diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
index abd6818d3..6c4e996be 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ func daemonFunc(req cmds.Request, res cmds.Response) {
 		corehttp.CommandsOption(*req.Context()),
 		corehttp.WebUIOption,
 		gateway.ServeOption(),
+		corehttp.VersionOption(),
 	}
 	if rootRedirect != nil {
 		opts = append(opts, rootRedirect)
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 52f18d210..868eac731 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 
-BINS = bin/random bin/multihash bin/ipfs
+BINS = bin/random bin/multihash bin/ipfs bin/pollEndpoint
 IPFS_ROOT = ../
 IPFS_CMD = ../cmd/ipfs
 RANDOM_SRC = ../Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-random
 MULTIHASH_SRC = ../Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-multihash
+POLLENDPOINT_SRC= ../thirdparty/pollEndpoint
 
 all: deps
 
@@ -23,6 +24,9 @@ bin/multihash: $(MULTIHASH_SRC)/**/*.go
 bin/ipfs: $(IPFS_ROOT)/**/*.go
 	go build -o bin/ipfs $(IPFS_CMD)
 
+bin/pollEndpoint: $(POLLENDPOINT_SRC)/*.go
+	go build -o bin/pollEndpoint $(POLLENDPOINT_SRC)
+
 test: test_expensive
 
 test_expensive:
diff --git a/test/sharness/Makefile b/test/sharness/Makefile
index 392826632..144262f98 100644
--- a/test/sharness/Makefile
+++ b/test/sharness/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # NOTE: run with TEST_VERBOSE=1 for verbose sharness tests.
 
 T = $(sort $(wildcard t[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]-*.sh))
-BINS = bin/random bin/multihash bin/ipfs
+BINS = bin/random bin/multihash bin/ipfs bin/pollEndpoint
 SHARNESS = lib/sharness/sharness.sh
 IPFS_ROOT = ../..
 
diff --git a/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh b/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
index 25724e25b..d2896c60c 100644
--- a/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/lib/test-lib.sh
@@ -175,15 +175,14 @@ test_launch_ipfs_daemon() {
 	ADDR_API="/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/5001"
 	test_expect_success "'ipfs daemon' is ready" '
 		IPFS_PID=$! &&
-		test_wait_output_n_lines_60_sec actual_daemon 2 &&
-		test_run_repeat_60_sec "grep \"API server listening on $ADDR_API\" actual_daemon" ||
-		test_fsh cat actual_daemon || test_fsh cat daemon_err
+		pollEndpoint -ep=/version -host=$ADDR_API -v -tout=1s -tries=60 2>poll_apierr > poll_apiout ||
+		test_fsh cat actual_daemon || test_fsh cat daemon_err || test_fsh cat poll_apierr || test_fsh cat poll_apiout
 	'
 
 	if test "$ADDR_GWAY" != ""; then
 		test_expect_success "'ipfs daemon' output includes Gateway address" '
-			test_run_repeat_60_sec "grep \"Gateway server listening on $ADDR_GWAY\" actual_daemon" ||
-			test_fsh cat daemon_err
+			pollEndpoint -ep=/version -host=$ADDR_GWAY -v -tout=1s -tries=60 2>poll_gwerr > poll_gwout ||
+			test_fsh cat daemon_err || test_fsh cat poll_gwerr || test_fsh cat poll_gwout
 		'
 	fi
 }
diff --git a/thirdparty/pollEndpoint/main.go b/thirdparty/pollEndpoint/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..de9e56523
--- /dev/null
+++ b/thirdparty/pollEndpoint/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+// pollEndpoint is a helper utility that waits for a http endpoint to be reachable and return with http.StatusOK
+package main
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"time"
+
+	log "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	ma "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-multiaddr"
+	manet "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-multiaddr-net"
+)
+
+var (
+	host     = flag.String("host", "/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/5001", "the multiaddr host to dial on")
+	endpoint = flag.String("ep", "/version", "which http endpoint path to hit")
+	tries    = flag.Int("tries", 10, "how many tries to make before failing")
+	timeout  = flag.Duration("tout", time.Second, "how long to wait between attempts")
+	verbose  = flag.Bool("v", false, "verbose logging")
+)
+
+func main() {
+	flag.Parse()
+
+	// extract address from host flag
+	addr, err := ma.NewMultiaddr(*host)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithField("err", err).Fatal("NewMultiaddr() failed")
+	}
+	p := addr.Protocols()
+	if len(p) < 2 {
+		log.WithField("addr", addr).Fatal("need two protocols in host flag (/ip/tcp)")
+	}
+	_, host, err := manet.DialArgs(addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithField("err", err).Fatal("manet.DialArgs() failed")
+	}
+
+	if *verbose { // lower log level
+		log.SetLevel(log.DebugLevel)
+	}
+
+	// construct url to dial
+	var u url.URL
+	u.Scheme = "http"
+	u.Host = host
+	u.Path = *endpoint
+
+	// show what we got
+	start := time.Now()
+	log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+		"when":    start,
+		"tries":   *tries,
+		"timeout": *timeout,
+		"url":     u.String(),
+	}).Debug("starting")
+
+	for *tries > 0 {
+		f := log.Fields{"tries": *tries}
+
+		err := checkOK(http.Get(u.String()))
+		if err == nil {
+			f["took"] = time.Since(start)
+			log.WithFields(f).Println("status ok - endpoint reachable")
+			os.Exit(0)
+		}
+		f["error"] = err
+		log.WithFields(f).Debug("get failed")
+		time.Sleep(*timeout)
+		*tries--
+	}
+
+	log.Println("failed.")
+	os.Exit(1)
+}
+
+func checkOK(resp *http.Response, err error) error {
+	if err == nil { // request worked
+		resp.Body.Close()
+		if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusOK {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("Response not OK. %d %s", resp.StatusCode, resp.Status)
+	} else if urlErr, ok := err.(*url.Error); ok { // expected error from http.Get()
+		if urlErr.Op != "Get" || urlErr.URL != *endpoint {
+			return fmt.Errorf("wrong url or endpoint error from http.Get() %#v", urlErr)
+		}
+	}
+	return err
+}