diff --git a/oe-init-build-env b/oe-init-build-env
index de9692fe44..8ef32f3d55 100755
--- a/oe-init-build-env
+++ b/oe-init-build-env
@@ -47,3 +47,12 @@ else
    unset BBPATH
 fi
 
+# Shutdown any bitbake server if the BBSERVER variable is not set
+if [ -z "$BBSERVER" ] && [ -f bitbake.lock ] ; then
+    grep ":" bitbake.lock > /dev/null && BBSERVER=`cat bitbake.lock` bitbake --status-only
+    if [ $? = 0 ] ; then
+	echo "Shutting down bitbake memory resident server with bitbake -m"
+	BBSERVER=`cat bitbake.lock` bitbake -m
+    fi
+fi
+
diff --git a/oe-init-build-env-memres b/oe-init-build-env-memres
index 79b91b751a..687d5e1225 100755
--- a/oe-init-build-env-memres
+++ b/oe-init-build-env-memres
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ else
    unset OEROOT
    unset BBPATH
 fi
-bitbake --server-only -t xmlrpc -B localhost:$port
-export BBSERVER=localhost:$port
-echo "Bitbake server started on port $port, use bitbake -m to shut it down"
+res=1
+if [ -e bitbake.lock ] && grep : bitbake.lock > /dev/null ; then
+    BBSERVER=`cat bitbake.lock` bitbake --status-only
+    res=$?
+fi
+
+if [ $res != 0 ] ; then
+    bitbake --server-only -t xmlrpc -B localhost:$port
+fi
+
+export BBSERVER=`cat bitbake.lock`
+
+if [ $res = 0 ] ; then
+    echo "Using existing bitbake server at: $BBSERVER, use bitbake -m to shut it down"
+else
+    echo "Bitbake server started at: $BBSERVER, use bitbake -m to shut it down"
+fi
+unset res