diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index cdd445ef..cea61f20 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ def read(path):
         ]
     },
     extras_require=dict(
-        test=['zope.testing',
-              'zc.customdoctests>=1.0.1'],
+        test=['zope.testing>=4,<5',
+              'zc.customdoctests>=1.0.1,<2',
+              'stopit>=1.1.2,<2'],
         sqlalchemy=['sqlalchemy>=1.0,<1.4', 'geojson>=2.5.0']
     ),
     python_requires='>=3.4',
diff --git a/src/crate/client/http.py b/src/crate/client/http.py
index 1f81c631..02aa80bd 100644
--- a/src/crate/client/http.py
+++ b/src/crate/client/http.py
@@ -544,8 +544,8 @@ def _get_server(self):
                                        (ts, server, message))
                     else:
                         self._active_servers.append(server)
-                        logger.warn("Restored server %s into active pool",
-                                    server)
+                        logger.warning("Restored server %s into active pool",
+                                       server)
 
             # if none is old enough, use oldest
             if not self._active_servers:
diff --git a/src/crate/client/tests.py b/src/crate/client/tests.py
index 2a4cc61c..574f1a7e 100644
--- a/src/crate/client/tests.py
+++ b/src/crate/client/tests.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 import json
 import os
+import socket
 import unittest
 import doctest
 from pprint import pprint
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@
 import threading
 import logging
 
+import stopit
+
 from crate.testing.layer import CrateLayer
 from crate.testing.tests import crate_path, docs_path
 from crate.client import connect
@@ -108,15 +111,35 @@ def setUpMocked(test):
 crate_port = 44209
 crate_transport_port = 44309
 local = '127.0.0.1'
-crate_layer = CrateLayer('crate',
-                         crate_home=crate_path(),
-                         port=crate_port,
-                         host=local,
-                         transport_port=crate_transport_port,
-                         settings=settings)
-
 crate_host = "{host}:{port}".format(host=local, port=crate_port)
 crate_uri = "http://%s" % crate_host
+crate_layer = None
+
+
+def ensure_cratedb_layer():
+    """
+    In order to skip individual tests by manually disabling them within
+    `def test_suite()`, it is crucial make the test layer not run on each
+    and every occasion. So, things like this will be possible::
+
+        ./bin/test -vvvv --ignore_dir=testing
+
+    TODO: Through a subsequent patch, the possibility to individually
+          unselect specific tests might be added to `def test_suite()`
+          on behalf of environment variables.
+          A blueprint for this kind of logic can be found at
+          https://github.com/crate/crate/commit/414cd833.
+    """
+    global crate_layer
+
+    if crate_layer is None:
+        crate_layer = CrateLayer('crate',
+                                 crate_home=crate_path(),
+                                 port=crate_port,
+                                 host=local,
+                                 transport_port=crate_transport_port,
+                                 settings=settings)
+    return crate_layer
 
 
 def refresh(table):
@@ -207,7 +230,7 @@ class Location(Base):
     test.globs['CrateDialect'] = CrateDialect
 
 
-class HttpsTestServerLayer(object):
+class HttpsTestServerLayer:
     PORT = 65534
     HOST = "localhost"
     CERT_FILE = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
@@ -235,11 +258,11 @@ class HttpsHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
 
         def do_GET(self):
             self.send_response(200)
-            self.send_header("Content-Length", len(self.payload))
+            payload = self.payload.encode('UTF-8')
+            self.send_header("Content-Length", len(payload))
             self.send_header("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=UTF-8")
             self.end_headers()
-            self.wfile.write(self.payload.encode('UTF-8'))
-            return
+            self.wfile.write(payload)
 
     def __init__(self):
         self.server = self.HttpsServer(
@@ -251,7 +274,7 @@ def setUp(self):
         thread = threading.Thread(target=self.serve_forever)
         thread.daemon = True  # quit interpreter when only thread exists
         thread.start()
-        time.sleep(1)
+        self.waitForServer()
 
     def serve_forever(self):
         print("listening on", self.HOST, self.PORT)
@@ -261,6 +284,29 @@ def serve_forever(self):
     def tearDown(self):
         self.server.shutdown()
 
+    def isUp(self):
+        """
+        Test if a host is up.
+        """
+        s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+        ex = s.connect_ex((self.HOST, self.PORT))
+        s.close()
+        return ex == 0
+
+    def waitForServer(self, timeout=5):
+        """
+        Wait for the host to be available.
+        """
+        with stopit.ThreadingTimeout(timeout) as to_ctx_mgr:
+            while True:
+                if self.isUp():
+                    break
+                time.sleep(0.001)
+
+        if not to_ctx_mgr:
+            raise TimeoutError("Could not properly start embedded webserver "
+                               "within {} seconds".format(timeout))
+
 
 def setUpWithHttps(test):
     test.globs['HttpClient'] = http.Client
@@ -348,7 +394,7 @@ def test_suite():
         optionflags=flags,
         encoding='utf-8'
     )
-    s.layer = crate_layer
+    s.layer = ensure_cratedb_layer()
     suite.addTest(s)
 
     s = doctest.DocFileSuite(
@@ -362,7 +408,7 @@ def test_suite():
         optionflags=flags,
         encoding='utf-8'
     )
-    s.layer = crate_layer
+    s.layer = ensure_cratedb_layer()
     suite.addTest(s)
 
     s = doctest.DocFileSuite(
@@ -372,7 +418,7 @@ def test_suite():
         optionflags=flags,
         encoding='utf-8'
     )
-    s.layer = crate_layer
+    s.layer = ensure_cratedb_layer()
     suite.addTest(s)
 
     return suite
diff --git a/versions.cfg b/versions.cfg
index 1ff59bf6..cd8759f6 100644
--- a/versions.cfg
+++ b/versions.cfg
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ zc.customdoctests = 1.0.1
 zc.recipe.egg = 2.0.7
 zc.recipe.testrunner = 2.2
 zope.testing = 4.9
+stopit = 1.1.2
 
 # Required by:
 # clint==0.5.1