diff --git a/lib/bleno.js b/lib/bleno.js
index dc3f7fe1..fd1b0a03 100644
--- a/lib/bleno.js
+++ b/lib/bleno.js
@@ -81,42 +81,62 @@ Bleno.prototype.onDisconnect = function(clientAddress) {
 };
 
 Bleno.prototype.startAdvertising = function(name, serviceUuids, callback) {
-  if (callback) {
-    this.once('advertisingStart', callback);
-  }
+  if (this.state !== 'poweredOn') {
+    var error = new Error('Could not start advertising, state is ' + this.state + ' (not poweredOn)');
 
-  var undashedServiceUuids = [];
+    if (typeof callback === 'function') {
+      callback(error);
+    } else {
+      throw error;
+    }
+  } else {
+    if (callback) {
+      this.once('advertisingStart', callback);
+    }
 
-  if (serviceUuids && serviceUuids.length) {
-    for (var i = 0; i < serviceUuids.length; i++) {
-      undashedServiceUuids[i] = UuidUtil.removeDashes(serviceUuids[i]);
+    var undashedServiceUuids = [];
+
+    if (serviceUuids && serviceUuids.length) {
+      for (var i = 0; i < serviceUuids.length; i++) {
+        undashedServiceUuids[i] = UuidUtil.removeDashes(serviceUuids[i]);
+      }
     }
-  }
 
-  this._bindings.startAdvertising(name, undashedServiceUuids);
+    this._bindings.startAdvertising(name, undashedServiceUuids);
+  }
 };
 
 Bleno.prototype.startAdvertisingIBeacon = function(uuid, major, minor, measuredPower, callback) {
-  var undashedUuid =  UuidUtil.removeDashes(uuid);
-  var uuidData = new Buffer(undashedUuid, 'hex');
-  var uuidDataLength = uuidData.length;
-  var iBeaconData = new Buffer(uuidData.length + 5);
+  if (this.state !== 'poweredOn') {
+    var error = new Error('Could not start advertising, state is ' + this.state + ' (not poweredOn)');
 
-  for (var i = 0; i < uuidDataLength; i++) {
-    iBeaconData[i] = uuidData[i];
-  }
+    if (typeof callback === 'function') {
+      callback(error);
+    } else {
+      throw error;
+    }
+  } else {
+    var undashedUuid =  UuidUtil.removeDashes(uuid);
+    var uuidData = new Buffer(undashedUuid, 'hex');
+    var uuidDataLength = uuidData.length;
+    var iBeaconData = new Buffer(uuidData.length + 5);
+
+    for (var i = 0; i < uuidDataLength; i++) {
+      iBeaconData[i] = uuidData[i];
+    }
 
-  iBeaconData.writeUInt16BE(major, uuidDataLength);
-  iBeaconData.writeUInt16BE(minor, uuidDataLength + 2);
-  iBeaconData.writeInt8(measuredPower, uuidDataLength + 4);
+    iBeaconData.writeUInt16BE(major, uuidDataLength);
+    iBeaconData.writeUInt16BE(minor, uuidDataLength + 2);
+    iBeaconData.writeInt8(measuredPower, uuidDataLength + 4);
 
-  if (callback) {
-    this.once('advertisingStart', callback);
-  }
+    if (callback) {
+      this.once('advertisingStart', callback);
+    }
 
-  debug('iBeacon data = ' + iBeaconData.toString('hex'));
+    debug('iBeacon data = ' + iBeaconData.toString('hex'));
 
-  this._bindings.startAdvertisingIBeacon(iBeaconData);
+    this._bindings.startAdvertisingIBeacon(iBeaconData);
+  }
 };
 
 Bleno.prototype.onAdvertisingStart = function(error) {
@@ -132,18 +152,38 @@ Bleno.prototype.onAdvertisingStart = function(error) {
 if (platform === 'linux') {
   // Linux only API
   Bleno.prototype.startAdvertisingWithEIRData = function(advertisementData, scanData, callback) {
-    if (callback) {
-      this.once('advertisingStart', callback);
+    if (this.state !== 'poweredOn') {
+      var error = new Error('Could not advertising scanning, state is ' + this.state + ' (not poweredOn)');
+
+      if (typeof callback === 'function') {
+        callback(error);
+      } else {
+        throw error;
+      }
+    } else {
+      if (callback) {
+        this.once('advertisingStart', callback);
+      }
+      this._bindings.startAdvertisingWithEIRData(advertisementData, scanData);
     }
-    this._bindings.startAdvertisingWithEIRData(advertisementData, scanData);
   };
 } else if (platform === 'darwin' && parseFloat(os.release()) >= 14) {
   // OS X >= 10.10 API
   Bleno.prototype.startAdvertisingWithEIRData = function(advertisementData, callback) {
-    if (callback) {
-      this.once('advertisingStart', callback);
+    if (this.state !== 'poweredOn') {
+      var error = new Error('Could not start advertising, state is ' + this.state + ' (not poweredOn)');
+
+      if (typeof callback === 'function') {
+        callback(error);
+      } else {
+        throw error;
+      }
+    } else {
+      if (callback) {
+        this.once('advertisingStart', callback);
+      }
+      this._bindings.startAdvertisingWithEIRData(advertisementData);
     }
-    this._bindings.startAdvertisingWithEIRData(advertisementData);
   };
 }