diff --git a/test/api-visibility.ts b/test/api-visibility.ts
index dd6c73f622..4cf6e5a3a6 100644
--- a/test/api-visibility.ts
+++ b/test/api-visibility.ts
@@ -16,20 +16,12 @@ process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import * as childProcess from 'child_process';
-import { async, signup, request, post } from './utils';
+import { async, signup, request, post, launchServer } from './utils';
 
 describe('API visibility', () => {
 	let p: childProcess.ChildProcess;
 
-	before(done => {
-		p = childProcess.spawn('node', [__dirname + '/../index.js'], {
-			stdio: ['inherit', 'inherit', 'ipc'],
-			env: { NODE_ENV: 'test', PATH: process.env.PATH }
-		});
-		p.on('message', message => {
-			if (message === 'ok') done();
-		});
-	});
+	before(launchServer(g => p = g));
 
 	after(() => {
 		p.kill();
diff --git a/test/mute.ts b/test/mute.ts
index defb2cea3c..1b1a8d7a51 100644
--- a/test/mute.ts
+++ b/test/mute.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import * as childProcess from 'child_process';
-import { async, signup, request, post, react, connectStream } from './utils';
+import { async, signup, request, post, react, connectStream, launchServer } from './utils';
 
 describe('Mute', () => {
 	let p: childProcess.ChildProcess;
@@ -26,21 +26,11 @@ describe('Mute', () => {
 	let bob: any;
 	let carol: any;
 
-	before(done => {
-		p = childProcess.spawn('node', [__dirname + '/../index.js'], {
-			stdio: ['inherit', 'inherit', 'ipc'],
-			env: { NODE_ENV: 'test', PATH: process.env.PATH }
-		});
-		p.on('message', async message => {
-			if (message === 'ok') {
-				(p.channel as any).onread = () => {};
-				alice = await signup({ username: 'alice' });
-				bob = await signup({ username: 'bob' });
-				carol = await signup({ username: 'carol' });
-				done();
-			}
-		});
-	});
+	before(launchServer(g => p = g, async () => {
+		alice = await signup({ username: 'alice' });
+		bob = await signup({ username: 'bob' });
+		carol = await signup({ username: 'carol' });
+	}));
 
 	after(() => {
 		p.kill();
diff --git a/test/note.ts b/test/note.ts
index 316ea46ec2..3aa12b5a61 100644
--- a/test/note.ts
+++ b/test/note.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import * as childProcess from 'child_process';
-import { async, signup, request, post, uploadFile } from './utils';
+import { async, signup, request, post, uploadFile, launchServer } from './utils';
 import { Note } from '../src/models/entities/note';
 import { initDb } from '../src/db/postgre';
 
@@ -27,23 +27,12 @@ describe('Note', () => {
 	let alice: any;
 	let bob: any;
 
-	before(done => {
-		p = childProcess.spawn('node', [__dirname + '/../index.js'], {
-			stdio: ['inherit', 'inherit', 'ipc'],
-			env: { NODE_ENV: 'test', PATH: process.env.PATH }
-		});
-		p.on('message', message => {
-			if (message === 'ok') {
-				(p.channel as any).onread = () => {};
-				initDb(true).then(async connection => {
-					Notes = connection.getRepository(Note);
-					alice = await signup({ username: 'alice' });
-					bob = await signup({ username: 'bob' });
-					done();
-				});
-			}
-		});
-	});
+	before(launchServer(g => p = g, async () => {
+		const connection = await initDb(true);
+		Notes = connection.getRepository(Note);
+		alice = await signup({ username: 'alice' });
+		bob = await signup({ username: 'bob' });
+	}));
 
 	after(() => {
 		p.kill();
diff --git a/test/streaming.ts b/test/streaming.ts
index 4d47deeeda..f923914c7e 100644
--- a/test/streaming.ts
+++ b/test/streaming.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import * as childProcess from 'child_process';
-import { connectStream, signup, request, post } from './utils';
+import { connectStream, signup, request, post, launchServer } from './utils';
 import { Following } from '../built/models/entities/following';
 const initDb = require('../built/db/postgre.js').initDb;
 
@@ -24,21 +24,10 @@ describe('Streaming', () => {
 	let p: childProcess.ChildProcess;
 	let Followings: any;
 
-	beforeEach(done => {
-		p = childProcess.spawn('node', [__dirname + '/../index.js'], {
-			stdio: ['inherit', 'inherit', 'ipc'],
-			env: { NODE_ENV: 'test', PATH: process.env.PATH }
-		});
-		p.on('message', message => {
-			if (message === 'ok') {
-				(p.channel as any).onread = () => {};
-				initDb(true).then(async (connection: any) => {
-					Followings = connection.getRepository(Following);
-					done();
-				});
-			}
-		});
-	});
+	beforeEach(launchServer(g => p = g, async () => {
+		const connection = await initDb(true);
+		Followings = connection.getRepository(Following);
+	}));
 
 	afterEach(() => {
 		p.kill();
diff --git a/test/user-notes.ts b/test/user-notes.ts
index 6091ede51b..5094180202 100644
--- a/test/user-notes.ts
+++ b/test/user-notes.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import * as childProcess from 'child_process';
-import { async, signup, request, post, uploadFile } from './utils';
+import { async, signup, request, post, uploadFile, launchServer } from './utils';
 
 describe('users/notes', () => {
 	let p: childProcess.ChildProcess;
@@ -26,32 +26,20 @@ describe('users/notes', () => {
 	let pngNote: any;
 	let jpgPngNote: any;
 
-	before(done => {
-		p = childProcess.spawn('node', [__dirname + '/../index.js'], {
-			stdio: ['inherit', 'inherit', 'ipc'],
-			env: { NODE_ENV: 'test', PATH: process.env.PATH }
+	before(launchServer(g => p = g, async () => {
+		alice = await signup({ username: 'alice' });
+		const jpg = await uploadFile(alice, __dirname + '/resources/Lenna.jpg');
+		const png = await uploadFile(alice, __dirname + '/resources/Lenna.png');
+		jpgNote = await post(alice, {
+			fileIds: [jpg.id]
 		});
-		p.on('message', async message => {
-			if (message === 'ok') {
-				(p.channel as any).onread = () => {};
-
-				alice = await signup({ username: 'alice' });
-				const jpg = await uploadFile(alice, __dirname + '/resources/Lenna.jpg');
-				const png = await uploadFile(alice, __dirname + '/resources/Lenna.png');
-				jpgNote = await post(alice, {
-					fileIds: [jpg.id]
-				});
-				pngNote = await post(alice, {
-					fileIds: [png.id]
-				});
-				jpgPngNote = await post(alice, {
-					fileIds: [jpg.id, png.id]
-				});
-
-				done();
-			}
+		pngNote = await post(alice, {
+			fileIds: [png.id]
 		});
-	});
+		jpgPngNote = await post(alice, {
+			fileIds: [jpg.id, png.id]
+		});
+	}));
 
 	after(() => {
 		p.kill();
diff --git a/test/utils.ts b/test/utils.ts
index f67baf0048..e9c9ca015e 100644
--- a/test/utils.ts
+++ b/test/utils.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as WebSocket from 'ws';
 const fetch = require('node-fetch');
 import * as req from 'request';
+import * as childProcess from 'child_process';
 
 export const async = (fn: Function) => (done: Function) => {
 	fn().then(() => {
@@ -102,3 +103,16 @@ export function connectStream(user: any, channel: string, listener: (message: Re
 		});
 	});
 }
+
+export function launchServer(callbackSpawnedProcess: (p: childProcess.ChildProcess) => void, moreProcess: () => Promise<void> = async () => {}) {
+	return (done: (err?: Error) => any) => {
+		const p = childProcess.spawn('node', [__dirname + '/../index.js'], {
+			stdio: ['inherit', 'inherit', 'ipc'],
+			env: { NODE_ENV: 'test', PATH: process.env.PATH }
+		});
+		callbackSpawnedProcess(p)
+		p.on('message', message => {
+			if (message === 'ok') moreProcess().then(() => done()).catch(e => done(e));
+		});
+	};
+}