diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 588d284..497179a 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ CCFLAGS = %w(
              -Wno-missing-field-initializers
             ) + # Added -Wno-missing-field-initializers to shut GCC up over {0} struct initialisers
             [ENV['CFLAGS']]
-            
-LIBCHECK = File.exists?("/usr/lib/libcheck.a") ? 
+
+LIBCHECK = File.exists?("/usr/lib/libcheck.a") ?
   "/usr/lib/libcheck.a" :
   "/usr/local/lib/libcheck.a"
 
@@ -210,11 +210,13 @@ file check("flexnbd") =>
   gcc_link t.name, t.prerequisites + [LIBCHECK]
 end
 
+
 file check("control") =>
   %w{build/tests/check_control.o} + OBJECTS - ["build/main.o"] do |t|
   gcc_link t.name, t.prerequisites + [LIBCHECK]
 end
 
+
 (TEST_MODULES- %w{control flexnbd acl client serve readwrite util}).each do |m|
   tgt = "build/tests/check_#{m}.o"
   maybe_obj_name = "build/#{m}.o"
diff --git a/src/control.c b/src/control.c
index 3956123..1712968 100644
--- a/src/control.c
+++ b/src/control.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  *  by a blank line (i.e. double LF).  The first line is taken to be the command
  *  name to invoke, and the lines before the double LF are its arguments.
  *
- *  These commands can be invoked remotely from the command line, with the 
+ *  These commands can be invoked remotely from the command line, with the
  *  client code to be found in remote.c
  */
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 
 
 struct control * control_create(
-		struct flexnbd * flexnbd, 
+		struct flexnbd * flexnbd,
 		const char * csn)
 {
 	struct control * control = xmalloc( sizeof( struct control ) );
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ struct control * control_create(
 
 	control->flexnbd = flexnbd;
 	control->socket_name = csn;
+	control->open_signal = self_pipe_create();
 	control->close_signal = self_pipe_create();
 	control->mirror_state_mbox = mbox_create();
-	
+
 	return control;
 }
 
@@ -75,21 +76,22 @@ void control_destroy( struct control * control )
 
 	mbox_destroy( control->mirror_state_mbox );
 	self_pipe_destroy( control->close_signal );
+	self_pipe_destroy( control->open_signal );
 	free( control );
 }
 
-struct control_client * control_client_create( 
-		struct flexnbd * flexnbd, 
+struct control_client * control_client_create(
+		struct flexnbd * flexnbd,
 		int client_fd ,
 		struct mbox * state_mbox )
 {
 	NULLCHECK( flexnbd );
 
-	struct control_client * control_client = 
+	struct control_client * control_client =
 		xmalloc( sizeof( struct control_client ) );
 
 	control_client->socket = client_fd;
-	control_client->flexnbd = flexnbd; 
+	control_client->flexnbd = flexnbd;
 	control_client->mirror_state_mbox = state_mbox;
 	return control_client;
 }
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ void control_handle_client( struct control * control, int client_fd )
 	NULLCHECK( control );
 	NULLCHECK( control->flexnbd );
 	struct control_client * control_client =
-		control_client_create( 
+		control_client_create(
 				control->flexnbd,
 				client_fd ,
 				control->mirror_state_mbox);
@@ -152,7 +154,7 @@ int control_accept( struct control * control )
 	if ( self_pipe_fd_isset( control->close_signal, &fds ) ){
 		return 0;
 	}
-	
+
 	if ( FD_ISSET( control->control_fd, &fds ) ) {
 		control_accept_client( control );
 	}
@@ -170,27 +172,27 @@ int open_control_socket( const char * socket_name )
 {
 	struct sockaddr_un bind_address;
 	int control_fd;
-	
-	if (!socket_name) { 
+
+	if (!socket_name) {
 		fatal( "Tried to open a control socket without a socket name" );
 	}
 
 	control_fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	FATAL_IF_NEGATIVE(control_fd ,
 	  "Couldn't create control socket");
-	
+
 	memset(&bind_address, 0, sizeof(struct sockaddr_un));
 	bind_address.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
 	strncpy(bind_address.sun_path, socket_name, sizeof(bind_address.sun_path)-1);
-	
+
 	//unlink(socket_name); /* ignore failure */
-	
+
 	FATAL_IF_NEGATIVE(
 		bind(control_fd , &bind_address, sizeof(bind_address)),
 		"Couldn't bind control socket to %s: %s",
 		socket_name, strerror( errno )
 	);
-	
+
 	FATAL_IF_NEGATIVE(
 		listen(control_fd , 5),
 		"Couldn't listen on control socket"
@@ -205,17 +207,30 @@ void control_listen(struct control* control)
 	control->control_fd = open_control_socket( control->socket_name );
 }
 
+void control_wait_for_open_signal( struct control * control )
+{
+	fd_set fds;
+	FD_ZERO( &fds );
+	self_pipe_fd_set( control->open_signal, &fds );
+	FATAL_IF_NEGATIVE( select( FD_SETSIZE, &fds, NULL, NULL, NULL ),
+			   "select() failed" );
+
+	self_pipe_signal_clear( control->open_signal );
+}
+
 
 void control_serve( struct control * control )
 {
 	NULLCHECK( control );
+
+	control_wait_for_open_signal( control );
 	control_listen( control );
 	while( control_accept( control ) );
 }
 
 
-void control_cleanup( 
-		struct control * control, 
+void control_cleanup(
+		struct control * control,
 		int fatal __attribute__((unused)) )
 {
 	NULLCHECK( control );
@@ -272,7 +287,7 @@ void control_write_mirror_response( enum mirror_state mirror_state, int client_f
 
 
 /* Call this in the thread where you want to receive the mirror state */
-enum mirror_state control_client_mirror_wait( 
+enum mirror_state control_client_mirror_wait(
 		struct control_client* client)
 {
 	NULLCHECK( client );
@@ -281,14 +296,14 @@ enum mirror_state control_client_mirror_wait(
 	struct mbox * mbox = client->mirror_state_mbox;
 	enum mirror_state mirror_state;
 	enum mirror_state * contents;
-	
+
 	contents = (enum mirror_state*)mbox_receive( mbox );
 	NULLCHECK( contents );
-	
+
 	mirror_state = *contents;
-	
+
 	free( contents );
-	
+
 	return mirror_state;
 }
 
@@ -305,8 +320,8 @@ int control_mirror(struct control_client* client, int linesc, char** lines)
 	uint64_t max_Bps = 0;
 	int action_at_finish;
 	int raw_port;
-	
-	
+
+
 	if (linesc < 2) {
 		write_socket("1: mirror takes at least two parameters");
 		return -1;
@@ -316,7 +331,7 @@ int control_mirror(struct control_client* client, int linesc, char** lines)
 		write_socket("1: bad IP address");
 		return -1;
 	}
-	
+
 	raw_port = atoi(lines[1]);
 	if (raw_port < 0 || raw_port > 65535) {
 		write_socket("1: bad IP port number");
@@ -349,11 +364,11 @@ int control_mirror(struct control_client* client, int linesc, char** lines)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (linesc > 4) { 
-		max_Bps = atoi(lines[4]); 
+	if (linesc > 4) {
+		max_Bps = atoi(lines[4]);
 	}
-	
-	
+
+
 	if (linesc > 5) {
 		write_socket("1: unrecognised parameters to mirror");
 		return -1;
@@ -364,7 +379,7 @@ int control_mirror(struct control_client* client, int linesc, char** lines)
 	server_lock_start_mirror( serve );
 	{
 		if ( server_mirror_can_start( serve ) ) {
-			serve->mirror_super = mirror_super_create( 
+			serve->mirror_super = mirror_super_create(
 					serve->filename,
 					connect_to,
 					connect_from,
@@ -391,23 +406,23 @@ int control_mirror(struct control_client* client, int linesc, char** lines)
 	 */
 	if ( serve->mirror_super ) {
 		FATAL_IF( 0 != pthread_create(
-					&serve->mirror_super->thread, 
-					NULL, 
-					mirror_super_runner, 
+					&serve->mirror_super->thread,
+					NULL,
+					mirror_super_runner,
 					serve
 					),
 				"Failed to create mirror thread"
 			);
 
 		debug("Control thread mirror super waiting");
-		enum mirror_state state =  
+		enum mirror_state state =
 			control_client_mirror_wait( client );
 		debug("Control thread writing response");
 		control_write_mirror_response( state, client->socket );
 	}
 
 	debug( "Control thread going away." );
-	
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -427,7 +442,7 @@ int control_acl(struct control_client* client, int linesc, char** lines)
 	if (new_acl->len != linesc) {
 		warn("Bad ACL spec: %s", lines[new_acl->len] );
 		write(client->socket, "1: bad spec: ", 13);
-		write(client->socket, lines[new_acl->len], 
+		write(client->socket, lines[new_acl->len],
 				strlen(lines[new_acl->len]));
 		write(client->socket, "\n", 1);
 		acl_destroy( new_acl );
@@ -443,8 +458,8 @@ int control_acl(struct control_client* client, int linesc, char** lines)
 
 
 int control_break(
-		struct control_client* client, 
-		int linesc __attribute__ ((unused)), 
+		struct control_client* client,
+		int linesc __attribute__ ((unused)),
 		char** lines __attribute__((unused))
 		)
 {
@@ -466,7 +481,7 @@ int control_break(
 
 			if ( server_is_closed( serve ) ) {
 				info( "Mirror completed while canceling" );
-				write( client->socket, 
+				write( client->socket,
 						"1: mirror completed\n", 20 );
 			}
 			else {
@@ -489,15 +504,15 @@ int control_break(
 
 /** FIXME: add some useful statistics */
 int control_status(
-		struct control_client* client, 
-		int linesc __attribute__ ((unused)), 
+		struct control_client* client,
+		int linesc __attribute__ ((unused)),
 		char** lines __attribute__((unused))
 		)
 {
 	NULLCHECK( client );
 	NULLCHECK( client->flexnbd );
 	struct status * status = flexnbd_status_create( client->flexnbd );
-	
+
 	write( client->socket, "0: ", 3 );
 	status_write( status, client->socket );
 	status_destroy( status );
@@ -505,7 +520,7 @@ int control_status(
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void control_client_cleanup(struct control_client* client, 
+void control_client_cleanup(struct control_client* client,
 		int fatal __attribute__ ((unused)) )
 {
 	if (client->socket) { close(client->socket); }
@@ -524,7 +539,7 @@ void control_respond(struct control_client * client)
 
 	error_set_handler((cleanup_handler*) control_client_cleanup, client);
 
-	int i, linesc;		
+	int i, linesc;
 	linesc = read_lines_until_blankline(client->socket, 256, &lines);
 
 	if (linesc < 1)
diff --git a/src/control.h b/src/control.h
index cfd301f..977c565 100644
--- a/src/control.h
+++ b/src/control.h
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ struct control {
 	const char * socket_name;
 
 	pthread_t thread;
-	
+
+	struct self_pipe * open_signal;
 	struct self_pipe * close_signal;
 
 	/* This is owned by the control object, and used by a
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ struct control {
 struct control_client{
 	int              socket;
 	struct flexnbd * flexnbd;
-	
+
 	/* Passed in on creation.  We know it's all right to do this
 	 * because we know there's only ever one control_client.
 	 */
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ struct control_client{
 };
 
 struct control * control_create(
-		struct flexnbd *, 
+		struct flexnbd *,
 		const char * control_socket_name );
 void control_signal_close( struct control * );
 void control_destroy( struct control * );
diff --git a/src/flexnbd.c b/src/flexnbd.c
index f1ce5e0..9c34f5a 100644
--- a/src/flexnbd.c
+++ b/src/flexnbd.c
@@ -235,13 +235,15 @@ int flexnbd_serve( struct flexnbd * flexnbd )
 {
 	NULLCHECK( flexnbd );
 	int success;
+	struct self_pipe * open_signal = NULL;
 
 	if ( flexnbd->control ){
 		debug( "Spawning control thread" );
 		flexnbd_spawn_control( flexnbd );
+		open_signal = flexnbd->control->open_signal;
 	}
 
-	success = do_serve( flexnbd->serve );
+	success = do_serve( flexnbd->serve, open_signal );
 	debug("do_serve success is %d", success );
 
 	if ( flexnbd->control ) {
diff --git a/src/mirror.c b/src/mirror.c
index eb25318..e86505a 100644
--- a/src/mirror.c
+++ b/src/mirror.c
@@ -566,13 +566,6 @@ void * mirror_super_runner( void * serve_uncast )
 	}
 	while ( should_retry && !success );
 
-	serve->mirror = NULL;
-	serve->mirror_super = NULL;
-	server_allow_mirror_start( serve );
-
-	mirror_super_destroy( super );
-	debug( "Mirror supervisor done." );
-
 	return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mode.c b/src/mode.c
index 808eac7..37a1215 100644
--- a/src/mode.c
+++ b/src/mode.c
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ char * help_help_text = help_help_text_arr;
 
 
 
-int do_serve(struct server* params);
 void do_read(struct mode_readwrite_params* params);
 void do_write(struct mode_readwrite_params* params);
 void do_remote_command(char* command, char* mode, int argc, char** argv);
diff --git a/src/serve.c b/src/serve.c
index fcc4221..ca3022b 100644
--- a/src/serve.c
+++ b/src/serve.c
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ int server_accept( struct server * params )
 	if ( 0 < signal_fd && FD_ISSET( signal_fd, &fds ) ){
 		debug( "Stop signal received." );
 		server_close_clients( params );
-		params->success = serve_shutdown_is_graceful( params );
+		params->success = params->success && serve_shutdown_is_graceful( params );
 		should_continue = 0;
 	}
 
@@ -823,6 +823,7 @@ void serve_wait_for_close( struct server * serve )
  */
 void server_control_arrived( struct server *serve )
 {
+	debug( "server_control_arrived" );
 	NULLCHECK( serve );
 
 	if ( !serve->success ) {
@@ -908,6 +909,9 @@ int server_is_mirroring( struct server * serve )
 	return !!serve->mirror_super;
 }
 
+
+void mirror_super_destroy( struct mirror_super * super );
+
 /* This must only be called with the start_mirror lock held */
 void server_abandon_mirror( struct server * serve )
 {
@@ -924,6 +928,14 @@ void server_abandon_mirror( struct server * serve )
 		pthread_t tid = serve->mirror_super->thread;
 		pthread_join( tid, NULL );
 		debug( "Mirror thread %p pthread_join returned", tid );
+
+		server_allow_mirror_start( serve );
+		mirror_super_destroy( serve->mirror_super );
+
+		serve->mirror = NULL;
+		serve->mirror_super = NULL;
+
+		debug( "Mirror supervisor done." );
 	}
 }
 
@@ -934,7 +946,7 @@ int server_default_deny( struct server * serve )
 }
 
 /** Full lifecycle of the server */
-int do_serve(struct server* params)
+int do_serve( struct server* params, struct self_pipe * open_signal )
 {
 	NULLCHECK( params );
 
@@ -942,6 +954,11 @@ int do_serve(struct server* params)
 
 	error_set_handler((cleanup_handler*) serve_cleanup, params);
 	serve_open_server_socket(params);
+
+	/* Only signal that we are open for business once the server
+	   socket is open */
+	if ( NULL != open_signal ) { self_pipe_signal( open_signal ); }
+
 	serve_init_allocation_map(params);
 	serve_accept_loop(params);
 	success = params->success;
diff --git a/src/serve.h b/src/serve.h
index 332807b..2d44408 100644
--- a/src/serve.h
+++ b/src/serve.h
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ int server_mirror_can_start( struct server *serve );
 
 void server_unlink( struct server * serve );
 
-int do_serve( struct server * );
+int do_serve( struct server *, struct self_pipe * );
 
 struct mode_readwrite_params {
 	union mysockaddr     connect_to;
diff --git a/src/status.c b/src/status.c
index 0f53edc..dba9629 100644
--- a/src/status.c
+++ b/src/status.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ struct status * status_create( struct server * serve )
 
 	status = xmalloc( sizeof( struct status ) );
 	status->pid = getpid();
-	status->has_control = server_is_in_control( serve );
+	status->has_control = serve->success;
 	status->is_mirroring = NULL != serve->mirror;
 	return status;
 
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/flexnbd.rb b/tests/acceptance/flexnbd.rb
index 19e0188..e66ae75 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/flexnbd.rb
+++ b/tests/acceptance/flexnbd.rb
@@ -97,7 +97,9 @@ class ValgrindKillingExecutor
       when "line"
         @error.add_line( @text ) if @found
       when "error", "stack"
-        @killer.call( @error )
+        if @found
+          @killer.call( @error )
+        end
       when "pid"
         @error.pid=@text
       end
@@ -326,8 +328,10 @@ module FlexNBD
     def serve( file, *acl)
       cmd = serve_cmd( file, acl )
       run_serve_cmd( cmd )
+      sleep( 0.2 ) until File.exists?( ctrl )
     end
 
+
     def listen(file, *acl)
       run_serve_cmd( listen_cmd( file, acl ) )
     end
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/flexnbd/fake_source.rb b/tests/acceptance/flexnbd/fake_source.rb
index 1f14719..930c56a 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/flexnbd/fake_source.rb
+++ b/tests/acceptance/flexnbd/fake_source.rb
@@ -9,10 +9,16 @@ module FlexNBD
 
     def initialize( addr, port, err_msg, source_addr=nil, source_port=0 )
       timing_out( 2, err_msg ) do
-        @sock = if source_addr
-          TCPSocket.new( addr, port, source_addr, source_port )
-        else 
-          TCPSocket.new( addr, port )
+        begin
+          @sock = if source_addr
+                    TCPSocket.new( addr, port, source_addr, source_port )
+                  else
+                    TCPSocket.new( addr, port )
+                  end
+        rescue Errno::ECONNREFUSED
+          $stderr.puts "Connection refused, retrying"
+          sleep(0.2)
+          retry
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/tests/unit/check_status.c b/tests/unit/check_status.c
index 3b72c4b..518c630 100644
--- a/tests/unit/check_status.c
+++ b/tests/unit/check_status.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ START_TEST( test_gets_has_control )
 	struct server server;
 	struct status * status;
 
-	server.has_control = 1;
+	server.success = 1;
 	status = status_create( &server );
 
 	fail_unless( status->has_control == 1, "has_control wasn't copied" );
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ Suite *status_suite(void)
 int main(void)
 {
 	int number_failed;
-	
+
 	Suite *s = status_suite();
 	SRunner *sr = srunner_create(s);
 	srunner_run_all(sr, CK_NORMAL);