diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 27455bb..c4a291f 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 ARG img_user=ghcr.io/driplineorg
 ARG img_repo=dripline-python
-#ARG img_tag=develop-dev
-ARG img_tag=receiver-test
+ARG img_tag=v5.1.0
 
 FROM ${img_user}/${img_repo}:${img_tag}
 
diff --git a/dripline/extensions/__init__.py b/dripline/extensions/__init__.py
index e9cb836..7656a18 100644
--- a/dripline/extensions/__init__.py
+++ b/dripline/extensions/__init__.py
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@
 from .add_auth_spec import *
 from .thermo_fisher_endpoint import *
 from .ethernet_thermo_fisher_service import *
+from .run_state import *
diff --git a/dripline/extensions/run_state.py b/dripline/extensions/run_state.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9bb1331
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dripline/extensions/run_state.py
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+import threading
+import os
+import json
+from dripline.core import Service, ThrowReply, Entity, MsgAlert
+import logging
+import scarab
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+__all__ = []
+
+__all__.append('StateGetEntity')
+class StateGetEntity(Entity):
+    """
+    Simple Entity to get the state information of the RunStateService.
+    While the information are stored in RunStateService itself, this entity can excess the information from the information dict by `key`.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, key, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Args:
+        * key (str): key of the information from the state dictionary
+        """
+        self.key = key
+        Entity.__init__(self, **kwargs)
+    
+    def on_get(self):
+        return self.service.get_state()[self.key]
+
+    def on_set(self, value):
+        raise ThrowReply("on_set_error", f"on_set not available for {self.name}")
+
+
+__all__.append('RunStateService')
+class RunStateService(Service):
+    '''
+    A service providing information about the current run status. Information are stored in a state dict.
+    Two functions `start_run` and `stop_run` are available. start_run takes a run comment (str) as argument which should describe the current run.
+    '''
+    def __init__(self,
+                 state_file=None,
+                 **kwargs
+                 ):
+        '''
+        Args:
+            state_file (str): File that is used to store the current run state
+        '''
+        Service.__init__(self, **kwargs)
+
+        if state_file is None or not isinstance(state_file, str):
+            raise ThrowReply('service_error_invalid_value', f"Invalid state file: <{state_file}>! Expect string")
+
+        self.alock = threading.Lock()
+        self.state_file = state_file
+        
+    def get_state(self):
+        '''
+        Read the state of the run from a file.
+        '''
+        logger.info(f"reading state")
+        self.alock.acquire()
+        try:
+            if os.path.exists(self.state_file):
+                with open(self.state_file, "r") as open_file:
+                    state = json.load(open_file)
+            else:
+                state = {"run_number": 1,
+                         "run_comment": "Initial run",
+                         "run_active": False}
+        except Exception as err:
+            logger.critical("")
+        finally:
+            self.alock.release()
+        return state
+
+    def save_state(self, state):
+        '''
+        Save the state of the run to a file.
+        '''
+        with open(self.state_file, "w") as open_file:
+            json.dump(state, open_file)
+        return
+
+    def stop_run(self):
+        '''
+        Sets the state of the run to "inactive" and returns the run number of the stopped run.
+        '''
+        state = self.get_state()
+        if not state["run_active"]:
+            logger.info("There is no run to stop")
+        else:
+            state["run_active"] = False
+            self.save_state(state)
+            logger.info(f'Stopped run {state["run_number"]}')
+        return state["run_number"]
+
+    def start_run(self, comment):
+        ''' 
+        Starts a new run by increasing the run number by 1, setting a new run comment and changing the state to "active".
+        If a run is still ongoing, it will be stopped first.
+        '''
+        logger.info(f"Starting run with comment {comment}")
+        state = self.get_state()
+        if state["run_active"]:
+            self.stop_run()
+            
+        state["run_number"] = state["run_number"]+1
+        state["run_comment"] = comment
+        state["run_active"] = True
+        self.save_state(state)
+        the_alert = MsgAlert.create(payload=scarab.to_param(state["run_number"]), routing_key=f'sensor_value.run_number')
+        alert_sent = self.send(the_alert)
+        the_alert = MsgAlert.create(payload=scarab.to_param(state["run_comment"]), routing_key=f'sensor_value.run_comment')
+        alert_sent = self.send(the_alert)
+        the_alert = MsgAlert.create(payload=scarab.to_param(state["run_active"]), routing_key=f'sensor_value.run_active')
+        alert_sent = self.send(the_alert)
+        logger.info(f'Started run {state["run_number"]} with comment: {state["run_comment"]}')
+        return state["run_number"]
diff --git a/examples/run_state.yaml b/examples/run_state.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0fb4ff8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/run_state.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+name: run_state
+module: RunStateService
+state_file: ./state.json
+dripline_mesh:
+  broker: rabbit-broker
+  broker_port: 5672
+endpoints:
+  - name: run_number
+    module: StateGetEntity
+    key: run_number
+  - name: run_comment
+    module: StateGetEntity
+    key: run_comment
+  - name: run_is_active
+    module: StateGetEntity
+    key: run_active