diff --git a/include/maxscale/service.h b/include/maxscale/service.h
index fb0d29c78..37670a5ad 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/service.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/service.h
@@ -242,6 +242,26 @@ SERVICE* service_find(const char *name);
 // TODO: Change binlogrouter to use the functions in config_runtime.h
 void serviceAddBackend(SERVICE *service, SERVER *server);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Check if a service uses a server
+ * @param service Service to check
+ * @param server Server being used
+ * @return True if service uses the server
+ */
+bool serviceHasBackend(SERVICE *service, SERVER *server);
+
+/**
+ * @brief Check if a service has a listener
+ *
+ * @param service Service to check
+ * @param protocol Listener protocol
+ * @param address Listener address
+ * @param port Listener port
+ * @return True if service has the listener
+ */
+bool serviceHasListener(SERVICE *service, const char *protocol,
+                        const char* address, unsigned short port);
+
 int   serviceGetUser(SERVICE *service, char **user, char **auth);
 int   serviceSetUser(SERVICE *service, char *user, char *auth);
 bool  serviceSetFilters(SERVICE *service, char *filters);
diff --git a/server/core/config.c b/server/core/config.c
index 2e9009889..5ef1b9ca9 100644
--- a/server/core/config.c
+++ b/server/core/config.c
@@ -3110,7 +3110,7 @@ int create_new_listener(CONFIG_CONTEXT *obj)
             SSL_LISTENER *ssl_info = make_ssl_structure(obj, true, &error_count);
             if (socket)
             {
-                if (serviceHasProtocol(service, protocol, address, 0))
+                if (serviceHasListener(service, protocol, address, 0))
                 {
                     MXS_ERROR("Listener '%s' for service '%s' already has a socket at '%s.",
                               obj->object, service_name, socket);
@@ -3125,7 +3125,7 @@ int create_new_listener(CONFIG_CONTEXT *obj)
 
             if (port)
             {
-                if (serviceHasProtocol(service, protocol, address, atoi(port)))
+                if (serviceHasListener(service, protocol, address, atoi(port)))
                 {
                     MXS_ERROR("Listener '%s', for service '%s', already have port %s.",
                               obj->object,
diff --git a/server/core/config_runtime.c b/server/core/config_runtime.c
index c5900990a..bc02b1dac 100644
--- a/server/core/config_runtime.c
+++ b/server/core/config_runtime.c
@@ -396,8 +396,6 @@ bool runtime_create_listener(SERVICE *service, const char *name, const char *add
                              const char *ssl_cert, const char *ssl_ca,
                              const char *ssl_version, const char *ssl_depth)
 {
-    SSL_LISTENER *ssl = NULL;
-    bool rval = true;
 
     if (addr == NULL || strcasecmp(addr, "default") == 0)
     {
@@ -426,34 +424,42 @@ bool runtime_create_listener(SERVICE *service, const char *name, const char *add
 
     unsigned short u_port = atoi(port);
 
-    if (ssl_key && ssl_cert && ssl_ca)
-    {
-        ssl = create_ssl(name, ssl_key, ssl_cert, ssl_ca, ssl_version, ssl_depth);
-
-        if (ssl == NULL)
-        {
-            MXS_ERROR("SSL initialization for listener '%s' failed.", name);
-            rval = false;
-        }
-    }
-
     spinlock_acquire(&crt_lock);
 
-    if (rval)
-    {
-        const char *print_addr = addr ? addr : "0.0.0.0";
-        SERV_LISTENER *listener = serviceCreateListener(service, name, proto, addr,
-                                                        u_port, auth, auth_opt, ssl);
+    SSL_LISTENER *ssl = NULL;
+    bool rval = false;
 
-        if (listener && listener_serialize(listener) && serviceLaunchListener(service, listener))
+    if (!serviceHasListener(service, proto, addr, u_port))
+    {
+        rval = true;
+
+        if (ssl_key && ssl_cert && ssl_ca)
         {
-            MXS_NOTICE("Listener '%s' at %s:%s for service '%s' created",
-                       name, print_addr, port, service->name);
+            ssl = create_ssl(name, ssl_key, ssl_cert, ssl_ca, ssl_version, ssl_depth);
+
+            if (ssl == NULL)
+            {
+                MXS_ERROR("SSL initialization for listener '%s' failed.", name);
+                rval = false;
+            }
         }
-        else
+
+        if (rval)
         {
-            MXS_ERROR("Failed to start listener '%s' at %s:%s.", name, print_addr, port);
-            rval = false;
+            const char *print_addr = addr ? addr : "0.0.0.0";
+            SERV_LISTENER *listener = serviceCreateListener(service, name, proto, addr,
+                                                            u_port, auth, auth_opt, ssl);
+
+            if (listener && listener_serialize(listener) && serviceLaunchListener(service, listener))
+            {
+                MXS_NOTICE("Listener '%s' at %s:%s for service '%s' created",
+                           name, print_addr, port, service->name);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                MXS_ERROR("Failed to start listener '%s' at %s:%s.", name, print_addr, port);
+                rval = false;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -514,16 +520,20 @@ bool runtime_create_monitor(const char *name, const char *module)
 {
     spinlock_acquire(&crt_lock);
     bool rval = false;
-    MONITOR *monitor = monitor_alloc((char*)name, (char*)module);
 
-    if (monitor)
+    if (monitor_find(name) == NULL)
     {
-        /** Mark that this monitor was created after MaxScale was started */
-        monitor->created_online = true;
+        MONITOR *monitor = monitor_alloc((char*)name, (char*)module);
 
-        if (monitor_serialize(monitor))
+        if (monitor)
         {
-            rval = true;
+            /** Mark that this monitor was created after MaxScale was started */
+            monitor->created_online = true;
+
+            if (monitor_serialize(monitor))
+            {
+                rval = true;
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/server/core/maxscale/service.h b/server/core/maxscale/service.h
index aa17a1e22..ada5c7c7c 100644
--- a/server/core/maxscale/service.h
+++ b/server/core/maxscale/service.h
@@ -68,10 +68,8 @@ SERV_LISTENER* serviceCreateListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name,
                                      const char *protocol, const char *address,
                                      unsigned short port, const char *authenticator,
                                      const char *options, SSL_LISTENER *ssl);
-int  serviceHasProtocol(SERVICE *service, const char *protocol,
-                        const char* address, unsigned short port);
+
 void serviceRemoveBackend(SERVICE *service, const SERVER *server);
-bool serviceHasBackend(SERVICE *service, SERVER *server);
 
 /**
  * @brief Serialize a service to a file
diff --git a/server/core/service.c b/server/core/service.c
index 310fd712f..e34efc7c0 100644
--- a/server/core/service.c
+++ b/server/core/service.c
@@ -708,9 +708,9 @@ SERV_LISTENER* serviceCreateListener(SERVICE *service, const char *name, const c
  * @param protocol      The name of the protocol module
  * @param address       The address to listen on
  * @param port          The port to listen on
- * @return      TRUE if the protocol/port is already part of the service
+ * @return      True if the protocol/port is already part of the service
  */
-int serviceHasProtocol(SERVICE *service, const char *protocol,
+bool serviceHasListener(SERVICE *service, const char *protocol,
                        const char* address, unsigned short port)
 {
     SERV_LISTENER *proto;
diff --git a/server/core/test/testservice.c b/server/core/test/testservice.c
index 22eac3876..c9aa88d9d 100644
--- a/server/core/test/testservice.c
+++ b/server/core/test/testservice.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ test1()
     ss_info_dassert(serviceCreateListener(service, "TestProtocol", "testprotocol",
                                           "localhost", 9876, "MySQLAuth", NULL, NULL),
                     "Add Protocol should succeed");
-    ss_info_dassert(0 != serviceHasProtocol(service, "testprotocol", "localhost", 9876),
+    ss_info_dassert(0 != serviceHasListener(service, "testprotocol", "localhost", 9876),
                     "Service should have new protocol as requested");
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c b/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
index bdddbd68e..d64573b6e 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/debugcli/debugcmd.c
@@ -1085,7 +1085,11 @@ static void createListener(DCB *dcb, SERVICE *service, char *name, char *address
 
 static void createMonitor(DCB *dcb, const char *name, const char *module)
 {
-    if (runtime_create_monitor(name, module))
+    if (monitor_find(name))
+    {
+        dcb_printf(dcb, "Monitor '%s' already exists\n", name);
+    }
+    else if (runtime_create_monitor(name, module))
     {
         dcb_printf(dcb, "Created monitor '%s'\n", name);
     }