diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/SerialMonitor.java b/app/src/processing/app/SerialMonitor.java
index 6eebf539e..fbeeff73f 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/SerialMonitor.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/SerialMonitor.java
@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@ import javax.swing.*;
 import javax.swing.border.*;
 import javax.swing.event.*;
 import javax.swing.text.*;
+import gnu.io.CommPortIdentifier;
+import java.util.Enumeration;
 
-public class SerialMonitor extends JFrame implements MessageConsumer {
+public class SerialMonitor extends JFrame implements MessageConsumer, Runnable {
   private Serial serial;
   private String port;
   private JTextArea textArea;
@@ -171,6 +173,9 @@ public class SerialMonitor extends JFrame implements MessageConsumer {
         }
       }
     }
+    
+    Thread thread = new Thread(this);
+    thread.start();
   }
   
   protected void setPlacement(int[] location) {
@@ -228,4 +233,26 @@ public class SerialMonitor extends JFrame implements MessageConsumer {
         }
       }});
   }
+  
+  public void run() {
+  	while (!Thread.interrupted()) {
+  		if (serial != null) {
+			Enumeration portList = CommPortIdentifier.getPortIdentifiers();
+			boolean portStillHere = false;
+			while (portList.hasMoreElements()) {
+				CommPortIdentifier portId = (CommPortIdentifier) portList.nextElement();
+				if (portId.getName().equals(port)) {
+					portStillHere = true;
+		        }
+		    }
+		    if (!portStillHere) {
+				closeSerialPort();
+				setVisible(false);
+		    }
+	        try {
+				Thread.sleep(100);
+			} catch (InterruptedException ex) { } 		
+		}
+  	}
+  }
 }