diff --git a/test/dorkboxTest/network/BaseTest.kt b/test/dorkboxTest/network/BaseTest.kt
index 9ffa7e5e..09ac89ce 100644
--- a/test/dorkboxTest/network/BaseTest.kt
+++ b/test/dorkboxTest/network/BaseTest.kt
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 
 abstract class BaseTest {
-    private val lock = Any()
+    @Volatile
     private var latch = CountDownLatch(1)
 
     @Volatile
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ abstract class BaseTest {
         }
 
         fun setLogLevel(level: Level) {
+            println("Log level: $level")
+
             // assume SLF4J is bound to logback in the current environment
             val rootLogger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(org.slf4j.Logger.ROOT_LOGGER_NAME) as Logger
             rootLogger.level = level
@@ -127,13 +129,13 @@ abstract class BaseTest {
             consoleAppender.encoder = encoder
             consoleAppender.start()
             rootLogger.addAppender(consoleAppender)
-//
+
 //            context.getLogger(Server::class.simpleName).trace("TESTING")
 //            context.getLogger(Client::class.simpleName).trace("TESTING")
         }
 
         // wait minimum of 2 minutes before we automatically fail the unit test.
-        var AUTO_FAIL_TIMEOUT: Long = 120
+        var AUTO_FAIL_TIMEOUT: Long = 120L
 
         init {
             if (OS.javaVersion >= 9) {
@@ -177,19 +179,19 @@ abstract class BaseTest {
         // we must always make sure that aeron is shut-down before starting again.
         while (Server.isRunning(serverConfig())) {
             println("Aeron was still running. Waiting for it to stop...")
-            Thread.sleep(2000)
+            sleep(2000)
         }
     }
 
     fun addEndPoint(endPointConnection: EndPoint<*>) {
         endPointConnections.add(endPointConnection)
-        synchronized(lock) { latch = CountDownLatch(endPointConnections.size + 1) }
+        latch = CountDownLatch(endPointConnections.size + 1)
     }
 
     /**
      * Immediately stop the endpoints
      */
-    fun stopEndPoints(stopAfterMillis: Long = 0) {
+    fun stopEndPoints(stopAfterMillis: Long = 0L) {
         if (isStopping) {
             return
         }
@@ -197,23 +199,31 @@ abstract class BaseTest {
 
         // not the best, but this works for our purposes. This is a TAD hacky, because we ALSO have to make sure that we
         // ARE NOT in the same thread group as netty!
-        sleep(stopAfterMillis)
+        if (stopAfterMillis > 0L) {
+            sleep(stopAfterMillis)
+        }
 
-        synchronized(lock) {}
+        // we start with "1", so make sure adjust if we want an accurate count
+        println("Shutting down ${endPointConnections.size} (${latch.count - 1}) endpoints...")
+
+        val remainingConnections = mutableListOf<EndPoint<*>>()
 
         // shutdown clients first
-        for (endPoint in endPointConnections) {
+        endPointConnections.forEach { endPoint ->
             if (endPoint is Client) {
                 endPoint.close()
                 latch.countDown()
+                println("Done with ${endPoint.type.simpleName}")
+            } else {
+                remainingConnections.add(endPoint)
             }
         }
-        // shutdown servers last
-        for (endPoint in endPointConnections) {
-            if (endPoint is Server) {
-                endPoint.close()
-                latch.countDown()
-            }
+
+        // shutdown everything else (should only be servers) last
+        println("Shutting down ${remainingConnections.size} (${latch.count - 1}) endpoints...")
+        remainingConnections.forEach {
+            it.close()
+            latch.countDown()
         }
 
         // we start with "1", so make sure to end it
@@ -228,7 +238,6 @@ abstract class BaseTest {
      * @param stopAfterSeconds how many seconds to wait, the default is 2 minutes.
      */
     fun waitForThreads(stopAfterSeconds: Long = AUTO_FAIL_TIMEOUT) {
-        synchronized(lock) {}
         try {
             if (stopAfterSeconds == 0L) {
                 latch.await(Long.MAX_VALUE, TimeUnit.SECONDS)