diff --git a/lib/Slackbot_worker.js b/lib/Slackbot_worker.js
index abc2f5a98..678dc8bdb 100755
--- a/lib/Slackbot_worker.js
+++ b/lib/Slackbot_worker.js
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ module.exports = function(botkit, config) {
         }
     };
 
+    // Set when destroy() is called - prevents a reconnect from completing
+    // if it was fired off prior to destroy being called
+    var destroyed = false;
     var pingIntervalId = null;
     var retryBackoff = null;
 
@@ -96,7 +99,7 @@ module.exports = function(botkit, config) {
             botkit.log.notice('** BOT ID:', bot.identity.name, '...reconnect attempt #' +
                 back.settings.attempt + ' of ' + options.retries + ' being made after ' + back.settings.timeout + 'ms');
             bot.startRTM(function(err) {
-                if (err) {
+                if (err && !destroyed) {
                     return reconnect(err);
                 }
                 retryBackoff = null;
@@ -108,6 +111,9 @@ module.exports = function(botkit, config) {
      * Shutdown and cleanup the spawned worker
      */
     bot.destroy = function() {
+        // this prevents a startRTM from completing if it was fired off
+        // prior to destroy being called
+        destroyed = true;
         if (retryBackoff) {
             retryBackoff.close();
             retryBackoff = null;
@@ -133,6 +139,12 @@ module.exports = function(botkit, config) {
             bot.identity = res.self;
             bot.team_info = res.team;
 
+            // Bail out if destroy() was called
+            if (destroyed) {
+                botkit.log.notice('Ignoring rtm.start response, bot was destroyed');
+                return cb('Ignoring rtm.start response, bot was destroyed');
+            }
+
             /**
              * Also available:
              * res.users, res.channels, res.groups, res.ims,