diff --git a/run-tests.sh b/run-tests.sh
index 413feee19..62fd94bd7 100755
--- a/run-tests.sh
+++ b/run-tests.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,16 @@ fi
 # Main unit tests
 MONGO_DATA=`mktemp -d`
 trap "clean_exit" EXIT
-mongod --maxConns 32 --smallfiles --quiet --noauth --port 29000 --dbpath "${MONGO_DATA}" --bind_ip localhost &
+mkfifo ${MONGO_DATA}/out
+mongod --maxConns 32 --noprealloc --smallfiles --quiet --noauth --port 29000 --dbpath "${MONGO_DATA}" --bind_ip localhost &>${MONGO_DATA}/out &
 MONGO_PID=$!
+# Wait for Mongo to start listening to connections
+while read line
+do
+    echo "$line" | grep -q 'waiting for connections on port' && break
+done < ${MONGO_DATA}/out
+# Read the fifo for ever otherwise mongod would block
+# + that gives us the log on screen
+cat ${MONGO_DATA}/out &
 export CEILOMETER_TEST_MONGODB_URL="mongodb://localhost:29000/ceilometer"
 python setup.py testr --slowest --testr-args="--concurrency=1 $*" $COVERAGE_ARG