diff --git a/spring-statemachine-recipes/src/main/java/org/springframework/statemachine/recipes/persist/PersistStateMachineHandler.java b/spring-statemachine-recipes/src/main/java/org/springframework/statemachine/recipes/persist/PersistStateMachineHandler.java
index 2791bf79..07749500 100644
--- a/spring-statemachine-recipes/src/main/java/org/springframework/statemachine/recipes/persist/PersistStateMachineHandler.java
+++ b/spring-statemachine-recipes/src/main/java/org/springframework/statemachine/recipes/persist/PersistStateMachineHandler.java
@@ -69,15 +69,16 @@ public class PersistStateMachineHandler extends LifecycleObjectSupport {
 	 *
 	 * @param event the event
 	 * @param state the state
+	 * @return true if event was accepted
 	 */
-	public void handleEventWithState(Message<String> event, String state) {
+	public boolean handleEventWithState(Message<String> event, String state) {
 		stateMachine.stop();
 		List<StateMachineAccess<String, String>> withAllRegions = stateMachine.getStateMachineAccessor().withAllRegions();
 		for (StateMachineAccess<String, String> a : withAllRegions) {
 			a.resetStateMachine(new DefaultStateMachineContext<String, String>(state, null, null, null));
 		}
 		stateMachine.start();
-		stateMachine.sendEvent(event);
+		return stateMachine.sendEvent(event);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-statemachine-recipes/src/test/java/org/springframework/statemachine/recipes/PersistStateMachineHandlerTests.java b/spring-statemachine-recipes/src/test/java/org/springframework/statemachine/recipes/PersistStateMachineHandlerTests.java
index 6ca6efe7..aeee68be 100644
--- a/spring-statemachine-recipes/src/test/java/org/springframework/statemachine/recipes/PersistStateMachineHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-statemachine-recipes/src/test/java/org/springframework/statemachine/recipes/PersistStateMachineHandlerTests.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import org.springframework.statemachine.transition.Transition;
 public class PersistStateMachineHandlerTests {
 
 	@Test
-	public void testStateChangeViaPersist() throws Exception {
+	public void testAcceptedStateChangeViaPersist() throws Exception {
 		StateMachine<String,String> stateMachine = buildTestStateMachine();
 
 		PersistStateMachineHandler handler = new PersistStateMachineHandler(stateMachine);
@@ -47,11 +47,30 @@ public class PersistStateMachineHandlerTests {
 		handler.addPersistStateChangeListener(listener);
 
 		Message<String> event = MessageBuilder.withPayload("E2").build();
-		handler.handleEventWithState(event, "S1");
+		boolean accepted = handler.handleEventWithState(event, "S1");
+		assertThat(accepted, is(true));
 		assertThat(listener.latch.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS), is(true));
 		assertThat(stateMachine.getState().getIds(), containsInAnyOrder("S2"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testNotAcceptedStateChangeViaPersist() throws Exception {
+		StateMachine<String,String> stateMachine = buildTestStateMachine();
+
+		PersistStateMachineHandler handler = new PersistStateMachineHandler(stateMachine);
+		handler.afterPropertiesSet();
+		handler.start();
+
+		TestPersistStateChangeListener listener = new TestPersistStateChangeListener();
+		handler.addPersistStateChangeListener(listener);
+
+		Message<String> event = MessageBuilder.withPayload("E1").build();
+		boolean accepted = handler.handleEventWithState(event, "S1");
+		assertThat(accepted, is(false));
+		assertThat(listener.latch.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS), is(false));
+		assertThat(stateMachine.getState().getIds(), containsInAnyOrder("S1"));
+	}
+
 	private static class TestPersistStateChangeListener implements PersistStateChangeListener {
 
 		CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);