diff --git a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/PowerDistributor.scala b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/PowerDistributor.scala
index cf748bf7e..e21397a22 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/PowerDistributor.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/PowerDistributor.scala
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ class PowerDistributor extends traits.Environment with traits.PowerBalancer with
     withConnector(Settings.get.bufferDistributor).
     create())
 
+  override protected def isConnected = nodes.exists(node => node.address != null && node.network != null)
+
   override def canUpdate = isServer
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //
diff --git a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/traits/PowerBalancer.scala b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/traits/PowerBalancer.scala
index 89c0a9a2a..a56d28f24 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/traits/PowerBalancer.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/li/cil/oc/common/tileentity/traits/PowerBalancer.scala
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@ import net.minecraftforge.common.ForgeDirection
 trait PowerBalancer extends PowerInformation with SidedEnvironment {
   var globalBuffer, globalBufferSize = 0.0
 
+  protected def isConnected: Boolean
+
   override def updateEntity() {
     super.updateEntity()
-    if (isServer && world.getWorldTime % Settings.get.tickFrequency == 0) {
+    if (isServer && isConnected && world.getWorldTime % Settings.get.tickFrequency == 0) {
       val nodes = connectors
       def network(connector: Connector) = if (connector != null && connector.network != null) connector.network else this
       // Yeeeeah, so that just happened... it's not a beauty, but it works. This