diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index cf679fe75..0a6b28673 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ defaults: &defaults
     GOBIN: /tmp/workspace/bin
 
 jobs:
+
   setup_dependencies:
     <<: *defaults
     steps:
@@ -67,21 +68,6 @@ jobs:
           command: |
             export PATH="$GOBIN:$PATH"
             make test_lint
-  test_unit:
-    <<: *defaults
-    parallelism: 1
-    steps:
-      - attach_workspace:
-          at: /tmp/workspace
-      - restore_cache:
-          key: v1-pkg-cache
-      - restore_cache:
-          key: v1-tree-{{ .Environment.CIRCLE_SHA1 }}
-      - run:
-          name: Test unit
-          command: |
-            export PATH="$GOBIN:$PATH"
-            make test_unit
 
   test_cli:
     <<: *defaults
@@ -109,6 +95,7 @@ jobs:
           key: v1-pkg-cache
       - restore_cache:
           key: v1-tree-{{ .Environment.CIRCLE_SHA1 }}
+      - run: mkdir -p /tmp/logs
       - run:
           name: Run tests
           command: |
@@ -117,12 +104,14 @@ jobs:
             for pkg in $(go list github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/... | grep -v /vendor/ | grep -v github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/cmd/gaia/cli_test | circleci tests split --split-by=timings); do
               id=$(basename "$pkg")
 
-              go test -timeout 8m -race -coverprofile=/tmp/workspace/profiles/$id.out -covermode=atomic "$pkg"
+              GOCACHE=off go test -v -timeout 8m -race -coverprofile=/tmp/workspace/profiles/$id.out -covermode=atomic "$pkg" | tee "/tmp/logs/$id-$RANDOM.log"
             done
       - persist_to_workspace:
           root: /tmp/workspace
           paths:
             - "profiles/*"
+      - store_artifacts:
+          path: /tmp/logs
 
   upload_coverage:
     <<: *defaults
@@ -156,9 +145,6 @@ workflows:
       - test_cli:
           requires:
             - setup_dependencies
-      - test_unit:
-          requires:
-            - setup_dependencies
       - test_cover:
           requires:
             - setup_dependencies
diff --git a/client/lcd/lcd_test.go b/client/lcd/lcd_test.go
index 049fa04be..1b1a02fef 100644
--- a/client/lcd/lcd_test.go
+++ b/client/lcd/lcd_test.go
@@ -528,6 +528,9 @@ func TestUnrevoke(t *testing.T) {
 	cleanup, pks, port := InitializeTestLCD(t, 1, []sdk.Address{addr})
 	defer cleanup()
 
+	// XXX: any less than this and it fails
+	tests.WaitForHeight(3, port)
+
 	signingInfo := getSigningInfo(t, port, pks[0].Address())
 	tests.WaitForHeight(4, port)
 	require.Equal(t, true, signingInfo.IndexOffset > 0)
diff --git a/client/lcd/test_helpers.go b/client/lcd/test_helpers.go
index ecf6748a5..dbdf9b724 100644
--- a/client/lcd/test_helpers.go
+++ b/client/lcd/test_helpers.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func CreateAddr(t *testing.T, name, password string, kb crkeys.Keybase) (addr sd
 func InitializeTestLCD(t *testing.T, nValidators int, initAddrs []sdk.Address) (cleanup func(), validatorsPKs []crypto.PubKey, port string) {
 
 	config := GetConfig()
-	config.Consensus.TimeoutCommit = 1000
+	config.Consensus.TimeoutCommit = 100
 	config.Consensus.SkipTimeoutCommit = false
 	config.TxIndex.IndexAllTags = true
 
diff --git a/tests/util.go b/tests/util.go
index 54432f992..afa127bf0 100644
--- a/tests/util.go
+++ b/tests/util.go
@@ -82,17 +82,10 @@ func StatusOK(statusCode int) bool {
 }
 
 func waitForHeight(height int64, url string) {
+	var res *http.Response
+	var err error
 	for {
-		// get url, try a few times
-		var res *http.Response
-		var err error
-		for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
-			res, err = http.Get(url)
-			if err == nil && StatusOK(res.StatusCode) {
-				break
-			}
-			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 200)
-		}
+		res, err = http.Get(url)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
@@ -125,30 +118,31 @@ func waitForHeight(height int64, url string) {
 // wait for tendermint to start
 func WaitForStart(port string) {
 	var err error
-	for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
-		time.Sleep(time.Second)
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%v/blocks/latest", port)
 
-		url := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%v/blocks/latest", port)
+	// ping the status endpoint a few times a second
+	// for a few seconds until we get a good response.
+	// otherwise something probably went wrong
+	for i := 0; i < 50; i++ {
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
 
-		// get url, try a few times
 		var res *http.Response
 		res, err = http.Get(url)
-		if err == nil || res == nil {
+		if err != nil || res == nil {
 			continue
 		}
+		err = res.Body.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
 
-		// waiting for server to start ...
-		if res.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-			err = res.Body.Close()
-			if err != nil {
-				panic(err)
-			}
+		if res.StatusCode == http.StatusOK {
+			// good!
 			return
 		}
 	}
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
+	// still haven't started up?! panic!
+	panic(err)
 }
 
 // TODO: these functions just print to Stdout.