diff --git a/etcd/etcd.go b/etcd/etcd.go
index 4daca922..3351b0dc 100644
--- a/etcd/etcd.go
+++ b/etcd/etcd.go
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ import (
 const (
 	NS                      = "_mgmt" // root namespace for mgmt operations
 	seedSentinel            = "_seed" // you must not name your hostname this
-	maxStartServerTimeout   = 60      // max number of seconds to wait for server to start
-	maxStartServerRetries   = 3       // number of times to retry starting the etcd server
+	MaxStartServerTimeout   = 60      // max number of seconds to wait for server to start
+	MaxStartServerRetries   = 3       // number of times to retry starting the etcd server
 	maxClientConnectRetries = 5       // number of times to retry consecutive connect failures
 	selfRemoveTimeout       = 3       // give unnominated members a chance to self exit
 	exitDelay               = 3       // number of sec of inactivity after exit to clean up
@@ -201,9 +201,10 @@ type EmbdEtcd struct { // EMBeddeD etcd
 	converger converger.Converger // converged tracking
 
 	// etcd server related
-	serverwg sync.WaitGroup // wait for server to shutdown
-	server   *embed.Etcd    // technically this contains the server struct
-	dataDir  string         // our data dir, prefix + "etcd"
+	serverwg    sync.WaitGroup // wait for server to shutdown
+	server      *embed.Etcd    // technically this contains the server struct
+	dataDir     string         // our data dir, prefix + "etcd"
+	serverReady chan struct{}  // closes when ready
 }
 
 // NewEmbdEtcd creates the top level embedded etcd struct client and server obj.
@@ -239,6 +240,7 @@ func NewEmbdEtcd(hostname string, seeds, clientURLs, serverURLs etcdtypes.URLs,
 		flags:            flags,
 		prefix:           prefix,
 		dataDir:          path.Join(prefix, "etcd"),
+		serverReady:      make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 	// TODO: add some sort of auto assign method for picking these defaults
 	// add a default so that our local client can connect locally if needed
@@ -1418,8 +1420,8 @@ func (obj *EmbdEtcd) nominateCallback(re *RE) error {
 			if re != nil {
 				retries = re.retries
 			}
-			// retry maxStartServerRetries times, then permanently fail
-			return &CtxRetriesErr{maxStartServerRetries - retries, fmt.Sprintf("Etcd: StartServer: Error: %+v", err)}
+			// retry MaxStartServerRetries times, then permanently fail
+			return &CtxRetriesErr{MaxStartServerRetries - retries, fmt.Sprintf("Etcd: StartServer: Error: %+v", err)}
 		}
 
 		if len(obj.endpoints) == 0 {
@@ -1670,8 +1672,8 @@ func (obj *EmbdEtcd) StartServer(newCluster bool, peerURLsMap etcdtypes.URLsMap)
 	select {
 	case <-obj.server.Server.ReadyNotify(): // we hang here if things are bad
 		log.Printf("Etcd: StartServer: Done starting server!") // it didn't hang!
-	case <-time.After(time.Duration(maxStartServerTimeout) * time.Second):
-		e := fmt.Errorf("timeout of %d seconds reached", maxStartServerTimeout)
+	case <-time.After(time.Duration(MaxStartServerTimeout) * time.Second):
+		e := fmt.Errorf("timeout of %d seconds reached", MaxStartServerTimeout)
 		log.Printf("Etcd: StartServer: %s", e.Error())
 		obj.server.Server.Stop() // trigger a shutdown
 		obj.serverwg.Add(1)      // add for the DestroyServer()
@@ -1689,11 +1691,15 @@ func (obj *EmbdEtcd) StartServer(newCluster bool, peerURLsMap etcdtypes.URLsMap)
 	//log.Fatal(<-obj.server.Err())	XXX
 	log.Printf("Etcd: StartServer: Server running...")
 	obj.memberID = uint64(obj.server.Server.ID()) // store member id for internal use
+	close(obj.serverReady)                        // send a signal
 
 	obj.serverwg.Add(1)
 	return nil
 }
 
+// ServerReady returns on a channel when the server has started successfully.
+func (obj *EmbdEtcd) ServerReady() <-chan struct{} { return obj.serverReady }
+
 // DestroyServer shuts down the embedded etcd server portion.
 func (obj *EmbdEtcd) DestroyServer() error {
 	var err error
@@ -1709,7 +1715,8 @@ func (obj *EmbdEtcd) DestroyServer() error {
 	}
 	obj.server = nil // important because this is used as an isRunning flag
 	log.Printf("Etcd: DestroyServer: Unlocking server...")
-	obj.serverwg.Done() // -1
+	obj.serverReady = make(chan struct{}) // reset the signal
+	obj.serverwg.Done()                   // -1
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/main.go b/lib/main.go
index a53a1170..92246b93 100644
--- a/lib/main.go
+++ b/lib/main.go
@@ -346,6 +346,16 @@ func (obj *Main) Run() error {
 	} else if err := EmbdEtcd.Startup(); err != nil { // startup (returns when etcd main loop is running)
 		obj.Exit(fmt.Errorf("Main: Etcd: Startup failed: %v", err))
 	}
+
+	// wait for etcd server to be ready before continuing...
+	select {
+	case <-EmbdEtcd.ServerReady():
+		log.Printf("Main: Etcd: Server: Ready!")
+		// pass
+	case <-time.After(((etcd.MaxStartServerTimeout * etcd.MaxStartServerRetries) + 1) * time.Second):
+		obj.Exit(fmt.Errorf("Main: Etcd: Startup timeout"))
+	}
+
 	convergerStateFn := func(b bool) error {
 		// exit if we are using the converged timeout and we are the
 		// root node. otherwise, if we are a child node in a remote