diff --git a/tests/test_app/app.go b/tests/test_app/app.go
index 59d7aec4b..f7ecbef5e 100644
--- a/tests/test_app/app.go
+++ b/tests/test_app/app.go
@@ -4,34 +4,12 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"time"
 
 	abcicli "github.com/tendermint/abci/client"
 	"github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/process"
 )
 
-func startApp(abciApp string) *process.Process {
-	// Start the app
-	//outBuf := NewBufferCloser(nil)
-	proc, err := process.StartProcess("abci_app",
-		"",
-		"bash",
-		[]string{"-c", fmt.Sprintf("abci-cli %s", abciApp)},
-		nil,
-		os.Stdout,
-	)
-	if err != nil {
-		panicf("running abci_app: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	// TODO a better way to handle this?
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
-
-	return proc
-}
-
 func startClient(abciType string) abcicli.Client {
 	// Start client
 	client, err := abcicli.NewClient("tcp://127.0.0.1:46658", abciType, true)
diff --git a/tests/test_app/main.go b/tests/test_app/main.go
index 376c02fe5..e6b116168 100644
--- a/tests/test_app/main.go
+++ b/tests/test_app/main.go
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
 )
@@ -20,6 +23,19 @@ func main() {
 	testCounter()
 }
 
+func ensureABCIIsUp(subCommand string, n int) error {
+	var err error
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		cmd := exec.Command("bash", "-c", "abci-cli", subCommand)
+		_, err = cmd.CombinedOutput()
+		if err == nil {
+			break
+		}
+		<-time.After(500 * time.Second)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
 func testCounter() {
 	abciApp := os.Getenv("ABCI_APP")
 	if abciApp == "" {
@@ -27,8 +43,18 @@ func testCounter() {
 	}
 
 	fmt.Printf("Running %s test with abci=%s\n", abciApp, abciType)
-	appProc := startApp(abciApp)
-	defer appProc.StopProcess(true)
+	cmd := exec.Command("bash", "-c", fmt.Sprintf("abci-cli %s", abciApp))
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("starting %q err: %v", abciApp, err)
+	}
+	defer cmd.Wait()
+	defer cmd.Process.Kill()
+
+	if err := ensureABCIIsUp("echo", 5); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("echo failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	client := startClient(abciType)
 	defer client.Stop()