diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index a54978fcc..c911dd876 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -43,15 +43,16 @@ type Client interface {
 
 //----------------------------------------
 
+// NewClient returns a new ABCI client of the specified transport type.
+// It returns an error if the transport is not "socket" or "grpc"
 func NewClient(addr, transport string, mustConnect bool) (client Client, err error) {
 	switch transport {
 	case "socket":
-		client, err = NewSocketClient(addr, mustConnect)
+		client = NewSocketClient(addr, mustConnect)
 	case "grpc":
-		client, err = NewGRPCClient(addr, mustConnect)
+		client = NewGRPCClient(addr, mustConnect)
 	default:
 		err = fmt.Errorf("Unknown abci transport %s", transport)
-
 	}
 	return
 }
diff --git a/client/grpc_client.go b/client/grpc_client.go
index 25783101e..9743cdf62 100644
--- a/client/grpc_client.go
+++ b/client/grpc_client.go
@@ -27,14 +27,13 @@ type grpcClient struct {
 	resCb func(*types.Request, *types.Response) // listens to all callbacks
 }
 
-func NewGRPCClient(addr string, mustConnect bool) (*grpcClient, error) {
+func NewGRPCClient(addr string, mustConnect bool) *grpcClient {
 	cli := &grpcClient{
 		addr:        addr,
 		mustConnect: mustConnect,
 	}
 	cli.BaseService = *cmn.NewBaseService(nil, "grpcClient", cli)
-	_, err := cli.Start() // Just start it, it's confusing for callers to remember to start.
-	return cli, err
+	return cli
 }
 
 func dialerFunc(addr string, timeout time.Duration) (net.Conn, error) {
diff --git a/client/socket_client.go b/client/socket_client.go
index dd3e2903b..f95eac5cc 100644
--- a/client/socket_client.go
+++ b/client/socket_client.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ type socketClient struct {
 
 }
 
-func NewSocketClient(addr string, mustConnect bool) (*socketClient, error) {
+func NewSocketClient(addr string, mustConnect bool) *socketClient {
 	cli := &socketClient{
 		reqQueue:    make(chan *ReqRes, reqQueueSize),
 		flushTimer:  cmn.NewThrottleTimer("socketClient", flushThrottleMS),
@@ -53,10 +53,7 @@ func NewSocketClient(addr string, mustConnect bool) (*socketClient, error) {
 		resCb:   nil,
 	}
 	cli.BaseService = *cmn.NewBaseService(nil, "socketClient", cli)
-	// FIXME we are loosing "Starting socketClient" message here
-	// add logger to params?
-	_, err := cli.Start() // Just start it, it's confusing for callers to remember to start.
-	return cli, err
+	return cli
 }
 
 func (cli *socketClient) OnStart() error {
diff --git a/cmd/abci-cli/abci-cli.go b/cmd/abci-cli/abci-cli.go
index f4fe45fee..3cf6ab894 100644
--- a/cmd/abci-cli/abci-cli.go
+++ b/cmd/abci-cli/abci-cli.go
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func main() {
 
 func before(c *cli.Context) error {
 	if logger == nil {
-		logger = log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout))
+		logger = log.NewFilter(log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout)), log.AllowError())
 	}
 	if client == nil {
 		var err error
@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@ func before(c *cli.Context) error {
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 		client.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-client"))
+		if _, err := client.Start(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/example/block_aware/block_aware_test.go b/example/block_aware/block_aware_test.go
index 6d42b876e..817deec63 100644
--- a/example/block_aware/block_aware_test.go
+++ b/example/block_aware/block_aware_test.go
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ func TestChainAware(t *testing.T) {
 	defer srv.Stop()
 
 	// Connect to the socket
-	client, err := abcicli.NewSocketClient("unix://test.sock", false)
-	if err != nil {
+	client := abcicli.NewSocketClient("unix://test.sock", false)
+	if _, err := client.Start(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Error starting socket client: %v", err.Error())
 	}
 	client.SetLogger(log.TestingLogger().With("module", "abci-client"))
diff --git a/example/dummy/dummy_test.go b/example/dummy/dummy_test.go
index f805dd73c..8ef36d077 100644
--- a/example/dummy/dummy_test.go
+++ b/example/dummy/dummy_test.go
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@ func makeSocketClientServer(app types.Application, name string) (abcicli.Client,
 	server.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
 
 	// Connect to the socket
-	client, err := abcicli.NewSocketClient(socket, false)
-	if err != nil {
+	client := abcicli.NewSocketClient(socket, false)
+	if _, err := client.Start(); err != nil {
 		server.Stop()
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ func makeGRPCClientServer(app types.Application, name string) (abcicli.Client, c
 	}
 	server.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
 
-	client, err := abcicli.NewGRPCClient(socket, true)
-	if err != nil {
+	client := abcicli.NewGRPCClient(socket, true)
+	if _, err := client.Start(); err != nil {
 		server.Stop()
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/example/example_test.go b/example/example_test.go
index 85c13d7d6..cdb44082f 100644
--- a/example/example_test.go
+++ b/example/example_test.go
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ func testStream(t *testing.T, app types.Application) {
 	defer server.Stop()
 
 	// Connect to the socket
-	client, err := abcicli.NewSocketClient("unix://test.sock", false)
-	if err != nil {
+	client := abcicli.NewSocketClient("unix://test.sock", false)
+	if _, err := client.Start(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Error starting socket client: %v", err.Error())
 	}
 	client.SetLogger(log.TestingLogger().With("module", "abci-client"))
diff --git a/glide.lock b/glide.lock
index 76fa6c5fb..55c5cdb38 100644
--- a/glide.lock
+++ b/glide.lock
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 hash: f9c2ddad16bf8652076a93bd9f398bb498eefb2f5bd2c89a77d966ebd12feec8
-updated: 2017-05-05T14:57:21.118338652-04:00
+updated: 2017-05-15T10:11:42.094564957-04:00
 imports:
 - name: github.com/btcsuite/btcd
-  version: 4b348c1d33373d672edd83fc576892d0e46686d2
+  version: b8df516b4b267acf2de46be593a9d948d1d2c420
   subpackages:
   - btcec
+- name: github.com/btcsuite/fastsha256
+  version: 637e656429416087660c84436a2a035d69d54e2e
+- name: github.com/clipperhouse/typewriter
+  version: c1a48da378ebb7db1db9f35981b5cc24bf2e5b85
 - name: github.com/go-kit/kit
-  version: 0873e56b0faeae3a1d661b10d629135508ea5504
+  version: d67bb4c202e3b91377d1079b110a6c9ce23ab2f8
   subpackages:
   - log
   - log/level
@@ -14,7 +18,7 @@ imports:
 - name: github.com/go-logfmt/logfmt
   version: 390ab7935ee28ec6b286364bba9b4dd6410cb3d5
 - name: github.com/go-stack/stack
-  version: 7a2f19628aabfe68f0766b59e74d6315f8347d22
+  version: 100eb0c0a9c5b306ca2fb4f165df21d80ada4b82
 - name: github.com/golang/protobuf
   version: 18c9bb3261723cd5401db4d0c9fbc5c3b6c70fe8
   subpackages:
@@ -27,7 +31,7 @@ imports:
 - name: github.com/kr/logfmt
   version: b84e30acd515aadc4b783ad4ff83aff3299bdfe0
 - name: github.com/pkg/errors
-  version: c605e284fe17294bda444b34710735b29d1a9d90
+  version: ff09b135c25aae272398c51a07235b90a75aa4f0
 - name: github.com/syndtr/goleveldb
   version: 8c81ea47d4c41a385645e133e15510fc6a2a74b4
   subpackages:
@@ -49,17 +53,17 @@ imports:
   - edwards25519
   - extra25519
 - name: github.com/tendermint/go-crypto
-  version: 524ba917a3a1636f21ab2c0bf76b6526903ab879
+  version: a42b10e0feb465eb56fbc6bb5b71d57ef646ec57
 - name: github.com/tendermint/go-wire
-  version: b53add0b622662731985485f3a19be7f684660b8
+  version: 301a758c9d28e9f3900ff5d545403cf4e5f6e73f
   subpackages:
   - data
 - name: github.com/tendermint/merkleeyes
-  version: d0aa363fd4e015e509038c3a0ec493bc62ee0b8a
+  version: c722818b460381bc5b82e38c73ff6e22a9df624d
   subpackages:
   - iavl
 - name: github.com/tendermint/tmlibs
-  version: d72136da0df105944199c9e04035147fc6a4befa
+  version: 812d9f9b84d1dfe4cb46ce021b3a2d97b48d1292
   subpackages:
   - common
   - db
@@ -67,9 +71,9 @@ imports:
   - merkle
   - process
 - name: github.com/urfave/cli
-  version: ab403a54a148f2d857920810291539e1f817ee7b
+  version: d70f47eeca3afd795160003bc6e28b001d60c67c
 - name: golang.org/x/crypto
-  version: 5a033cc77e57eca05bdb50522851d29e03569cbe
+  version: c7af5bf2638a1164f2eb5467c39c6cffbd13a02e
   subpackages:
   - nacl/secretbox
   - openpgp/armor
@@ -94,6 +98,11 @@ imports:
   - transform
   - unicode/bidi
   - unicode/norm
+- name: golang.org/x/tools
+  version: 144c6642b5d832d6c44a53dad6ee61665dd432ce
+  subpackages:
+  - go/ast/astutil
+  - imports
 - name: google.golang.org/genproto
   version: 411e09b969b1170a9f0c467558eb4c4c110d9c77
   subpackages:
@@ -116,7 +125,7 @@ imports:
   - transport
 testImports:
 - name: github.com/davecgh/go-spew
-  version: 04cdfd42973bb9c8589fd6a731800cf222fde1a9
+  version: 6d212800a42e8ab5c146b8ace3490ee17e5225f9
   subpackages:
   - spew
 - name: github.com/pmezard/go-difflib
@@ -124,7 +133,7 @@ testImports:
   subpackages:
   - difflib
 - name: github.com/stretchr/testify
-  version: 4d4bfba8f1d1027c4fdbe371823030df51419987
+  version: 69483b4bd14f5845b5a1e55bca19e954e827f1d0
   subpackages:
   - assert
   - require
diff --git a/tests/test_app/app.go b/tests/test_app/app.go
index a88a05fd6..3930957d7 100644
--- a/tests/test_app/app.go
+++ b/tests/test_app/app.go
@@ -36,8 +36,12 @@ func startClient(abciType string) abcicli.Client {
 	// Start client
 	client, err := abcicli.NewClient("tcp://127.0.0.1:46658", abciType, true)
 	if err != nil {
+		panic(err.Error())
+	}
+	if _, err := client.Start(); err != nil {
 		panic("connecting to abci_app: " + err.Error())
 	}
+
 	logger := log.NewTMLogger(log.NewSyncWriter(os.Stdout))
 	client.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abcicli"))
 	return client