diff --git a/lib/webrat/core_extensions/tcp_socket.rb b/lib/webrat/core_extensions/tcp_socket.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3694120
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/webrat/core_extensions/tcp_socket.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+class TCPSocket
+  
+  def self.wait_for_service_with_timeout(options)
+    start_time = Time.now
+    
+    until listening_service?(options)
+      verbose_wait
+      
+      if options[:timeout] && (Time.now > start_time + options[:timeout])
+        raise SocketError.new("Socket did not open within #{options[:timeout]} seconds")
+      end
+    end
+  end
+  
+  def self.wait_for_service_termination_with_timeout(options)
+    start_time = Time.now
+    
+    while listening_service?(options)
+      verbose_wait
+      
+      if options[:timeout] && (Time.now > start_time + options[:timeout])
+        raise SocketError.new("Socket did not terminate within #{options[:timeout]} seconds")
+      end
+    end
+  end
+  
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/webrat/selenium.rb b/lib/webrat/selenium.rb
index 42078f9..4ae678c 100644
--- a/lib/webrat/selenium.rb
+++ b/lib/webrat/selenium.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ gem "selenium-client", ">=1.2.14"
 require "selenium/client"
 require "webrat/selenium/selenium_session"
 require "webrat/selenium/matchers"
+require "webrat/core_extensions/tcp_socket"
 
 module Webrat
 
@@ -16,9 +17,31 @@ module Webrat
     unless Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_address
       remote_control = ::Selenium::RemoteControl::RemoteControl.new("0.0.0.0", Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_port, 5)
       remote_control.jar_file = File.expand_path(__FILE__ + "../../../../vendor/selenium-server.jar")
-      remote_control.start :background => true
+      
+      silence_stream(STDOUT) do
+        remote_control.start :background => true
+      end
     end
-    TCPSocket.wait_for_service :host => (Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_address || "0.0.0.0"), :port => Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_port
+    
+    $stderr.print "==> Started selenium RC server. Waiting for it to boot... "
+    silence_stream(STDOUT) do
+      TCPSocket.wait_for_service_with_timeout \
+        :host     => (Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_address || "0.0.0.0"),
+        :port     => Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_port,
+        :timeout  => 15 # seconds
+    end
+    $stderr.print "Ready!\n"
+    
+    at_exit do
+      silence_stream(STDOUT) do
+        Webrat.stop_selenium_server
+      end
+    end
+  rescue SocketError
+    $stderr.puts
+    $stderr.puts
+    $stderr.puts "==> Failed to boot the Selenium RC server... exiting!"
+    exit
   end
 
   def self.stop_selenium_server #:nodoc:
@@ -45,15 +68,50 @@ module Webrat
         exec 'rackup', File.expand_path(Dir.pwd + '/config.ru'), '-p', Webrat.configuration.application_port.to_s
       end
     when :merb
-      cmd = 'merb'
+      merb_cmd = 'merb'
       if File.exist?('bin/merb')
-        cmd = 'bin/merb'
+        merb_cmd = 'bin/merb'
       end
-      system("#{cmd} -d -p #{Webrat.configuration.application_port} -e #{Webrat.configuration.application_environment}")
+      cmd = "#{merb_cmd} -d -p #{Webrat.configuration.application_port} -e #{Webrat.configuration.application_environment}"
+      system cmd
     else # rails
-      system("mongrel_rails start -d --chdir='#{RAILS_ROOT}' --port=#{Webrat.configuration.application_port} --environment=#{Webrat.configuration.application_environment} --pid #{pid_file} &")
+      cmd = "mongrel_rails start -d --chdir='#{RAILS_ROOT}' --port=#{Webrat.configuration.application_port} --environment=#{Webrat.configuration.application_environment} --pid #{pid_file} &"
+      system cmd
     end
-    TCPSocket.wait_for_service :host => Webrat.configuration.application_address, :port => Webrat.configuration.application_port.to_i
+    
+    $stderr.print "==> Started #{Webrat.configuration.application_framework} application server for Selenium. Waiting for it to boot... "
+    silence_stream(STDOUT) do
+      TCPSocket.wait_for_service_with_timeout \
+        :host     => Webrat.configuration.application_address,
+        :port     => Webrat.configuration.application_port.to_i,
+        :timeout  => 30 # seconds
+    end
+    $stderr.print "Ready!\n"
+    
+    at_exit do
+      silence_stream(STDOUT) do
+        Webrat.stop_app_server
+      end
+    end
+  rescue SocketError
+    $stderr.puts
+    $stderr.puts
+    $stderr.puts "==> Failed to boot the application server for selenium... exiting!"
+    
+    case Webrat.configuration.application_framework
+    when :sinatra
+    when :merb
+      $stderr.puts
+      $stderr.puts "Verify you can start a Merb server with the folliwing command:"
+      $stderr.puts
+      $stderr.puts "    #{cmd}"
+    else # rails
+      $stderr.puts
+      $stderr.puts "Verify you can start a Rails server with the folliwing command:"
+      $stderr.puts
+      $stderr.puts "    #{cmd}"
+    end
+    exit
   end
 
   # Stop the appserver for the underlying framework under test
diff --git a/lib/webrat/selenium/selenium_session.rb b/lib/webrat/selenium/selenium_session.rb
index 46d190d..596d963 100644
--- a/lib/webrat/selenium/selenium_session.rb
+++ b/lib/webrat/selenium/selenium_session.rb
@@ -189,16 +189,11 @@ module Webrat
     end
 
     def setup #:nodoc:
-      silence_stream(STDOUT) do
-        silence_stream(STDERR) do
-          Webrat.start_selenium_server
-          Webrat.start_app_server
-        end
-      end
+      Webrat.start_selenium_server
+      Webrat.start_app_server
 
       create_browser
       $browser.start
-      teardown_at_exit
 
       extend_selenium
       define_location_strategies
@@ -210,14 +205,10 @@ module Webrat
       $browser = ::Selenium::Client::Driver.new(Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_address || "localhost",
           Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_port, Webrat.configuration.selenium_browser_key, "http://#{Webrat.configuration.application_address}:#{Webrat.configuration.application_port}")
       $browser.set_speed(0) unless Webrat.configuration.selenium_server_address
-    end
-
-    def teardown_at_exit #:nodoc:
+      
       at_exit do
         silence_stream(STDOUT) do
           $browser.stop
-          Webrat.stop_app_server
-          Webrat.stop_selenium_server
         end
       end
     end