diff --git a/features/step_definitions/errors.rb b/features/step_definitions/errors.rb
index 554e07857..398d81d45 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/errors.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/errors.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 
 When /^I preprocess data$/ do
   begin
-    osrm_kill
     reprocess
   rescue OSRMError => e
     @process_error = e
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/requests.rb b/features/step_definitions/requests.rb
index df26ff29e..6b8045d36 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/requests.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/requests.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 When /^I request \/(.*)$/ do |path|
-  osrm_kill
   reprocess
   OSRMLauncher.new do
     @response = request_path path
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/routing.rb b/features/step_definitions/routing.rb
index eebb5211e..8ed4e6739 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/routing.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/routing.rb
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ Then /^"([^"]*)" should be returned$/ do |route|
 end
 
 Then /^routability should be$/ do |table|
-  osrm_kill
   build_ways_from_table table
   reprocess
   actual = []
@@ -176,7 +175,6 @@ Then /^routability should be$/ do |table|
 end
 
 When /^I route I should get$/ do |table|
-  osrm_kill
   reprocess
   actual = []
   OSRMLauncher.new do
@@ -265,3 +263,11 @@ When /^I route I should get$/ do |table|
   end
   table.routing_diff! actual
 end
+
+When /^I route (\d+) times I should get$/ do |n,table|
+  ok = true
+  n.to_i.times do
+    ok = false unless step "I route I should get", table
+  end
+  ok
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/features/stress/launch.feature b/features/stress/launch.feature
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..752a405be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/stress/launch.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+@stress @launch
+Feature: Launching and shutting down
+	
+	Background:
+		Given the speedprofile "testbot"
+	
+	Scenario: Repeated launch and shutdown
+		Given a grid size of 10000 meters
+		Given the node map
+		 | h | a | b |
+		 | g | x | c |
+		 | f | e | d |
+
+		And the ways
+		 | nodes | highway   |
+		 | xa    | primary   |
+		 | xb    | primary   |
+		 | xc    | primary   |
+		 | xd    | primary   |
+		 | xe    | primary   |
+		 | xf    | primary   |
+		 | xg    | primary   |
+		 | xh    | primary   |
+
+ 		When I route 100 times I should get
+ 		 | from | to | route |
+ 		 | x    | a  | xa    |
+ 		 | x    | b  | xb    |
+ 		 | x    | c  | xc    |
+ 		 | x    | d  | xd    |
+ 		 | x    | e  | xe    |
+ 		 | x    | f  | xf    |
+ 		 | x    | g  | xg    |
+ 		 | x    | h  | xh    |
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/features/support/config.rb b/features/support/config.rb
index f5d9efc03..24b76cb7a 100644
--- a/features/support/config.rb
+++ b/features/support/config.rb
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def write_server_ini
   s=<<-EOF
 Threads = 1
 IP = 0.0.0.0
-Port = 5000
+Port = #{OSRM_PORT}
 
 hsgrData=#{@osm_file}.osrm.hsgr
 nodesData=#{@osm_file}.osrm.nodes
diff --git a/features/support/env.rb b/features/support/env.rb
index 9fb7ec8d1..faf1c82f5 100644
--- a/features/support/env.rb
+++ b/features/support/env.rb
@@ -1 +1,11 @@
-require 'rspec/expectations'
\ No newline at end of file
+require 'rspec/expectations'
+
+DEFAULT_PORT = 5000
+
+if ENV["OSRM_PORT"]
+  OSRM_PORT = ENV["OSRM_PORT"].to_i
+  puts "Port set to #{OSRM_PORT}"
+else
+  OSRM_PORT = DEFAULT_PORT
+  puts "Using default port #{OSRM_PORT}"
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/features/support/hooks.rb b/features/support/hooks.rb
index 30579c52b..41f9b3d79 100644
--- a/features/support/hooks.rb
+++ b/features/support/hooks.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+
+STRESS_TIMEOUT = 300
+
 Before do |scenario|
   @scenario_title = scenario.title
   @scenario_time = Time.now.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%m:%SZ")
@@ -7,12 +10,11 @@ Before do |scenario|
   set_grid_size DEFAULT_GRID_SIZE
 end
 
-Around('@routing') do |scenario, block|
-  Timeout.timeout(10) do
+Around('@stress') do |scenario, block|
+ Timeout.timeout(STRESS_TIMEOUT) do
     block.call
   end
 end
 
 After do
-  osrm_kill
 end
diff --git a/features/support/launch.rb b/features/support/launch.rb
index d125985ac..7706ca0ea 100644
--- a/features/support/launch.rb
+++ b/features/support/launch.rb
@@ -1,71 +1,83 @@
 require 'socket'
 require 'sys/proctable'
 
+LAUNCH_TIMEOUT = 5
+SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT = 5
+
 class OSRMLauncher
   def initialize &block
     Dir.chdir TEST_FOLDER do
-      osrm_up
-      yield
-      osrm_down
-    end
-  end
-end
-
-def each_process name, &block
-  Sys::ProcTable.ps do |process|
-    if process.comm.strip == name.strip
-      yield process.pid.to_i, process.state.strip
+      begin
+        begin
+          Timeout.timeout(LAUNCH_TIMEOUT) do
+            osrm_up
+            wait_for_connection
+          end
+        rescue Timeout::Error
+          raise "*** Launching osrm-routed timed out."
+        end
+        yield
+      ensure
+        begin
+          Timeout.timeout(SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT) do
+            osrm_down
+          end
+        rescue Timeout::Error
+          raise "*** Shutting down osrm-routed timed out."
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end
 
 def osrm_up?
-  find_pid('osrm-routed') != nil
-end
-
-def find_pid name
-  each_process(name) { |pid,state| return pid.to_i }
-  return nil
+  if @pipe
+    begin
+      Process.getpgid @pipe.pid
+      true
+    rescue Errno::ESRCH
+      false
+    end
+  else
+    false
+  end
 end
 
 def osrm_up
   return if osrm_up?
-  pipe = IO.popen('../osrm-routed 1>>osrm-routed.log 2>>osrm-routed.log')
-  timeout = 5
-  (timeout*10).times do
+  #exec avoids popen running osrm-routed inside a shell
+  #if the cmd is run inside a shell, popen returns the pid for the shell, and if we try to kill it,
+  #the child process is orphaned, and we can't terminate it.
+  @pipe = IO.popen('exec ../osrm-routed 1>>osrm-routed.log 2>>osrm-routed.log')
+end
+
+def osrm_down
+  if @pipe
+    Process.kill 'TERM', @pipe.pid
+    wait_for_shutdown
+    @pipe = nil
+  end
+end
+
+def kill
+  if @pipe
+    Process.kill 'KILL', @pipe.pid
+  end
+end
+
+def wait_for_connection
+  while true
     begin
-      socket = TCPSocket.new('localhost', 5000)
-      socket.puts 'ping'
+      socket = TCPSocket.new('localhost', OSRM_PORT)
+      return
     rescue Errno::ECONNREFUSED
       sleep 0.1
     end
   end
-  sleep 0.1
 end
 
-def osrm_down
-  each_process('osrm-routed') { |pid,state| Process.kill 'TERM', pid }
-  each_process('osrm-prepare') { |pid,state| Process.kill 'TERM', pid }
-  each_process('osrm-extract') { |pid,state| Process.kill 'TERM', pid }
-  wait_for_shutdown 'osrm-routed'
-  wait_for_shutdown 'osrm-prepare'
-  wait_for_shutdown 'osrm-extract'  
-end
-
-def osrm_kill
-  each_process('osrm-routed') { |pid,state| Process.kill 'KILL', pid }
-  each_process('osrm-prepare') { |pid,state| Process.kill 'KILL', pid }
-  each_process('osrm-extract') { |pid,state| Process.kill 'KILL', pid }
-  wait_for_shutdown 'osrm-routed'
-  wait_for_shutdown 'osrm-prepare'
-  wait_for_shutdown 'osrm-extract'  
-end
-
-def wait_for_shutdown name
-  timeout = 10
-  (timeout*10).times do
-    return if find_pid(name) == nil
+def wait_for_shutdown
+  while osrm_up?
     sleep 0.1
   end
-  raise "*** Could not terminate #{name}."
 end
diff --git a/features/support/request.rb b/features/support/request.rb
index 6d4cd1288..8aeac53db 100644
--- a/features/support/request.rb
+++ b/features/support/request.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 require 'net/http'
 
-HOST = 'http://localhost:5000'
+HOST = "http://localhost:#{OSRM_PORT}"
+REQUEST_TIMEOUT = 1
 
 def request_path path
   @query = path
   log path
   uri = URI.parse "#{HOST}/#{path}"
-  Net::HTTP.get_response uri
+  Timeout.timeout(REQUEST_TIMEOUT) do
+    Net::HTTP.get_response uri
+  end
 rescue Errno::ECONNREFUSED => e
   raise "*** osrm-routed is not running."
 rescue Timeout::Error