Index: lams_monitoring/conf/language/ApplicationResources.properties
===================================================================
diff -u -re671e012e339e75b778e6612206b1df4fe0456be -r3759176e4928af126deabc42170f264c08ed91ef
--- lams_monitoring/conf/language/ApplicationResources.properties	(.../ApplicationResources.properties)	(revision e671e012e339e75b778e6612206b1df4fe0456be)
+++ lams_monitoring/conf/language/ApplicationResources.properties	(.../ApplicationResources.properties)	(revision 3759176e4928af126deabc42170f264c08ed91ef)
@@ -68,6 +68,6 @@
 force.complete.stop.message.grouping.error=Force complete stopped at a grouping activity "{0}" due to system error.
 force.complete.stop.message.grouping=Force complete stopped at a grouping activity "{0}" that cannot be completed.
 force.complete.stop.message.gate=Force complete stopped at a gate "{0}" that cannot be opened.
-force.complete.stop.message.completed.to.activity=Force complete successful to activity "{0}".
+force.complete.stop.message.completed.to.activity=Force complete successful.
 force.complete.stop.message.completed.to.end=Force complete successful to end of the lesson.
 force.complete.stop.message.stopped.unexpectedly=Force complete has finished processing. Please check the learner's progress bar for their current activity.
Index: lams_monitoring/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/monitoring/service/MonitoringService.java
===================================================================
diff -u -ra58e514430f178761b505efe3c70e32b096ed7e2 -r3759176e4928af126deabc42170f264c08ed91ef
--- lams_monitoring/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/monitoring/service/MonitoringService.java	(.../MonitoringService.java)	(revision a58e514430f178761b505efe3c70e32b096ed7e2)
+++ lams_monitoring/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/monitoring/service/MonitoringService.java	(.../MonitoringService.java)	(revision 3759176e4928af126deabc42170f264c08ed91ef)
@@ -787,21 +787,22 @@
     	User learner = (User)baseDAO.find(User.class,learnerId);
         
        	LearnerProgress learnerProgress = learnerService.getProgress(learnerId, lessonId);
+       	Activity stopActivity = null;
        	
-       	// check if activity is already complete
        	if ( activityId != null ) {
-       		Activity stopActivity = activityDAO.getActivityByActivityId(activityId);
+       		stopActivity = activityDAO.getActivityByActivityId(activityId);
        		if ( stopActivity == null ) {
        			throw new MonitoringServiceException("Activity missing. Activity id"+activityId);
        		}
+       		
+           	// check if activity is already complete
        		if ( learnerProgress != null && learnerProgress.getCompletedActivities().contains(stopActivity) ) {
        			return messageService.getMessage(FORCE_COMPLETE_STOP_MESSAGE_ACTIVITY_DONE,new Object[]{stopActivity.getTitle()});
-       			
        		}
        	}
        	
        	Activity currentActivity = learnerProgress.getCurrentActivity();
-       	String stopReason = forceCompleteActivity(learner, lessonId, learnerProgress, currentActivity, activityId, new ArrayList<Long>());
+       	String stopReason = forceCompleteActivity(learner, lessonId, learnerProgress, currentActivity, stopActivity, new ArrayList<Long>());
        	return stopReason != null ? stopReason : messageService.getMessage(FORCE_COMPLETE_STOP_MESSAGE_STOPPED_UNEXPECTEDLY);
        	
 		
@@ -822,7 +823,7 @@
      * As we process an activity, we stick it in touchedActivityIds. Then we check this list before forwarding to an activity - this will
      * stop us going into loops on the parallel activities and other complex activities that return to the parent activity after the child.
     */
-    private String forceCompleteActivity(User learner, Long lessonId, LearnerProgress progress, Activity activity, Long stopActivityId, ArrayList<Long> touchedActivityIds) {
+    private String forceCompleteActivity(User learner, Long lessonId, LearnerProgress progress, Activity activity, Activity stopActivity, ArrayList<Long> touchedActivityIds) {
     	
     	// TODO check performance - does it load the learner progress every time or do it load it from the cache.
        	String stopReason = null;
@@ -893,20 +894,24 @@
         		Iterator iter = allActivities.iterator();
         		while(stopReason==null && iter.hasNext()){
         			Activity act = (Activity) iter.next();
-        			stopReason = forceCompleteActivity(learner, lessonId, progress, act, stopActivityId, touchedActivityIds);
+        			stopReason = forceCompleteActivity(learner, lessonId, progress, act, stopActivity, touchedActivityIds);
         		}
         		log.debug("Complex activity [" + activity.getActivityId() + "] is completed.");
        	}
         
         // complete to the given activity ID, then stop. To be sure, the given activity is forced to complete as well.
         // if we had stopped due to a subactivity, the stop reason will already be set.
         if ( stopReason == null ) {
-	        if(stopActivityId!= null && stopActivityId.equals(activity.getActivityId())){
-	        	//stop here
+           	LearnerProgress learnerProgress = learnerService.getProgress(learner.getUserId(), lessonId);
+        	if ( learnerProgress.getCompletedActivities().contains(stopActivity) ) {
+	        	// we have reached the stop activity. It may have been the activity we just processed 
+        		// or it may have been a parent activity (e.g. an optional activity) and completing its last 
+        		// child has triggered the parent activity to be completed. Hence we have to check the actual
+        		// completed activities list rather than just checking the id of the activity.
 	        	stopReason = messageService.getMessage(FORCE_COMPLETE_STOP_MESSAGE_COMPLETED_TO_ACTIVITY,new Object[]{activity.getTitle()});
-	        } else {
-	           	LearnerProgress learnerProgress = learnerService.getProgress(learner.getUserId(), lessonId);
-	           	Activity nextActivity = learnerProgress.getCurrentActivity();
+
+        	} else {
+	           	Activity nextActivity = learnerProgress.getNextActivity();
 	           	
 	           	// now where?
 	           	if ( nextActivity == null || nextActivity.getActivityId().equals(activity.getActivityId()) ) {
@@ -918,7 +923,7 @@
 	           		stopReason = null; // i.e. do nothing 
 	           	} else {
 	           		// no where else to go - keep on pressing on down the sequence then.
-	           		stopReason = forceCompleteActivity(learner, lessonId, learnerProgress, nextActivity, stopActivityId, touchedActivityIds);
+	           		stopReason = forceCompleteActivity(learner, lessonId, learnerProgress, nextActivity, stopActivity, touchedActivityIds);
 	           	} 
 	        }
         }