diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 147f04a1a..f2df08fb3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ export UNIWORXDB_OPTS ?= -cf
 export CONTAINER_ID
 export FRADRIVE_SERVICE
 
-# TODO: to be deprecated
 export DEV_PORT_HTTP
 export DEV_PORT_HTTPS
 export HOOGLE_PORT
@@ -377,7 +376,6 @@ start-frontend:  WATCH = false
 # HELP(start-backend): serve yesod development site
 # HELP(start-frontend): start frontend watcher. Watches frontend source files for changes and recompiles on change. (TODO: watcher functionality currently broken!)
 # HELP(start-hoogle): serve local hoogle instance
-# TODO: abort with error if a singleton service is already running
 start-%: FRADRIVE_SERVICE = %
 start-%: PORTS = $(foreach PORT,$(BASE_PORTS),$(shell utils/next_free_port.pl $(PORT)))
 start-%: --develop
@@ -386,6 +384,10 @@ start-%: --develop
 	echo "DEV $(DEVELOP)"
 	if [[ "$(SINGLETON)" = "true" ]]; then \
 	  CONTAINER_FILE=$(DEVELOP)/$* ; \
+	  if ! [[ -e $${CONTAINER_FILE} ]]; then \
+	    >&2 echo "Another $* service is already running! Use \"make new-develop\" or \"make start\" to start a new develop instance despite currently running services." ; \
+		exit 1 ; \
+	  fi \
 	else \
 	  DEVDIR=$(DEVELOP)/$*; \
 	  I=`ls $${DEVDIR} | sort -n | tail -n1`; \