diff --git a/blockpool/status_test.go b/blockpool/status_test.go
index cbaa8bb559..a87b99d7c9 100644
--- a/blockpool/status_test.go
+++ b/blockpool/status_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package blockpool
 
 import (
-	// "fmt"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -45,17 +45,15 @@ func getStatusValues(s *Status) []int {
 func checkStatus(t *testing.T, bp *BlockPool, syncing bool, expected []int) (err error) {
 	s := bp.Status()
 	if s.Syncing != syncing {
-		t.Errorf("status for Syncing incorrect. expected %v, got %v", syncing, s.Syncing)
+		err = fmt.Errorf("status for Syncing incorrect. expected %v, got %v", syncing, s.Syncing)
+		return
 	}
 	got := getStatusValues(s)
 	for i, v := range expected {
-		if i == 0 || i == 7 {
-			continue //hack
-		}
 		err = test.CheckInt(statusFields[i], got[i], v, t)
 		// fmt.Printf("%v: %v (%v)\n", statusFields[i], got[i], v)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return
 		}
 	}
 	return
@@ -63,6 +61,25 @@ func checkStatus(t *testing.T, bp *BlockPool, syncing bool, expected []int) (err
 
 func TestBlockPoolStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	test.LogInit()
+	var err error
+	n := 3
+	for n > 0 {
+		n--
+		err = testBlockPoolStatus(t)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Log(err)
+			continue
+		} else {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("no pass out of 3: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func testBlockPoolStatus(t *testing.T) (err error) {
+
 	_, blockPool, blockPoolTester := newTestBlockPool(t)
 	blockPoolTester.blockChain[0] = nil
 	blockPoolTester.initRefBlockChain(12)
@@ -70,6 +87,7 @@ func TestBlockPoolStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	delete(blockPoolTester.refBlockChain, 6)
 
 	blockPool.Start()
+	defer blockPool.Stop()
 	blockPoolTester.tds = make(map[int]int)
 	blockPoolTester.tds[9] = 1
 	blockPoolTester.tds[11] = 3
@@ -79,73 +97,67 @@ func TestBlockPoolStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	peer2 := blockPoolTester.newPeer("peer2", 2, 6)
 	peer3 := blockPoolTester.newPeer("peer3", 3, 11)
 	peer4 := blockPoolTester.newPeer("peer4", 1, 9)
-	// peer1 := blockPoolTester.newPeer("peer1", 1, 9)
-	// peer2 := blockPoolTester.newPeer("peer2", 2, 6)
-	// peer3 := blockPoolTester.newPeer("peer3", 3, 11)
-	// peer4 := blockPoolTester.newPeer("peer4", 1, 9)
 	peer2.blocksRequestsMap = peer1.blocksRequestsMap
 
 	var expected []int
-	var err error
 	expected = []int{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, false, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, false, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer1.AddPeer()
 	expected = []int{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer1.serveBlocks(8, 9)
-	expected = []int{0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0}
-	// err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	expected = []int{1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0}
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer1.serveBlockHashes(9, 8, 7, 3, 2)
 	expected = []int{6, 5, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0}
-	// expected = []int{5, 5, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer1.serveBlocks(3, 7, 8)
 	expected = []int{6, 5, 3, 3, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer1.serveBlocks(2, 3)
 	expected = []int{6, 5, 4, 4, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer4.AddPeer()
 	expected = []int{6, 5, 4, 4, 0, 2, 0, 0, 2, 2, 1, 1, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer4.sendBlockHashes(12, 11)
 	expected = []int{6, 5, 4, 4, 0, 2, 0, 0, 2, 2, 1, 1, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer2.AddPeer()
 	expected = []int{6, 5, 4, 4, 0, 3, 0, 0, 3, 3, 1, 2, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
@@ -153,76 +165,76 @@ func TestBlockPoolStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	peer2.serveBlocks(5, 6)
 	peer2.serveBlockHashes(6, 5, 4, 3, 2)
 	expected = []int{10, 8, 5, 5, 0, 3, 1, 0, 3, 3, 2, 2, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer2.serveBlocks(2, 3, 4)
 	expected = []int{10, 8, 6, 6, 0, 3, 1, 0, 3, 3, 2, 2, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	blockPool.RemovePeer("peer2")
 	expected = []int{10, 8, 6, 6, 0, 3, 1, 0, 3, 2, 2, 2, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer1.serveBlockHashes(2, 1, 0)
 	expected = []int{11, 9, 6, 6, 0, 3, 1, 0, 3, 2, 2, 2, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer1.serveBlocks(1, 2)
 	expected = []int{11, 9, 7, 7, 0, 3, 1, 0, 3, 2, 2, 2, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer1.serveBlocks(4, 5)
 	expected = []int{11, 9, 8, 8, 0, 3, 1, 0, 3, 2, 2, 2, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer3.AddPeer()
 	expected = []int{11, 9, 8, 8, 0, 4, 1, 0, 4, 3, 2, 3, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer3.serveBlocks(10, 11)
 	expected = []int{12, 9, 9, 9, 0, 4, 1, 0, 4, 3, 3, 3, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer3.serveBlockHashes(11, 10, 9)
 	expected = []int{14, 11, 9, 9, 0, 4, 1, 0, 4, 3, 3, 3, 0}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	peer4.sendBlocks(11, 12)
 	expected = []int{14, 11, 9, 9, 0, 4, 1, 0, 4, 3, 4, 3, 1}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 	peer3.serveBlocks(9, 10)
 	expected = []int{14, 11, 10, 10, 0, 4, 1, 0, 4, 3, 4, 3, 1}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, true, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, true, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
@@ -231,10 +243,9 @@ func TestBlockPoolStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	blockPool.Wait(waitTimeout)
 	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
 	expected = []int{14, 3, 11, 3, 8, 4, 1, 8, 4, 3, 4, 3, 1}
-	err = checkStatus(t, blockPool, false, expected)
+	err = checkStatus(nil, blockPool, false, expected)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
-
-	blockPool.Stop()
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/blockpool/test/util.go b/blockpool/test/util.go
index 0349493c31..930601278b 100644
--- a/blockpool/test/util.go
+++ b/blockpool/test/util.go
@@ -10,16 +10,20 @@ import (
 
 func CheckInt(name string, got int, expected int, t *testing.T) (err error) {
 	if got != expected {
-		t.Errorf("status for %v incorrect. expected %v, got %v", name, expected, got)
-		err = fmt.Errorf("")
+		err = fmt.Errorf("status for %v incorrect. expected %v, got %v", name, expected, got)
+		if t != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
 	}
 	return
 }
 
 func CheckDuration(name string, got time.Duration, expected time.Duration, t *testing.T) (err error) {
 	if got != expected {
-		t.Errorf("status for %v incorrect. expected %v, got %v", name, expected, got)
-		err = fmt.Errorf("")
+		err = fmt.Errorf("status for %v incorrect. expected %v, got %v", name, expected, got)
+		if t != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+		}
 	}
 	return
 }