diff --git a/clc/modules/cluster-manager/src/main/java/com/eucalyptus/address/AbstractSystemAddressManager.java b/clc/modules/cluster-manager/src/main/java/com/eucalyptus/address/AbstractSystemAddressManager.java
index a42d1910032..9b2db38c29d 100644
--- a/clc/modules/cluster-manager/src/main/java/com/eucalyptus/address/AbstractSystemAddressManager.java
+++ b/clc/modules/cluster-manager/src/main/java/com/eucalyptus/address/AbstractSystemAddressManager.java
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ private static VmInstance maybeFindVm( final String instanceId, final String pub
           Logs.extreme( ).error( ex );
         }
       }
-      if ( vm != null && VmState.RUNNING.equals( vm ) ) {
+      if ( vm != null && VmState.RUNNING.equals( vm.getState( ) ) ) {
         Logs.extreme( ).debug( "Candidate vm which claims this address: " + vm.getInstanceId( ) + " " + vm.getState( ) + " " + publicIp );
         if ( publicIp.equals( vm.getPublicAddress( ) ) ) {
           Logs.extreme( ).debug( "Found vm which claims this address: " + vm.getInstanceId( ) + " " + vm.getState( ) + " " + publicIp );