diff --git a/src/MetadataExporter.cpp b/src/MetadataExporter.cpp
index 125baec0a451646b3b0dc6f7386785e5b13f7dbb..1d8deaa1208ef2805f9d3e071d80e021e7ebaa10 100644
--- a/src/MetadataExporter.cpp
+++ b/src/MetadataExporter.cpp
@@ -549,14 +549,14 @@ void MetadataExporter::on()
     }
     catch(std::exception& ex)
     {
-        set_state(Tango::FAULT);
+        set_state(Tango::ALARM);
         std::stringstream error_stream;
         error_stream << "MetadataExporter::On() " << ex.what() << std::endl;
         set_status(error_stream.str());
     }
     catch(...)
     {
-        set_state(Tango::FAULT);
+        set_state(Tango::ALARM);
         set_status("MetadataExporter::On() unknown error");
     }
 
@@ -581,14 +581,14 @@ void MetadataExporter::off()
     }
     catch(std::exception& ex)
     {
-        set_state(Tango::FAULT);
+        set_state(Tango::ALARM);
         std::stringstream error_stream;
         error_stream << "MetadataExporter::Off() " << ex.what() << std::endl;
         set_status(error_stream.str());
     }
     catch(...)
     {
-        set_state(Tango::FAULT);
+        set_state(Tango::ALARM);
         set_status("MetadataExporter::Off() unknown error");
     }
 
diff --git a/src/MetadataExporter.xmi b/src/MetadataExporter.xmi
index e6e2621255a132684e19540c9539166dec4ceb49..728e265dab9b38ea33f184054b1ece783214fce9 100644
--- a/src/MetadataExporter.xmi
+++ b/src/MetadataExporter.xmi
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
       <status abstract="false" inherited="false" concrete="true" concreteHere="true"/>
       <excludedStates>ON</excludedStates>
       <excludedStates>FAULT</excludedStates>
+      <excludedStates>ALARM</excludedStates>
     </commands>
     <commands name="Off" description="Deactivate fits importer" execMethod="off" displayLevel="OPERATOR" polledPeriod="0">
       <argin description="">
@@ -135,7 +136,10 @@
     <states name="OFF" description="Metadata exporter is in OFF state (not ready for incoming connections)">
       <status abstract="false" inherited="false" concrete="true" concreteHere="true"/>
     </states>
-    <states name="FAULT" description="Metadata exporter is in FAULT state (an error occurred)">
+    <states name="FAULT" description="Metadata exporter is in FAULT state (not ready to propagate metadata)">
+      <status abstract="false" inherited="false" concrete="true" concreteHere="true"/>
+    </states>
+    <states name="ALARM" description="Metadata exporter is in ALARM state (not ready to propagate metadata)">
       <status abstract="false" inherited="false" concrete="true" concreteHere="true"/>
     </states>
     <preferences docHome="./doc_html" makefileHome="/usr/local/tango-8.1.2/share/pogo/preferences"/>
diff --git a/src/MetadataExporterStateMachine.cpp b/src/MetadataExporterStateMachine.cpp
index e611b63c07ac1911d2a0dde52ebf5df18e7c2911..17814d0b5c97c822d3c597270df33e6ad53007b5 100644
--- a/src/MetadataExporterStateMachine.cpp
+++ b/src/MetadataExporterStateMachine.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
 //================================================================
 //  ON      |  Metadata exporter is in ON state (ready to incoming connections)
 //  OFF     |  Metadata exporter is in OFF state (not ready for incoming connections)
-//  FAULT   |  Metadata exporter is in FAULT state (an error occurred)
+//  FAULT   |  Metadata exporter is in FAULT state (not ready to propagate metadata)
+//  ALARM   |  Metadata exporter is in ALARM state (not ready to propagate metadata)
 
 
 namespace MetadataExporter_ns
@@ -66,7 +67,8 @@ bool MetadataExporter::is_On_allowed(TANGO_UNUSED(const CORBA::Any &any))
 {
 	//	Compare device state with not allowed states.
 	if (get_state()==Tango::ON ||
-		get_state()==Tango::FAULT)
+		get_state()==Tango::FAULT ||
+		get_state()==Tango::ALARM)
 	{
 	/*----- PROTECTED REGION ID(MetadataExporter::OnStateAllowed) ENABLED START -----*/