diff --git a/test/app/counter_test.sh b/test/app/counter_test.sh
index 80b9b27b4..24f4fb618 100644
--- a/test/app/counter_test.sh
+++ b/test/app/counter_test.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 #! /bin/bash
+
+if [[ "$GRPC_BROADCAST_TX" == "" ]]; then
+	GRPC_BROADCAST_TX=""
+fi
+
 set -u
 
 #####################
@@ -25,34 +30,40 @@ function sendTx() {
 	TX=$1
 	if [[ "$GRPC_BROADCAST_TX" == "" ]]; then
 		RESPONSE=`curl -s localhost:46657/broadcast_tx_commit?tx=\"$TX\"`
-		CODE=`echo $RESPONSE | jq .result[1].code`
 		ERROR=`echo $RESPONSE | jq .error`
 		ERROR=$(echo "$ERROR" | tr -d '"') # remove surrounding quotes
+
+		RESPONSE=`echo $RESPONSE | jq .result[1]`
 	else
 	 	if [ ! -f grpc_client ]; then
  			go build -o grpc_client grpc_client.go 
 	     	fi
 		RESPONSE=`./grpc_client $TX`
-		echo $RESPONSE | jq . &> /dev/null
-		IS_JSON=$?
-		if [[ "$IS_JSON" != "0" ]]; then
-			ERROR="$RESPONSE"
-		else
-			ERROR="" # reset
-		fi
-		APPEND_TX_RESPONSE=`echo $RESPONSE | jq .append_tx`
-		APPEND_TX_CODE=`getCode "$APPEND_TX_RESPONSE"`
-		CHECK_TX_RESPONSE=`echo $RESPONSE | jq .check_tx`
-		CHECK_TX_CODE=`getCode "$CHECK_TX_RESPONSE"`
-
-		echo "-------"
-		echo "TX $TX"
-		echo "RESPONSE $RESPONSE"
-		echo "CHECK_TX_RESPONSE $CHECK_TX_RESPONSE"
-		echo "APPEND_TX_RESPONSE $APPEND_TX_RESPONSE"
-		echo "CHECK_TX_CODE $CHECK_TX_CODE"
-		echo "APPEND_TX_CODE $APPEND_TX_CODE"
-		echo "----"
+		ERROR=""
+	fi
+
+	echo "RESPONSE"
+	echo $RESPONSE
+
+	echo $RESPONSE | jq . &> /dev/null
+	IS_JSON=$?
+	if [[ "$IS_JSON" != "0" ]]; then
+		ERROR="$RESPONSE"
+	fi
+	APPEND_TX_RESPONSE=`echo $RESPONSE | jq .append_tx`
+	APPEND_TX_CODE=`getCode "$APPEND_TX_RESPONSE"`
+	CHECK_TX_RESPONSE=`echo $RESPONSE | jq .check_tx`
+	CHECK_TX_CODE=`getCode "$CHECK_TX_RESPONSE"`
+
+	echo "-------"
+	echo "TX $TX"
+	echo "RESPONSE $RESPONSE"
+	echo "ERROR $ERROR"
+	echo "----"
+
+	if [[ "$ERROR" != "" ]]; then
+		echo "Unexpected error sending tx ($TX): $ERROR"
+		exit 1
 	fi
 }
 
@@ -66,10 +77,6 @@ if [[ $APPEND_TX_CODE != 0 ]]; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-if [[ "$GRPC_BROADCAST_TX" == "" && "$ERROR" != "" ]]; then
-	echo "Unexpected error. Tx $TX should have been included in a block. $ERROR"
-	exit 1
-fi
 
 echo "... sending tx. expect error"
 
@@ -80,11 +87,6 @@ if [[ "$CHECK_TX_CODE" == 0 ]]; then
 	echo "Got zero exit code for $TX. Expected tx to be rejected by mempool. $RESPONSE"
 	exit 1
 fi
-if [[ "$GRPC_BROADCAST_TX" == "" && "$ERROR" == "" ]]; then
-	echo "Expected to get an error - tx $TX should have been rejected from mempool"
-	echo "$RESPONSE"
-	exit 1
-fi
 
 
 echo "... sending tx. expect no error"
@@ -96,10 +98,6 @@ if [[ $APPEND_TX_CODE != 0 ]]; then
 	echo "Got non-zero exit code for $TX. $RESPONSE"
 	exit 1
 fi
-if [[ "$GRPC_BROADCAST_TX" == "" && "$ERROR" != "" ]]; then
-	echo "Unexpected error. Tx $TX should have been accepted in block. $ERROR"
-	exit 1
-fi
 
 echo "... sending tx. expect no error, but invalid"
 
@@ -114,9 +112,5 @@ if [[ $APPEND_TX_CODE == 0 ]]; then
 	echo "Got zero exit code for $TX. Should have been bad nonce. $RESPONSE"
 	exit 1
 fi
-if [[ "$GRPC_BROADCAST_TX" == "" && "$ERROR" != "" ]]; then
-	echo "Unexpected error. Tx $TX should have been included in a block. $ERROR"
-	exit 1
-fi
 
 echo "Passed Test: $TESTNAME"
diff --git a/test/app/test.sh b/test/app/test.sh
index 4830c2b15..bcc55c937 100644
--- a/test/app/test.sh
+++ b/test/app/test.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export TMROOT=$HOME/.tendermint_app
 function dummy_over_socket(){
 	rm -rf $TMROOT
 	tendermint init
-	echo "Starting dummy and tendermint"
+	echo "Starting dummy_over_socket"
 	dummy > /dev/null &
 	pid_dummy=$!
 	tendermint node > tendermint.log &
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function dummy_over_socket(){
 function dummy_over_socket_reorder(){
 	rm -rf $TMROOT
 	tendermint init
-	echo "Starting tendermint and dummy"
+	echo "Starting dummy_over_socket_reorder (ie. start tendermint first)"
 	tendermint node > tendermint.log &
 	pid_tendermint=$!
 	sleep 2
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ function dummy_over_socket_reorder(){
 function counter_over_socket() {
 	rm -rf $TMROOT
 	tendermint init
-	echo "Starting counter and tendermint"
+	echo "Starting counter_over_socket"
 	counter --serial > /dev/null &
 	pid_counter=$!
 	tendermint node > tendermint.log &
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ function counter_over_socket() {
 function counter_over_grpc() {
 	rm -rf $TMROOT
 	tendermint init
-	echo "Starting counter and tendermint"
+	echo "Starting counter_over_grpc"
 	counter --serial --tmsp grpc > /dev/null &
 	pid_counter=$!
 	tendermint node --tmsp grpc > tendermint.log &
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ function counter_over_grpc() {
 function counter_over_grpc_grpc() {
 	rm -rf $TMROOT
 	tendermint init
-	echo "Starting counter and tendermint"
+	echo "Starting counter_over_grpc_grpc (ie. with grpc broadcast_tx)"
 	counter --serial --tmsp grpc > /dev/null &
 	pid_counter=$!
 	sleep 1
diff --git a/test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh b/test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh
index 7a5453f00..43c5d041a 100644
--- a/test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh
@@ -1,44 +1,28 @@
 #! /bin/bash
 set -eu
-set -o pipefail
 
-###############################################################
-# for each peer:
-# 	kill peer
-# 	bring it back online via fast sync
-# 	check app hash
-###############################################################
+DOCKER_IMAGE=$1
+NETWORK_NAME=$2
+COUNT=$3
+N=$4
 
-ID=$1
+echo "Testing fasysync on node $COUNT"
 
-addr=$(test/p2p/ip.sh $ID):46657
-peerID=$(( $(($ID % 4)) + 1  )) # 1->2 ... 3->4 ... 4->1
-peer_addr=$(test/p2p/ip.sh $peerID):46657
+# kill peer 
+set +e # circle sigh :(
+docker rm -vf local_testnet_$COUNT
+set -e 
 
-# get another peer's height
-h1=`curl -s $peer_addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_block_height`
-
-# get another peer's state
-root1=`curl -s $peer_addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_app_hash`
-
-echo "Other peer is on height $h1 with state $root1"
-echo "Waiting for peer $ID to catch up"
-
-# wait for it to sync to past its previous height
-set +e
-set +o pipefail
-h2="0"
-while [[ "$h2" -lt "$(($h1+3))" ]]; do
-	sleep 1
-	h2=`curl -s $addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_block_height`
-	echo "... $h2"
+# restart peer - should have an empty blockchain
+SEEDS="$(test/p2p/ip.sh 1):46656"
+for j in `seq 2 $N`; do
+	SEEDS="$SEEDS,$(test/p2p/ip.sh $j):46656"
 done
+bash test/p2p/peer.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $COUNT $SEEDS
+
+bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME fs_$COUNT "test/p2p/fast_sync/restart_peer.sh $COUNT"
 
-# check the app hash
-root2=`curl -s $addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_app_hash`
+echo ""
+echo "PASS"
+echo ""
 
-if [[ "$root1" != "$root2" ]]; then
-	echo "App hash after fast sync does not match. Got $root2; expected $root1"
-	exit 1
-fi
-echo "... fast sync successful"
diff --git a/test/p2p/test.sh b/test/p2p/test.sh
index 4d021a4ee..9ca50737c 100644
--- a/test/p2p/test.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/test.sh
@@ -16,23 +16,5 @@ bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME ab test/p2p/atomic_broadcast
 # run it on each of them
 N=4
 for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
-	echo "Testing fasysync on node $i"
-
-	# kill peer 
-	set +e # circle sigh :(
-	docker rm -vf local_testnet_$i
-	set -e 
-
-	# restart peer - should have an empty blockchain
-	SEEDS="$(test/p2p/ip.sh 1):46656"
-	for j in `seq 2 $N`; do
-		SEEDS="$SEEDS,$(test/p2p/ip.sh $j):46656"
-	done
-	bash test/p2p/peer.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $i $SEEDS
-
-	bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME fs_$i "test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh $i"
+	bash test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $i $N
 done
-echo ""
-echo "PASS"
-echo ""
-
diff --git a/test/persist/test.sh b/test/persist/test.sh
index 5c1e12411..1a94a0938 100644
--- a/test/persist/test.sh
+++ b/test/persist/test.sh
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ function send_txs(){
 start_procs 1
 send_txs
 kill_procs
+
 start_procs 2
 
 # wait for node to handshake and make a new block
@@ -64,5 +65,6 @@ while [ "$h2" == "$h1" ]; do
 done
 
 kill_procs
+sleep 2
 
 echo "Passed Test: Persistence"