diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/jabber/OperationSetBasicInstantMessagingJabberImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/jabber/OperationSetBasicInstantMessagingJabberImpl.java
index aa48bfc0f..61857f509 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/jabber/OperationSetBasicInstantMessagingJabberImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/jabber/OperationSetBasicInstantMessagingJabberImpl.java
@@ -452,31 +452,22 @@ public void sendInstantMessage(Contact to, Message message)
     /**
      * Utility method throwing an exception if the stack is not properly
      * initialized.
+     *
      * @throws java.lang.IllegalStateException if the underlying stack is
      * not registered and initialized.
      */
-    private void assertConnected() throws IllegalStateException
+    private void assertConnected()
+        throws IllegalStateException
     {
-        if (jabberProvider == null)
-            throw new IllegalStateException(
-                "The provider must be non-null and signed on the "
-                +"service before being able to communicate.");
-        if (!jabberProvider.isRegistered())
+        if (opSetPersPresence == null)
         {
-            // if we are not registered but the current status is online
-            // change the current status
-            if(opSetPersPresence.getPresenceStatus().isOnline())
-            {
-                opSetPersPresence.fireProviderStatusChangeEvent(
-                    opSetPersPresence.getPresenceStatus(),
-                    jabberProvider.getJabberStatusEnum().getStatus(
-                        JabberStatusEnum.OFFLINE));
-            }
-
-            throw new IllegalStateException(
-                "The provider must be signed on the service before "
-                +"being able to communicate.");
+            throw
+                new IllegalStateException(
+                        "The provider must be signed on the service before"
+                            + " being able to communicate.");
         }
+        else
+            opSetPersPresence.assertConnected();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -501,9 +492,10 @@ public void registrationStateChanged(RegistrationStateChangeEvent evt)
 
             if (evt.getNewState() == RegistrationState.REGISTERING)
             {
-                opSetPersPresence =
-                    (OperationSetPersistentPresenceJabberImpl) jabberProvider
-                        .getOperationSet(OperationSetPersistentPresence.class);
+                opSetPersPresence
+                    = (OperationSetPersistentPresenceJabberImpl)
+                        jabberProvider.getOperationSet(
+                                OperationSetPersistentPresence.class);
 
                 if(smackMessageListener == null)
                     smackMessageListener = new SmackMessageListener();
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/jabber/OperationSetPersistentPresenceJabberImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/jabber/OperationSetPersistentPresenceJabberImpl.java
index a91917981..1d1eec303 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/jabber/OperationSetPersistentPresenceJabberImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/jabber/OperationSetPersistentPresenceJabberImpl.java
@@ -391,32 +391,53 @@ public void publishPresenceStatus(PresenceStatus status,
     }
 
     /**
-     * Get the PresenceStatus for a particular contact.
+     * Gets the <tt>PresenceStatus</tt> of a contact with a specific
+     * <tt>String</tt> identifier.
      *
-     * @param contactIdentifier the identifier of the contact whose status
-     *   we're interested in.
-     * @return PresenceStatus the <tt>PresenceStatus</tt> of the specified
-     *   <tt>contact</tt>
-     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>contact</tt> is not a contact
-     *   known to the underlying protocol provider
-     * @throws IllegalStateException if the underlying protocol provider is
-     *   not registered/signed on a public service.
-     * @throws OperationFailedException with code NETWORK_FAILURE if
-     *   retrieving the status fails due to errors experienced during
-     *   network communication
+     * @param contactIdentifier the identifier of the contact whose status we're
+     * interested in.
+     * @return the <tt>PresenceStatus</tt> of the contact with the specified
+     * <tt>contactIdentifier</tt>
+     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the specified
+     * <tt>contactIdentifier</tt> does not identify a contact known to the
+     * underlying protocol provider
+     * @throws IllegalStateException if the underlying protocol provider is not
+     * registered/signed on a public service
+     * @throws OperationFailedException with code NETWORK_FAILURE if retrieving
+     * the status fails due to errors experienced during network communication
      */
-    public PresenceStatus queryContactStatus(String contactIdentifier) throws
-        IllegalArgumentException, IllegalStateException,
-        OperationFailedException
+    public PresenceStatus queryContactStatus(String contactIdentifier)
+        throws IllegalArgumentException,
+               IllegalStateException,
+               OperationFailedException
     {
-        Presence presence = parentProvider.getConnection().getRoster().
-                getPresence(contactIdentifier);
+        /*
+         * As stated by the javadoc, IllegalStateException signals that the
+         * ProtocolProviderService is not registered.
+         */
+        assertConnected();
+
+        XMPPConnection xmppConnection = parentProvider.getConnection();
+
+        if (xmppConnection == null)
+        {
+            throw
+                new IllegalArgumentException(
+                        "The provider/account must be signed on in order to"
+                            + " query the status of a contact in its roster");
+        }
+
+        Presence presence
+            = xmppConnection.getRoster().getPresence(contactIdentifier);
 
         if(presence != null)
             return jabberStatusToPresenceStatus(presence, parentProvider);
         else
-            return parentProvider.getJabberStatusEnum().getStatus(
-                JabberStatusEnum.OFFLINE);
+        {
+            return
+                parentProvider.getJabberStatusEnum().getStatus(
+                        JabberStatusEnum.OFFLINE);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -633,30 +654,37 @@ public static Presence.Mode presenceStatusToJabberMode(PresenceStatus status)
     /**
      * Utility method throwing an exception if the stack is not properly
      * initialized.
-     * @throws java.lang.IllegalStateException if the underlying stack is
-     * not registered and initialized.
+     *
+     * @throws IllegalStateException if the underlying stack is not registered
+     * and initialized.
      */
-    private void assertConnected() throws IllegalStateException
+    void assertConnected()
+        throws IllegalStateException
     {
         if (parentProvider == null)
-            throw new IllegalStateException(
-                "The provider must be non-null and signed on the Jabber "
-                +"service before being able to communicate.");
+        {
+            throw
+                new IllegalStateException(
+                        "The provider must be non-null and signed on the"
+                            + " Jabber service before being able to"
+                            + " communicate.");
+        }
         if (!parentProvider.isRegistered())
         {
             // if we are not registered but the current status is online
             // change the current status
-            if(currentStatus.isOnline())
+            if((currentStatus != null) && currentStatus.isOnline())
             {
                 fireProviderStatusChangeEvent(
                     currentStatus,
                     parentProvider.getJabberStatusEnum().getStatus(
-                        JabberStatusEnum.OFFLINE));
+                            JabberStatusEnum.OFFLINE));
             }
 
-            throw new IllegalStateException(
-                "The provider must be signed on the Jabber service before "
-                +"being able to communicate.");
+            throw
+                new IllegalStateException(
+                        "The provider must be signed on the Jabber service"
+                            + " before being able to communicate.");
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/protocol/AbstractProtocolProviderService.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/protocol/AbstractProtocolProviderService.java
index fd5917964..8d7ba3f4c 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/protocol/AbstractProtocolProviderService.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/protocol/AbstractProtocolProviderService.java
@@ -214,8 +214,8 @@ public Map<String, OperationSet> getSupportedOperationSets()
     /**
      * Indicates whether or not this provider is registered
      *
-     * @return true if the provider is currently registered and false
-     *   otherwise.
+     * @return <tt>true</tt> if the provider is currently registered and
+     * <tt>false</tt> otherwise.
      */
     public boolean isRegistered()
     {