diff --git a/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/activiti/mq/MQProcessDefinitionMonitor.java b/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/activiti/mq/MQProcessDefinitionMonitor.java
index 0d227b8..c9457f9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/activiti/mq/MQProcessDefinitionMonitor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/inteligr8/activiti/mq/MQProcessDefinitionMonitor.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import org.activiti.engine.delegate.event.ActivitiEvent;
 import org.activiti.engine.delegate.event.ActivitiEventListener;
 import org.activiti.engine.delegate.event.ActivitiEventType;
 import org.activiti.engine.impl.bpmn.behavior.NoneStartEventActivityBehavior;
+import org.activiti.engine.impl.context.Context;
 import org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.DeploymentEntity;
 import org.activiti.engine.impl.persistence.entity.ProcessDefinitionEntity;
 import org.activiti.engine.impl.util.ProcessDefinitionUtil;
@@ -268,9 +269,18 @@ public class MQProcessDefinitionMonitor implements ActivitiEventListener, Applic
 		return true;
 	}
 	
+	private BpmnModel getBpmnModel(String processDefId) {
+		if (Context.getProcessDefinitionHelper() == null) {
+			// typically during initial startup
+			return this.services.getRepositoryService().getBpmnModel(processDefId);
+		} else {
+			// we cannot use the RepositoryService to get the BpmnModel as it is not yet cached in TX
+			return ProcessDefinitionUtil.getBpmnModel(processDefId);
+		}
+	}
+	
 	protected ServiceTask findMqStartSubscribeTask(String processDefId) {
-		// we cannot use the RepositoryService to get the BpmnModel as it is not yet cached in TX
-		BpmnModel model = ProcessDefinitionUtil.getBpmnModel(processDefId);
+		BpmnModel model = this.getBpmnModel(processDefId);
 		StartEvent startElement = this.findMqPlainStartEvent(processDefId, model);
 		if (startElement == null)
 			return null;