diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
index 6a9a7bc6f3..27c995dba6 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_java.sh
@@ -44,13 +44,15 @@ function forget {
    findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
    [ -n "$FOUND_PID" -a -f $LOG_DIR/stdout.log ] && {
       echo $INSTANCE_NAME already running pid [$FOUND_PID]
+      return 1;
    } || {
       nohup $SCRIPT >$LOG_DIR/stdout.log 2>$LOG_DIR/stderr.log &
-      sleep 1
-      findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
-      [ -n "$FOUND_PID" ] || abort "$INSTANCE_NAME did not start"
+      RETURN=$?
+      # this is generally followed by findPid, so we shouldn't exit 
+      # immediately as the proc may not have registered in ps, yet
+      test $RETURN && sleep 1
+      return $RETURN;
    }
-   return 0
 }
 export PATH=/usr/ucb/bin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
 case $1 in
@@ -101,7 +103,7 @@ grep `hostname` /etc/hosts >/dev/null || awk -v hostname=`hostname` 'END { print
 nslookup yahoo.com >/dev/null || echo nameserver 208.67.222.222 >> /etc/resolv.conf
 apt-get update -qq
 which curl || apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes curl
-apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-7-jdk||apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-6-jdk
+apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-6-jdk
 echo "export PATH=\"\$JAVA_HOME/bin/:\$PATH\"" >> $HOME/.bashrc
 
 END_OF_SCRIPT
diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jboss.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jboss.sh
index 603ba61916..3a9f8492db 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jboss.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/initscript_with_jboss.sh
@@ -44,13 +44,15 @@ function forget {
    findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
    [ -n "$FOUND_PID" -a -f $LOG_DIR/stdout.log ] && {
       echo $INSTANCE_NAME already running pid [$FOUND_PID]
+      return 1;
    } || {
       nohup $SCRIPT >$LOG_DIR/stdout.log 2>$LOG_DIR/stderr.log &
-      sleep 1
-      findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
-      [ -n "$FOUND_PID" ] || abort "$INSTANCE_NAME did not start"
+      RETURN=$?
+      # this is generally followed by findPid, so we shouldn't exit 
+      # immediately as the proc may not have registered in ps, yet
+      test $RETURN && sleep 1
+      return $RETURN;
    }
-   return 0
 }
 export PATH=/usr/ucb/bin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
 case $1 in
@@ -101,7 +103,7 @@ grep `hostname` /etc/hosts >/dev/null || awk -v hostname=`hostname` 'END { print
 nslookup yahoo.com >/dev/null || echo nameserver 208.67.222.222 >> /etc/resolv.conf
 apt-get update -qq
 which curl || apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes curl
-apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-7-jdk||apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-6-jdk
+apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-6-jdk
 echo "export PATH=\"\$JAVA_HOME/bin/:\$PATH\"" >> $HOME/.bashrc
 iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT
 iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp --dport 8080 -j ACCEPT
diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript.sh
index 0f40396d6e..0fcc42dea2 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript.sh
@@ -44,13 +44,15 @@ function forget {
    findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
    [ -n "$FOUND_PID" -a -f $LOG_DIR/stdout.log ] && {
       echo $INSTANCE_NAME already running pid [$FOUND_PID]
+      return 1;
    } || {
       nohup $SCRIPT >$LOG_DIR/stdout.log 2>$LOG_DIR/stderr.log &
-      sleep 1
-      findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
-      [ -n "$FOUND_PID" ] || abort "$INSTANCE_NAME did not start"
+      RETURN=$?
+      # this is generally followed by findPid, so we shouldn't exit 
+      # immediately as the proc may not have registered in ps, yet
+      test $RETURN && sleep 1
+      return $RETURN;
    }
-   return 0
 }
 export PATH=/usr/ucb/bin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
 case $1 in
@@ -80,7 +82,7 @@ grep `hostname` /etc/hosts >/dev/null || awk -v hostname=`hostname` 'END { print
 nslookup yahoo.com >/dev/null || echo nameserver 208.67.222.222 >> /etc/resolv.conf
 apt-get update -qq
 which curl || apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes curl
-apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-7-jdk||apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-6-jdk
+apt-get install -f -y -qq --force-yes openjdk-6-jdk
 echo "export PATH=\"\$JAVA_HOME/bin/:\$PATH\"" >> $HOME/.bashrc
 
 END_OF_SCRIPT
diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_adminUpdate.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_adminUpdate.sh
index a2631875d3..c0e1056b01 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_adminUpdate.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_adminUpdate.sh
@@ -44,13 +44,15 @@ function forget {
    findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
    [ -n "$FOUND_PID" -a -f $LOG_DIR/stdout.log ] && {
       echo $INSTANCE_NAME already running pid [$FOUND_PID]
+      return 1;
    } || {
       nohup $SCRIPT >$LOG_DIR/stdout.log 2>$LOG_DIR/stderr.log &
-      sleep 1
-      findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
-      [ -n "$FOUND_PID" ] || abort "$INSTANCE_NAME did not start"
+      RETURN=$?
+      # this is generally followed by findPid, so we shouldn't exit 
+      # immediately as the proc may not have registered in ps, yet
+      test $RETURN && sleep 1
+      return $RETURN;
    }
-   return 0
 }
 export PATH=/usr/ucb/bin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
 case $1 in
diff --git a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_jboss.sh b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_jboss.sh
index 29cccdc289..508b954785 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_jboss.sh
+++ b/compute/src/test/resources/runscript_jboss.sh
@@ -45,13 +45,15 @@ function forget {
    findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
    [ -n "$FOUND_PID" -a -f $LOG_DIR/stdout.log ] && {
       echo $INSTANCE_NAME already running pid [$FOUND_PID]
+      return 1;
    } || {
       nohup $SCRIPT >$LOG_DIR/stdout.log 2>$LOG_DIR/stderr.log &
-      sleep 1
-      findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
-      [ -n "$FOUND_PID" ] || abort "$INSTANCE_NAME did not start"
+      RETURN=$?
+      # this is generally followed by findPid, so we shouldn't exit 
+      # immediately as the proc may not have registered in ps, yet
+      test $RETURN && sleep 1
+      return $RETURN;
    }
-   return 0
 }
 export PATH=/usr/ucb/bin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
 case $1 in
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/main/resources/functions/forget.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/main/resources/functions/forget.sh
index dbe5c0ce94..b4a9a2ef4e 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/main/resources/functions/forget.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/main/resources/functions/forget.sh
@@ -11,11 +11,13 @@ function forget {
    findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
    [ -n "$FOUND_PID" -a -f $LOG_DIR/stdout.log ] && {
       echo $INSTANCE_NAME already running pid [$FOUND_PID]
+      return 1;
    } || {
       nohup $SCRIPT >$LOG_DIR/stdout.log 2>$LOG_DIR/stderr.log &
-      sleep 1
-      findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
-      [ -n "$FOUND_PID" ] || abort "$INSTANCE_NAME did not start"
+      RETURN=$?
+      # this is generally followed by findPid, so we shouldn't exit 
+      # immediately as the proc may not have registered in ps, yet
+      test $RETURN && sleep 1
+      return $RETURN;
    }
-   return 0
 }
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_ebs.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_ebs.sh
index c2d2545518..d9dd5b7e3e 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_ebs.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_ebs.sh
@@ -47,13 +47,15 @@ function forget {
    findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
    [ -n "$FOUND_PID" -a -f $LOG_DIR/stdout.log ] && {
       echo $INSTANCE_NAME already running pid [$FOUND_PID]
+      return 1;
    } || {
       nohup $SCRIPT >$LOG_DIR/stdout.log 2>$LOG_DIR/stderr.log &
-      sleep 1
-      findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
-      [ -n "$FOUND_PID" ] || abort "$INSTANCE_NAME did not start"
+      RETURN=$?
+      # this is generally followed by findPid, so we shouldn't exit 
+      # immediately as the proc may not have registered in ps, yet
+      test $RETURN && sleep 1
+      return $RETURN;
    }
-   return 0
 }
 export PATH=/usr/ucb/bin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
 case $1 in
diff --git a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_init.sh b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_init.sh
index 43d48b0a2a..e2231a2458 100644
--- a/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_init.sh
+++ b/scriptbuilder/src/test/resources/test_init.sh
@@ -45,13 +45,15 @@ function forget {
    findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
    [ -n "$FOUND_PID" -a -f $LOG_DIR/stdout.log ] && {
       echo $INSTANCE_NAME already running pid [$FOUND_PID]
+      return 1;
    } || {
       nohup $SCRIPT >$LOG_DIR/stdout.log 2>$LOG_DIR/stderr.log &
-      sleep 1
-      findPid $INSTANCE_NAME
-      [ -n "$FOUND_PID" ] || abort "$INSTANCE_NAME did not start"
+      RETURN=$?
+      # this is generally followed by findPid, so we shouldn't exit 
+      # immediately as the proc may not have registered in ps, yet
+      test $RETURN && sleep 1
+      return $RETURN;
    }
-   return 0
 }
 export PATH=/usr/ucb/bin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
 case $1 in