diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Macro/SessionId.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Macro/SessionId.pm
index e82f4ed2c..e1a373311 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Macro/SessionId.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Macro/SessionId.pm
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ Package WebGUI::Macro::SessionId
 
 =head1 DESCRIPTION
 
-Returns the current user's session Id.
+A macro to return the ID of the user's current session.
+
+=head2 process( )
+
+Really just a wrapper around $session->getId;
 
 =cut
 
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Spectre.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Spectre.pm
index 7c3a57e66..01c6d0288 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Spectre.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/Spectre.pm
@@ -42,6 +42,31 @@ sub canView {
     return $user->isInGroup( $session->setting->get("groupIdAdminSpectre") );
 }
 
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+=head2 getASpectre ( [$session] )
+
+Get a connection to spectre.  Encapsulated here so outside code can call
+something that's carefully encapsulated.
+
+=head3 $session
+
+A WebGUI session variable so getASpectre can access information in
+the config file.
+
+=cut
+
+sub getASpectre {
+	my $session = shift;
+    my $remote = create_ikc_client(
+		port=>$session->config->get("spectrePort"),
+		ip=>$session->config->get("spectreIp"),
+		name=>rand(100000),
+	        timeout=>10
+    );
+    return $remote;
+}
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 =head2 www_spectreGetSiteData ( )
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/VersionTag.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/VersionTag.pm
index 922e91ec4..e9f978af8 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Operation/VersionTag.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Operation/VersionTag.pm
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use WebGUI::International;
 use WebGUI::VersionTag;
 use WebGUI::HTMLForm;
 use WebGUI::Paginator;
+use WebGUI::Operation::Spectre;
 
 =head1 NAME
 
@@ -206,7 +207,18 @@ sub www_commitVersionTag {
 	if ($tagId) {
 		my $tag = WebGUI::VersionTag->new($session, $tagId);
 		if (defined $tag && $session->user->isInGroup($tag->get("groupToUse"))) {
+            my $remote = WebGUI::Operation::Spectre::getASpectre($session);
 			my $i18n = WebGUI::International->new($session, "VersionTag");
+            if (!defined $remote) {
+               $session->errorHandler->warn('Unable to connect to spectre.  Canceling the commit');
+               my $output = sprintf qq{<h1>%s</h1>\n<p>%s</p><p><a href="%s">%s</a>},
+                   $i18n->get('broken spectre title', 'WebGUI'),
+                   $i18n->get('broken spectre body',  'WebGUI'),
+                   $session->url->getBackToSiteURL(),
+                   $i18n->get('493', 'WebGUI');
+               return $session->style->userStyle($output);
+            }
+            $remote->disconnect;
 			my $f = WebGUI::HTMLForm->new($session);
 			$f->submit;
 			$f->readOnly(
@@ -228,7 +240,7 @@ sub www_commitVersionTag {
 				hoverHelp=>$i18n->get("comments description commit")
 				);
 			$f->submit;
-        		my $ac = WebGUI::AdminConsole->new($session,"versions");
+            my $ac = WebGUI::AdminConsole->new($session,"versions");
 			return $ac->render($f->print);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/VersionTag.pm b/lib/WebGUI/VersionTag.pm
index 8066b1a99..ca03eb506 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/VersionTag.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/VersionTag.pm
@@ -413,6 +413,7 @@ sub requestCommit {
             return $errorMessage;
         }
     }
+    return '';
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/WebGUI.pm b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/WebGUI.pm
index e617184a5..2d490dd41 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/WebGUI.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/WebGUI.pm
@@ -3921,6 +3921,16 @@ LongTruncOk=1</p>
         lastUpdated => 1193196211,
     },
 
+    'broken spectre title' => {
+        message     => q{Cannot connect to Spectre},
+        lastUpdated => 1202274234,
+    },
+
+    'broken spectre body' => {
+        message     => q{Your commit is canceled because WebGUI cannot connect to Spectre.  Please fix your Spectre problem and attempt to commit again.},
+        lastUpdated => 1202274246,
+    },
+
 };
 
 1;