file="${maven.webserver.root}" type="dir" />
-        <ant:available file="${maven.webserver.dir}" type="dir" />
-      </ant:and>
-    </ant:condition>
-
     <!-- convert all path related properties to their os equivalent -->
     <ant:property name="maven.webserver.home.path"
       location="${maven.webserver.home}" />
@@ -212,6 +192,30 @@
         value="${maven.webserver.root.path}" />
     </ant:filterset>
 
+    <!-- a flag to see if the webserver is started -->
+    <ant:condition property="maven.webserver.started">
+      <ant:and>
+        <ant:socket server="${maven.webserver.host}"
+          port="${maven.webserver.test.socket}" />
+        <!-- only use the test url if defined, else just use the socket -->
+        <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.test.url') != null}">
+          <ant:http url="${maven.webserver.test.url}" />
+        </j:if>
+      </ant:and>
+    </ant:condition>
+
+    <!-- a flag to see if the webserver is installed -->
+    <ant:condition property="maven.webserver.installed">
+      <ant:and>
+        <ant:available file="${maven.webserver.root}" type="dir" />
+        <ant:available file="${maven.webserver.dir}" type="dir" />
+      </ant:and>
+    </ant:condition>
+
+    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.started') == 'true' and context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installed') == 'true'}">
+      <j:set var="maven.webserver.installedAndStarted" value="true" />
+    </j:if>
+
     <j:set var="maven.webserver.installed.msg">
       <j:choose>
         <j:when test="${maven.webserver.installed}">installed</j:when>
@@ -226,13 +230,18 @@
       </j:choose>
     </j:set>
 
-    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.started') == 'true' and context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installed') == 'true'}">
-      <j:set var="maven.webserver.installedandStarted" value="true" />
-    </j:if>
-
+    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.test.url') != null}">
     <log:info trim="false">
 Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserver instance is <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.installed.msg}"/> in directory [ <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.dir}"/> ] and <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.started.msg}"/> on <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.test.url}"/>
     </log:info>
+    </j:if>
+
+    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.test.url') == null}">
+    <log:info trim="false">
+Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserver instance is <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.installed.msg}"/> in directory [ <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.dir}"/> ] and <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.started.msg}"/> using socket <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.port.http}"/> on host <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.host}"/>.
+    </log:info>
+    </j:if>
+
 
     <!-- DEFINE CORE FUNCTIONALITY -->
     <define:taglib uri="http://www.maven.org/plugin/webserver">
@@ -280,10 +289,24 @@ Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserve
       </define:tag>
 
       <define:tag name="stop">
-        <log:info trim="false">
+        <j:choose>
+
+          <j:when test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installedAndStarted') == 'true'}">
+            <log:info trim="false">
 <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}" />: Stopping webserver instance ...
-        </log:info>
-        <attainGoal name="webserver:stop-${maven.webserver.fullname}" />
+            </log:info>
+            <attainGoal name="webserver:stop-${maven.webserver.fullname}" />
+          </j:when>
+
+          <!-- already stopped -->
+          <j:otherwise>
+            <log:info trim="false">
+<j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/>: Already stopped!
+            </log:info>
+          </j:otherwise>
+
+        </j:choose>
+
       </define:tag>
 
     </define:taglib>
@@ -306,11 +329,13 @@ Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserve
       </j:when>
       <!-- installed and stopped -->
       <j:when test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installed') == 'true' and context.getVariable('maven.webserver.started') != 'true'}">
+        <!-- FIXME - another candidate for the attainGoal session attribute -->
         <webserver:reinstall />
       </j:when>
       <!-- installed and started -->
       <j:when test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installedAndStarted') == 'true'}">
         <attain>
+          <!-- FIXME - another candidate for the attainGoal session attribute -->
           <webserver:stop />
           <webserver:reinstall />
           <webserver:start />
@@ -355,11 +380,21 @@ Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserve
     <j:choose>
       <j:when test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installed') != 'true'}">
         <attain>
+          <!-- Use the next line when werkz beta 9 is pushed which should
+          contain a session attribute on the attainGoal tag. Using attainGoal
+          here allows the user to write post and pre goals against the
+          webserver:install goal, the likely spot where they will copy webserver
+          files to the webserver installation -->
+          <!-- <attainGoal
+            session="${context.getVariable('maven.session.global', 'parent')}"
+            name="webserver:install" /> -->
+          <!-- The next line will do until the next werkz is pushed and above line is uncommented-->
           <webserver:install />
           <webserver:start />
         </attain>
       </j:when>
       <j:when test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installedAndStarted') == 'true'}">
+        <!-- FIXME - another candidate for the session attribute on attainGoal -->
         <webserver:restart />
       </j:when>
       <j:when test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installed') == 'true'}">
@@ -384,10 +419,8 @@ Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserve
   <!--==================================================================-->
   <goal name="webserver:stop" prereqs="webserver:init"
     description="Stop a webserver instance if started">
-     <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installedAndStarted') == 'true'}">
-        <webserver:stop />
-     </j:if>
-   </goal>
+    <webserver:stop />
+  </goal>
 
   <!--==================================================================-->
   <!-- C L E A N                                                        -->
@@ -399,7 +432,9 @@ Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserve
 
       <!-- started and installed -->
       <j:when test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.installedAndStarted') == 'true'}">
+        <!-- FIXME - another candidate for attainGoal session -->
         <webserver:stop />
+
         <webserver:clean />
       </j:when>