diff --git a/test/run_npm_test.sh b/test/run_npm_test.sh
index 9d0225913..1361124c2 100755
--- a/test/run_npm_test.sh
+++ b/test/run_npm_test.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ cp -t $testdir -r $testsrc/*
 # Required by MaxCtrl (not super pretty)
 cp -t $testdir/.. $srcdir/VERSION*.cmake
 
+# This avoids running npm as root if we're executing the tests as root (MaxCtrl specific)
+(cd $testdir && test -f configure_version.cmake && cmake -P configure_version.cmake)
+
 # Copy required docker-compose files to the MaxScale directory and bring MariaDB
 # servers up. This is an asynchronous process.
 cd $maxscaledir
diff --git a/test/start_double_maxscale.sh b/test/start_double_maxscale.sh
index 889ec969f..a122e2dac 100755
--- a/test/start_double_maxscale.sh
+++ b/test/start_double_maxscale.sh
@@ -29,25 +29,27 @@ mkdir -m 0755 -p $maxscaledir/secondary/cache/maxscale
 mkdir -m 0755 -p $maxscaledir/secondary/run/maxscale
 mkdir -m 0755 -p $maxscaledir/secondary/log/maxscale
 
+if [ "`whoami`" == "root" ]
+then
+    user_opt="-U root"
+fi
+
 # Start MaxScale
-$maxscaledir/bin/maxscale -df $maxscaledir/maxscale.cnf &>> $maxscaledir/maxscale1.output &
+$maxscaledir/bin/maxscale $user_opt -f $maxscaledir/maxscale.cnf &>> $maxscaledir/maxscale1.output
 
 # Wait for the first MaxScale to start
-for ((i=0;i<60;i++))
+for ((i=0;i<150;i++))
 do
-    $maxscaledir/bin/maxadmin help >& /dev/null && break
+    $maxscaledir/bin/maxctrl list servers >& /dev/null && break
     sleep 0.1
 done
 
 # Start a second maxscale
-$maxscaledir/bin/maxscale -df $maxscaledir/maxscale_secondary.cnf &>> $maxscaledir/maxscale2.output &
+$maxscaledir/bin/maxscale $user_opt -f $maxscaledir/maxscale_secondary.cnf &>> $maxscaledir/maxscale2.output
 
 # Wait for the second MaxScale to start
-for ((i=0;i<60;i++))
+for ((i=0;i<150;i++))
 do
-    $maxscaledir/bin/maxadmin -S /tmp/maxadmin2.sock help >& /dev/null && break
+    $maxscaledir/bin/maxctrl --hosts 127.0.0.1:8990 list servers >& /dev/null && break
     sleep 0.1
 done
-
-# Give MaxScale some time to settle
-sleep 1
diff --git a/test/start_maxscale.sh b/test/start_maxscale.sh
index 9504506e3..d13b6c453 100755
--- a/test/start_maxscale.sh
+++ b/test/start_maxscale.sh
@@ -19,16 +19,17 @@ mkdir -m 0755 -p $maxscaledir/cache/maxscale
 mkdir -m 0755 -p $maxscaledir/run/maxscale
 mkdir -m 0755 -p $maxscaledir/log/maxscale
 
+if [ "`whoami`" == "root" ]
+then
+    user_opt="-U root"
+fi
+
 # Start MaxScale
-$maxscaledir/bin/maxscale -df $maxscaledir/maxscale.cnf &>> $maxscaledir/maxscale.output &
-pid=$!
+$maxscaledir/bin/maxscale $user_opt -f $maxscaledir/maxscale.cnf &>> $maxscaledir/maxscale.output
 
 # Wait for MaxScale to start
-for ((i=0;i<60;i++))
+for ((i=0;i<150;i++))
 do
-    $maxscaledir/bin/maxadmin help >& /dev/null && break
+    $maxscaledir/bin/maxctrl list servers >& /dev/null && break
     sleep 0.1
 done
-
-# Give MaxScale some time to settle
-sleep 1
diff --git a/test/stop_double_maxscale.sh b/test/stop_double_maxscale.sh
index b4eca7494..d0cd55ef6 100755
--- a/test/stop_double_maxscale.sh
+++ b/test/stop_double_maxscale.sh
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ maxscaledir=$MAXSCALE_DIR
 
 test -z "$MAXSCALE_DIR" && exit 1
 
-for ((i=0;i<20;i++))
+for ((i=0;i<200;i++))
 do
     pkill '^maxscale$' || break
-    sleep 0.5
+    sleep 0.1
 done
 
 # If it wasn't dead before, now it is
diff --git a/test/stop_maxscale.sh b/test/stop_maxscale.sh
index af9cb41d6..a086f86d1 100755
--- a/test/stop_maxscale.sh
+++ b/test/stop_maxscale.sh
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ maxscaledir=$MAXSCALE_DIR
 
 test -z "$MAXSCALE_DIR" && exit 1
 
-for ((i=0;i<20;i++))
+for ((i=0;i<200;i++))
 do
     pkill '^maxscale$' || break
-    sleep 0.5
+    sleep 0.1
 done
 
 # If it wasn't dead before, now it is