diff --git a/bws-mq.js b/bws-mq.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 033a6e8..0000000
--- a/bws-mq.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-
-'use strict';
-
-var _ = require('lodash');
-var io = require('socket.io');
-
-var DEFAULT_PORT = 3380;
-
-var port = parseInt(process.argv[2]) || DEFAULT_PORT;
-
-var server = io(port);
-server.on('connection', function(socket) {
-  socket.on('notification', function(data) {
-    server.emit('notification', data);
-  });
-});
-
-console.log('Message queue server listening on port ' + port)
diff --git a/config.js b/config.js
index b6d9300..8b36020 100644
--- a/config.js
+++ b/config.js
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ var config = {
     //   port: 3231,
     // },
   },
+  messageQueueOpts: {
+    url: 'http://localhost:3380',
+  },
   blockchainExplorerOpts: {
     livenet: {
       provider: 'insight',
diff --git a/lib/messagequeue.js b/lib/messagequeue.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa31297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/messagequeue.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var $ = require('preconditions').singleton();
+var io = require('socket.io');
+var log = require('npmlog');
+log.debug = log.verbose;
+
+var MessageQueue = function() {};
+
+MessageQueue.start = function(opts, cb) {
+  opts = opts || {};
+  $.checkIsNumber(opts.port, 'Invalid port number');
+
+  var server = io(opts.port);
+  server.on('connection', function(socket) {
+    socket.on('notification', function(data) {
+      server.emit('notification', data);
+    });
+  });
+  return cb();
+};
+
+module.exports = MessageQueue;
diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index 3b30cdf..1e79ae5 100644
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -87,15 +87,7 @@ WalletService.initialize = function(opts, cb) {
       messageQueue = opts.messageQueue;
       return cb();
     }
-    messageQueue = io.connect('http://localhost:3380', {
-      'force new connection': true,
-    });
-    messageQueue.on('connect', function() {
-      return cb();
-    });
-    messageQueue.on('connect_error', function(err) {
-      log.warn('Could not connect to message queue server');
-    });
+    return cb();
   };
 
   async.series([
@@ -350,7 +342,9 @@ WalletService.prototype._notify = function(type, data, isGlobal, cb) {
   });
   this.storage.storeNotification(walletId, n, function() {
     self._emit('notification', n);
-    self.messageQueue.emit('notification', n);
+    if (self.messageQueue) {
+      self.messageQueue.emit('notification', n);
+    }
     if (cb) return cb();
   });
 };
diff --git a/lib/wsapp.js b/lib/wsapp.js
index 8d9597c..d424932 100644
--- a/lib/wsapp.js
+++ b/lib/wsapp.js
@@ -22,37 +22,30 @@ WsApp._unauthorized = function(socket) {
   socket.disconnect();
 };
 
-// WsApp._handleNotification = function(notification) {
-//   console.log('*** [wsapp.js ln26] notification:', notification); // TODO
-
-//   io.to(notification.walletId).emit('notification', notification);
-// };
-
-WsApp._initMessageQueue = function(cb) {
-  function handleNotification(notification) {
-    io.to(notification.walletId).emit('notification', notification);
-  };
-
-  messageQueue = require('socket.io-client').connect('http://localhost:3380', {
-    'force new connection': true,
-  });
-  messageQueue.on('connect_error', function(err) {
-    log.warn('Could not connect to message queue server');
-  });
-  messageQueue.on('notification', handleNotification);
-
-  messageQueue.on('connect', function() {
-    return cb();
-  });
+WsApp._handleNotification = function(notification) {
+  io.to(notification.walletId).emit('notification', notification);
 };
 
-WsApp.start = function(server, config, cb) {
+WsApp.start = function(server, opts, cb) {
+  opts = opts || {};
+  $.checkState(opts.messageQueueOpts);
+
   io = require('socket.io')(server);
 
   async.series([
 
     function(done) {
-      WsApp._initMessageQueue(done);
+      messageQueue = require('socket.io-client').connect(opts.messageQueueOpts.url, {
+        'force new connection': true,
+      });
+      messageQueue.on('connect_error', function(err) {
+        log.warn('Could not connect to message queue server');
+      });
+      messageQueue.on('notification', WsApp._handleNotification);
+
+      messageQueue.on('connect', function() {
+        done();
+      });
     },
     function(done) {
       io.on('connection', function(socket) {
diff --git a/messagequeue/bws-mq.js b/messagequeue/bws-mq.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c466902
--- /dev/null
+++ b/messagequeue/bws-mq.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+'use strict';
+
+var MQ = require('../lib/messagequeue');
+
+var DEFAULT_PORT = 3380;
+
+var opts = {
+  port: parseInt(process.argv[2]) || DEFAULT_PORT,
+};
+
+MQ.start(opts, function(err) {
+  if (err) throw err;
+  console.log('Message queue server listening on port ' + port)
+});
diff --git a/test/integration/server.js b/test/integration/server.js
index 3f9a12d..ea2f16d 100644
--- a/test/integration/server.js
+++ b/test/integration/server.js
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ describe('Wallet service', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  describe.only('#createTx', function() {
+  describe('#createTx', function() {
     var server, wallet;
     beforeEach(function(done) {
       helpers.createAndJoinWallet(2, 3, function(s, w) {