diff --git a/minode/main.py b/minode/main.py
index f6dcee0..c5985ad 100644
--- a/minode/main.py
+++ b/minode/main.py
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ def main():
             tor = None
         else:
             if not tor.start_tor_service():
-                logging.warning('Failed to start tor service.')
+                logging.warning('The tor service has hot started.')
                 tor = None
         if not tor:
             try:
diff --git a/minode/tor.py b/minode/tor.py
index 96f10fa..e42d33c 100644
--- a/minode/tor.py
+++ b/minode/tor.py
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ def start_tor_service():
                 init_msg_handler=logwrite)
         except OSError:
             if not attempt:
+                if not shared.listen_for_connections:
+                    return
                 try:
                     stem.version.get_system_tor_version()
                 except IOError: