diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f009e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/context.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package nats
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/micro/go-micro/broker"
+)
+
+// setSubscribeOption returns a function to setup a context with given value
+func setSubscribeOption(k, v interface{}) broker.SubscribeOption {
+	return func(o *broker.SubscribeOptions) {
+		if o.Context == nil {
+			o.Context = context.Background()
+		}
+		o.Context = context.WithValue(o.Context, k, v)
+	}
+}
+
+// setBrokerOption returns a function to setup a context with given value
+func setBrokerOption(k, v interface{}) broker.Option {
+	return func(o *broker.Options) {
+		if o.Context == nil {
+			o.Context = context.Background()
+		}
+		o.Context = context.WithValue(o.Context, k, v)
+	}
+}
+
+// setPublishOption returns a function to setup a context with given value
+func setPublishOption(k, v interface{}) broker.PublishOption {
+	return func(o *broker.PublishOptions) {
+		if o.Context == nil {
+			o.Context = context.Background()
+		}
+		o.Context = context.WithValue(o.Context, k, v)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/nats.go b/nats.go
index 911cae7..e7c49d2 100644
--- a/nats.go
+++ b/nats.go
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@ package nats
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/broker"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/cmd"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/json"
-	"github.com/nats-io/go-nats"
+	nats "github.com/nats-io/go-nats"
 )
 
 type nbroker struct {
@@ -144,6 +145,10 @@ func (n *nbroker) Publish(topic string, msg *broker.Message, opts ...broker.Publ
 }
 
 func (n *nbroker) Subscribe(topic string, handler broker.Handler, opts ...broker.SubscribeOption) (broker.Subscriber, error) {
+	if n.conn == nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("not connected")
+	}
+
 	opt := broker.SubscribeOptions{
 		AutoAck: true,
 	}
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index a09ab7f..96e2fb7 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -1,20 +1,13 @@
 package nats
 
 import (
-	"context"
-
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/broker"
-	"github.com/nats-io/go-nats"
+	nats "github.com/nats-io/go-nats"
 )
 
 type optionsKey struct{}
 
 // Options accepts nats.Options
 func Options(opts nats.Options) broker.Option {
-	return func(o *broker.Options) {
-		if o.Context == nil {
-			o.Context = context.Background()
-		}
-		o.Context = context.WithValue(o.Context, optionsKey{}, opts)
-	}
+	return setBrokerOption(optionsKey{}, opts)
 }