diff --git a/test/p2p/atomic_broadcast/test.sh b/test/p2p/atomic_broadcast/test.sh
index 3b78166d6..3eef2d5eb 100644
--- a/test/p2p/atomic_broadcast/test.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/atomic_broadcast/test.sh
@@ -1,52 +1,21 @@
 #! /bin/bash
+set -u
+
+N=$1
 
 ###################################################################
-# wait for all peers to come online
+# assumes peers are already synced up
+# test sending txs
 # for each peer:
-# 	wait to have 3 peers
-#	wait to be at height > 1
 #	send a tx, wait for commit
 #	assert app hash on every peer reflects the post tx state
 ###################################################################
 
-N=4
-
-# wait for everyone to come online
-echo "Waiting for nodes to come online"
-for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
-	addr=$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46657
-	curl -s $addr/status > /dev/null
-	ERR=$?
-	while [ "$ERR" != 0 ]; do
-		sleep 1	
-		curl -s $addr/status > /dev/null
-		ERR=$?
-	done
-	echo "... node $i is up"
-done
-
 echo ""
 # run the test on each of them
 for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
 	addr=$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46657
 
-	# - assert everyone has 3 other peers
-	N_PEERS=`curl -s $addr/net_info | jq '.result[1].peers | length'`
-	while [ "$N_PEERS" != 3 ]; do
-		echo "Waiting for node $i to connect to all peers ..."
-		sleep 1
-		N_PEERS=`curl -s $addr/net_info | jq '.result[1].peers | length'`
-	done
-
-	# - assert block height is greater than 1
-	BLOCK_HEIGHT=`curl -s $addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_block_height`
-	while [ "$BLOCK_HEIGHT" -le 1 ]; do
-		echo "Waiting for node $i to commit a block ..."
-		sleep 1
-		BLOCK_HEIGHT=`curl -s $addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_block_height`
-	done
-	echo "Node $i is connected to all peers and at block $BLOCK_HEIGHT"
-
 	# current state
 	HASH1=`curl -s $addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_app_hash`
 	
diff --git a/test/p2p/basic/test.sh b/test/p2p/basic/test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3399515a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/p2p/basic/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+set -u
+
+N=$1
+
+###################################################################
+# wait for all peers to come online
+# for each peer:
+# 	wait to have N-1 peers
+#	wait to be at height > 1
+###################################################################
+
+# wait for everyone to come online
+echo "Waiting for nodes to come online"
+for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
+	addr=$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46657
+	curl -s $addr/status > /dev/null
+	ERR=$?
+	while [ "$ERR" != 0 ]; do
+		sleep 1	
+		curl -s $addr/status > /dev/null
+		ERR=$?
+	done
+	echo "... node $i is up"
+done
+
+echo ""
+# wait for each of them to sync up
+for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
+	addr=$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46657
+	N_1=$(($N - 1))
+
+	# - assert everyone has N-1 other peers
+	N_PEERS=`curl -s $addr/net_info | jq '.result[1].peers | length'`
+	while [ "$N_PEERS" != $N_1 ]; do
+		echo "Waiting for node $i to connect to all peers ..."
+		sleep 1
+		N_PEERS=`curl -s $addr/net_info | jq '.result[1].peers | length'`
+	done
+
+	# - assert block height is greater than 1
+	BLOCK_HEIGHT=`curl -s $addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_block_height`
+	while [ "$BLOCK_HEIGHT" -le 1 ]; do
+		echo "Waiting for node $i to commit a block ..."
+		sleep 1
+		BLOCK_HEIGHT=`curl -s $addr/status | jq .result[1].latest_block_height`
+	done
+	echo "Node $i is connected to all peers and at block $BLOCK_HEIGHT"
+done
+
+echo ""
+echo "PASS"
+echo ""
diff --git a/test/p2p/fast_sync/restart_peer.sh b/test/p2p/fast_sync/check_peer.sh
similarity index 81%
rename from test/p2p/fast_sync/restart_peer.sh
rename to test/p2p/fast_sync/check_peer.sh
index 7a5453f00..c459277d2 100644
--- a/test/p2p/fast_sync/restart_peer.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/fast_sync/check_peer.sh
@@ -2,15 +2,14 @@
 set -eu
 set -o pipefail
 
-###############################################################
-# for each peer:
-# 	kill peer
-# 	bring it back online via fast sync
-# 	check app hash
-###############################################################
-
 ID=$1
 
+###########################################
+#
+# Wait for peer to catchup to other peers
+#
+###########################################
+
 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
diff --git a/test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh b/test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh
index 43c5d041a..b4ac90f99 100644
--- a/test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh
@@ -3,26 +3,13 @@ set -eu
 
 DOCKER_IMAGE=$1
 NETWORK_NAME=$2
-COUNT=$3
-N=$4
+N=$3
 
-echo "Testing fasysync on node $COUNT"
+cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
 
-# kill peer 
-set +e # circle sigh :(
-docker rm -vf local_testnet_$COUNT
-set -e 
-
-# restart peer - should have an empty blockchain
-SEEDS="$(test/p2p/ip.sh 1):46656"
-for j in `seq 2 $N`; do
-	SEEDS="$SEEDS,$(test/p2p/ip.sh $j):46656"
+# run it on each of them
+for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
+	bash test/p2p/fast_sync/test_peer.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $i $N
 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"
 
-echo ""
-echo "PASS"
-echo ""
 
diff --git a/test/p2p/fast_sync/test_peer.sh b/test/p2p/fast_sync/test_peer.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d3c101293
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/p2p/fast_sync/test_peer.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+set -eu
+
+DOCKER_IMAGE=$1
+NETWORK_NAME=$2
+COUNT=$3
+N=$4
+
+###############################################################
+# this runs on each peer:
+# 	kill peer
+# 	bring it back online via fast sync
+# 	wait for it to sync and check the app hash
+###############################################################
+
+
+echo "Testing fasysync on node $COUNT"
+
+# kill peer 
+set +e # circle sigh :(
+docker rm -vf local_testnet_$COUNT
+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 $COUNT $SEEDS
+
+# wait for peer to sync and check the app hash
+bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME fs_$COUNT "test/p2p/fast_sync/check_peer.sh $COUNT"
+
+echo ""
+echo "PASS"
+echo ""
+
diff --git a/test/p2p/local_testnet.sh b/test/p2p/local_testnet.sh
index 9380adfd4..50297d62d 100644
--- a/test/p2p/local_testnet.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/local_testnet.sh
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ set -eu
 
 DOCKER_IMAGE=$1
 NETWORK_NAME=$2
+N=$3
 
 cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
 
 # create docker network
 docker network create --driver bridge --subnet 172.57.0.0/16 $NETWORK_NAME
 
-N=4
 seeds="$(test/p2p/ip.sh 1):46656"
 for i in `seq 2 $N`; do
 	seeds="$seeds,$(test/p2p/ip.sh $i):46656"
diff --git a/test/p2p/test.sh b/test/p2p/test.sh
index 9ca50737c..7a64d464a 100644
--- a/test/p2p/test.sh
+++ b/test/p2p/test.sh
@@ -3,18 +3,21 @@ set -eu
 
 DOCKER_IMAGE=$1
 NETWORK_NAME=local_testnet
+N=4
 
 cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/tendermint
 
 # start the testnet on a local network
-bash test/p2p/local_testnet.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME
+bash test/p2p/local_testnet.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N
 
-# test atomic broadcast
-bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME ab test/p2p/atomic_broadcast/test.sh
+# test basic connectivity and consensus
+# start client container and check the num peers and height for all nodes
+bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME basic "test/p2p/basic/test.sh $N"
 
-# test fast sync (from current state of network)
-# run it on each of them
-N=4
-for i in `seq 1 $N`; do
-	bash test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $i $N
-done
+# test atomic broadcast:
+# start client container and test sending a tx to each node
+bash test/p2p/client.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME ab "test/p2p/atomic_broadcast/test.sh $N"
+
+# test fast sync (from current state of network):
+# for each node, kill it and readd via fast sync
+bash test/p2p/fast_sync/test.sh $DOCKER_IMAGE $NETWORK_NAME $N