diff --git a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/VirtualBoxContextBuilder.java b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/VirtualBoxContextBuilder.java
index b9e0a15e96..d5668ec389 100644
--- a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/VirtualBoxContextBuilder.java
+++ b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/VirtualBoxContextBuilder.java
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ import org.jclouds.byon.Node;
 import org.jclouds.byon.config.CacheNodeStoreModule;
 import org.jclouds.compute.StandaloneComputeServiceContextBuilder;
 import org.jclouds.compute.domain.OsFamily;
-import org.jclouds.concurrent.MoreExecutors;
-import org.jclouds.concurrent.config.ExecutorServiceModule;
 import org.jclouds.virtualbox.config.VirtualBoxComputeServiceContextModule;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
diff --git a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/compute/VirtualBoxComputeServiceAdapter.java b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/compute/VirtualBoxComputeServiceAdapter.java
index 771ce60b61..1f15abbb0b 100644
--- a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/compute/VirtualBoxComputeServiceAdapter.java
+++ b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/compute/VirtualBoxComputeServiceAdapter.java
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public class VirtualBoxComputeServiceAdapter implements ComputeServiceAdapter<IM
    }
 
    @Override
-   public void destroyNode(String vmName) {
+   public synchronized void destroyNode(String vmName) {
       IMachine machine = manager.get().getVBox().findMachine(vmName);
       powerDownMachine(machine);
       new UnregisterMachineIfExistsAndForceDeleteItsMedia().apply(machine);
@@ -198,10 +198,10 @@ public class VirtualBoxComputeServiceAdapter implements ComputeServiceAdapter<IM
    private void powerDownMachine(IMachine machine) {
       try {
          if (machine.getState() == MachineState.PoweredOff){
-            logger.debug("vm was already powered down: ", machine.getName());
+            logger.debug("vm was already powered down: ", machine.getId());
             return;
          }
-         logger.debug("powering down vm: ", machine.getName());
+         logger.debug("powering down vm: ", machine.getId());
          ISession machineSession = manager.get().openMachineSession(machine);
          IProgress progress = machineSession.getConsole().powerDown();
          progress.waitForCompletion(-1);
diff --git a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/config/VirtualBoxComputeServiceContextModule.java b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/config/VirtualBoxComputeServiceContextModule.java
index 45a63abc1f..95f8c662de 100644
--- a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/config/VirtualBoxComputeServiceContextModule.java
+++ b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/config/VirtualBoxComputeServiceContextModule.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import javax.inject.Singleton;
 
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.Server;
 import org.jclouds.byon.Node;
-import org.jclouds.byon.config.CacheNodeStoreModule;
 import org.jclouds.byon.functions.NodeToNodeMetadata;
 import org.jclouds.byon.suppliers.SupplyFromProviderURIOrNodesProperty;
 import org.jclouds.compute.ComputeServiceAdapter;
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@ import org.jclouds.compute.domain.NodeState;
 import org.jclouds.compute.domain.OsFamily;
 import org.jclouds.compute.domain.TemplateBuilder;
 import org.jclouds.compute.reference.ComputeServiceConstants.Timeouts;
-import org.jclouds.concurrent.SingleThreaded;
 import org.jclouds.domain.Location;
 import org.jclouds.functions.IdentityFunction;
 import org.jclouds.logging.slf4j.config.SLF4JLoggingModule;
@@ -105,7 +103,6 @@ import com.google.inject.TypeLiteral;
  * @author Mattias Holmqvist, Andrea Turli
  */
 @SuppressWarnings({ "unchecked", "rawtypes" })
-@SingleThreaded
 public class VirtualBoxComputeServiceContextModule extends
          ComputeServiceAdapterContextModule<Supplier, Supplier, IMachine, IMachine, Image, Location> {
 
diff --git a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/CloneAndRegisterMachineFromIMachineIfNotAlreadyExists.java b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/CloneAndRegisterMachineFromIMachineIfNotAlreadyExists.java
index 3b1bc25fcf..abca1e02b0 100644
--- a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/CloneAndRegisterMachineFromIMachineIfNotAlreadyExists.java
+++ b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/CloneAndRegisterMachineFromIMachineIfNotAlreadyExists.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 import javax.annotation.Resource;
 import javax.inject.Named;
+import javax.inject.Singleton;
 
 import org.jclouds.compute.reference.ComputeServiceConstants;
 import org.jclouds.logging.Logger;
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ import com.google.inject.Inject;
 
 /**
  * CloneAndRegisterMachineFromIMachineIfNotAlreadyExists will take care of the followings: - cloning
- * the master - register the clone machine -
+ * the master - register the clone machine.
  * 
  * @author Andrea Turli
  */
diff --git a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/NodeCreator.java b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/NodeCreator.java
index a4ec912af4..900118dc89 100644
--- a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/NodeCreator.java
+++ b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/NodeCreator.java
@@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ public class NodeCreator implements Function<NodeSpec, NodeAndInitialCredentials
 
    // TODO parameterize
    public static final int NODE_PORT_INIT = 3000;
-   
+
    // TODO parameterize
    public static final String VMS_NETWORK = "33.33.33.";
-   
+
    // TODO parameterize
    public static final String HOST_ONLY_IFACE_NAME = "vboxnet0";
-   
+
    // TODO parameterize
    public static final boolean USE_LINKED = true;
 
@@ -84,8 +84,13 @@ public class NodeCreator implements Function<NodeSpec, NodeAndInitialCredentials
       this.imachineToNodeMetadata = imachineToNodeMetadata;
    }
 
+   /**
+    * Creates a clone based on the {@link NodeSpec}. It is synchronized because it needs sole access
+    * to the master. Could be improved by locking on a master basis (would allow concurrent cloning
+    * as long as form different masters."
+    */
    @Override
-   public NodeAndInitialCredentials<IMachine> apply(NodeSpec nodeSpec) {
+   public synchronized NodeAndInitialCredentials<IMachine> apply(NodeSpec nodeSpec) {
 
       checkNotNull(nodeSpec, "NodeSpec");
 
@@ -102,6 +107,7 @@ public class NodeCreator implements Function<NodeSpec, NodeAndInitialCredentials
          session.getConsole().deleteSnapshot(master.getMachine().getCurrentSnapshot().getId());
          session.unlockMachine();
       }
+
       String masterNameWithoutPrefix = master.getSpec().getVmSpec().getVmName().replace(VIRTUALBOX_IMAGE_PREFIX, "");
 
       String cloneName = VIRTUALBOX_NODE_PREFIX + masterNameWithoutPrefix + "-" + nodeSpec.getTag() + "-"
diff --git a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/admin/StartVBoxIfNotAlreadyRunning.java b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/admin/StartVBoxIfNotAlreadyRunning.java
index 7374471fa9..750dac9399 100644
--- a/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/admin/StartVBoxIfNotAlreadyRunning.java
+++ b/labs/virtualbox/src/main/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/functions/admin/StartVBoxIfNotAlreadyRunning.java
@@ -93,6 +93,12 @@ public class StartVBoxIfNotAlreadyRunning implements Supplier<VirtualBoxManager>
 
          runScriptOnNodeFactory.create(host.get(), Statements.exec(vboxwebsrv),
                   runAsRoot(false).wrapInInitScript(false).blockOnComplete(false).nameTask("vboxwebsrv")).init().call();
+         
+         try {
+            // wait for a couple of seconds to make sure vbox has correctly started
+            Thread.sleep(2000L);
+         } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+         }
       }
       manager = managerForNode.apply(host);
       manager.connect(provider.toASCIIString(), identity, credential);
diff --git a/labs/virtualbox/src/test/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/compute/VirtualBoxExperimentLiveTest.java b/labs/virtualbox/src/test/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/compute/VirtualBoxExperimentLiveTest.java
index a4d330d48b..b4fe0f1577 100644
--- a/labs/virtualbox/src/test/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/compute/VirtualBoxExperimentLiveTest.java
+++ b/labs/virtualbox/src/test/java/org/jclouds/virtualbox/compute/VirtualBoxExperimentLiveTest.java
@@ -26,35 +26,47 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import javax.annotation.Resource;
 import javax.inject.Named;
 
+import org.jclouds.compute.ComputeServiceContext;
+import org.jclouds.compute.ComputeServiceContextFactory;
 import org.jclouds.compute.RunNodesException;
 import org.jclouds.compute.domain.ExecResponse;
 import org.jclouds.compute.domain.NodeMetadata;
 import org.jclouds.compute.reference.ComputeServiceConstants;
 import org.jclouds.logging.Logger;
+import org.jclouds.logging.slf4j.config.SLF4JLoggingModule;
 import org.jclouds.ssh.SshClient;
-import org.jclouds.virtualbox.BaseVirtualBoxClientLiveTest;
+import org.jclouds.sshj.config.SshjSshClientModule;
+import org.testng.annotations.BeforeClass;
 import org.testng.annotations.Test;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
+import com.google.inject.Module;
 
 /**
  * 
  * @author Adrian Cole
  */
 @Test(groups = "live", singleThreaded = true, testName = "VirtualBoxExperimentLiveTest")
-public class VirtualBoxExperimentLiveTest extends BaseVirtualBoxClientLiveTest {
-   
+public class VirtualBoxExperimentLiveTest {
 
    @Resource
    @Named(ComputeServiceConstants.COMPUTE_LOGGER)
    protected Logger logger = Logger.NULL;
 
+   ComputeServiceContext context;
+
+   @BeforeClass
+   public void setUp() {
+      context = new ComputeServiceContextFactory().createContext("virtualbox", "toor", "password",
+               ImmutableSet.<Module> of(new SLF4JLoggingModule(), new SshjSshClientModule()));
+   }
+
    @Test
    public void testLaunchCluster() throws RunNodesException {
       int numNodes = 4;
       final String clusterName = "test-launch-cluster";
-      Set<? extends NodeMetadata> nodes = context.getComputeService().createNodesInGroup(clusterName,
-               numNodes);
+      Set<? extends NodeMetadata> nodes = context.getComputeService().createNodesInGroup(clusterName, numNodes);
       assertEquals(numNodes, nodes.size(), "wrong number of nodes");
       for (NodeMetadata node : nodes) {
          logger.debug("Created Node: %s", node);