diff --git a/include/Ntop.h b/include/Ntop.h
index ddec59d7b1..de1b3e637e 100644
--- a/include/Ntop.h
+++ b/include/Ntop.h
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ class Ntop {
   FifoStringsQueue *sqlite_alerts_queue, *alerts_notifications_queue;
   FifoSerializerQueue *internal_alerts_queue;
 #ifndef WIN32
-  ContinuousPing cping;
+  ContinuousPing *cping;
 #endif
   
 #ifdef __linux__
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ class Ntop {
   ndpi_protocol_category_t get_ndpi_proto_category(u_int protoid);
   void setnDPIProtocolCategory(u_int16_t protoId, ndpi_protocol_category_t protoCategory);
   inline void reloadPeriodicScripts() { if(pa) pa->reloadVMs(); };
-  inline ContinuousPing* getContinuousPing() { return(&cping); }
+  inline ContinuousPing* getContinuousPing() { return(cping); }
 };
 
 extern Ntop *ntop;
diff --git a/src/ContinuousPing.cpp b/src/ContinuousPing.cpp
index 55f6c621d6..3b5a7798ff 100644
--- a/src/ContinuousPing.cpp
+++ b/src/ContinuousPing.cpp
@@ -182,6 +182,11 @@ void ContinuousPing::collectResponses(lua_State* vm) {
 /* ***************************************** */
 
 void ContinuousPing::runPingCampaign() {
+  if(!ntop->isStarted()) {
+    sleep(1);
+    return;
+  }
+  
   try {
     Ping *pinger = new Ping();
 
diff --git a/src/LuaEngineNtop.cpp.inc b/src/LuaEngineNtop.cpp.inc
index a1e2c0f2c0..56b8e98f21 100644
--- a/src/LuaEngineNtop.cpp.inc
+++ b/src/LuaEngineNtop.cpp.inc
@@ -1533,7 +1533,14 @@ static int ntop_ping_host(lua_State* vm) {
     getLuaVMUservalue(vm, ping)->ping(host, is_v6);
   } else {
     /* This is a continuous ping */
-    ntop->getContinuousPing()->ping(host, is_v6);
+    ContinuousPing *c = ntop->getContinuousPing();
+    
+    if(c)
+      c->ping(host, is_v6);
+    else {
+      lua_pushnil(vm);
+      return(CONST_LUA_PARAM_ERROR);
+    }
   }
   
   return(CONST_LUA_OK);
diff --git a/src/Ntop.cpp b/src/Ntop.cpp
index 7f87043283..58e4fc21b5 100644
--- a/src/Ntop.cpp
+++ b/src/Ntop.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ Ntop::Ntop(char *appName) {
   malicious_ja3 = malicious_ja3_shadow = NULL;
   new_malicious_ja3 = new std::set<std::string>();
   system_interface = NULL;
-
+  cping = NULL;
+  
   /* nDPI handling */
   last_ndpi_reload = 0;
   ndpi_struct_shadow = NULL;
@@ -253,7 +254,8 @@ Ntop::~Ntop() {
   if(system_interface)    delete system_interface;
   if(extract)             delete extract;
 
-  if(udp_socket != -1) closesocket(udp_socket);
+  if(cping)               delete cping;
+  if(udp_socket != -1)    closesocket(udp_socket);
 
   if(trackers_automa)     ndpi_free_automa(trackers_automa);
   if(custom_ndpi_protos)  free(custom_ndpi_protos);