diff --git a/jetty-websocket/websocket-javax-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/javax/server/config/JavaxWebSocketServletContainerInitializer.java b/jetty-websocket/websocket-javax-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/javax/server/config/JavaxWebSocketServletContainerInitializer.java
index af4cca34fe31..576fd96ad288 100644
--- a/jetty-websocket/websocket-javax-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/javax/server/config/JavaxWebSocketServletContainerInitializer.java
+++ b/jetty-websocket/websocket-javax-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/javax/server/config/JavaxWebSocketServletContainerInitializer.java
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ public interface Configurator
      */
     public static void configure(ServletContextHandler context, Configurator configurator)
     {
+        if (!context.isStopped())
+            throw new IllegalStateException("configure should be called before starting");
+
         // In this embedded-jetty usage, allow ServletContext.addListener() to
         // add other ServletContextListeners (such as the ContextDestroyListener) after
         // the initialization phase is over. (important for this SCI to function)
diff --git a/jetty-websocket/websocket-jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/server/config/JettyWebSocketServletContainerInitializer.java b/jetty-websocket/websocket-jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/server/config/JettyWebSocketServletContainerInitializer.java
index 4740fbc75f88..a8d19f58035f 100644
--- a/jetty-websocket/websocket-jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/server/config/JettyWebSocketServletContainerInitializer.java
+++ b/jetty-websocket/websocket-jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/server/config/JettyWebSocketServletContainerInitializer.java
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ public interface Configurator
      */
     public static void configure(ServletContextHandler context, Configurator configurator)
     {
+        if (!context.isStopped())
+            throw new IllegalStateException("configure should be called before starting");
+
         context.addEventListener(
             ContainerInitializer
                 .asContextListener(new JettyWebSocketServletContainerInitializer())