diff --git a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/helper/LrauvTestFixture.hh b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/helper/LrauvTestFixture.hh
index 6c1e9ddc..a1cf9498 100644
--- a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/helper/LrauvTestFixture.hh
+++ b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/helper/LrauvTestFixture.hh
@@ -204,33 +204,44 @@ class LrauvTestFixture : public ::testing::Test
     }
 
     char buffer[512];
-    while (!feof(pipe))
+    while (fgets(buffer, 512, pipe) != nullptr)
     {
-      if (fgets(buffer, 512, pipe) != nullptr)
+      igndbg << "CMD OUTPUT: " << buffer << std::endl;
+
+      // FIXME: LRAUV app hangs after quit, so force close it
+      // See https://github.com/osrf/lrauv/issues/83
+      std::string bufferStr{buffer};
+
+      std::string error{"ERROR"};
+      std::string critical{"CRITICAL"};
+      if (bufferStr.find(error) != std::string::npos ||
+          bufferStr.find(critical) != std::string::npos)
+      {
+        ignerr << buffer << "\n";
+      }
+
+      std::string quit{"Stop Mission called by Supervisor::terminate\n"};
+      if (bufferStr.find(quit) != std::string::npos)
       {
-        igndbg << "CMD OUTPUT: " << buffer << std::endl;
-
-        // FIXME: LRAUV app hangs after quit, so force close it
-        // See https://github.com/osrf/lrauv/issues/83
-        std::string bufferStr{buffer};
-
-        std::string error{"ERROR"};
-        std::string critical{"CRITICAL"};
-        if (bufferStr.find(error) != std::string::npos ||
-            bufferStr.find(critical) != std::string::npos)
-        {
-          ignerr << buffer << "\n";
-        }
-
-        std::string quit{"Stop Mission called by Supervisor::terminate\n"};
-        if (bufferStr.find(quit) != std::string::npos)
-        {
-          ignmsg << "Quitting application" << std::endl;
-          break;
-        }
+        ignmsg << "Quitting application" << std::endl;
+        break;
       }
     }
 
+    KillLRAUV();
+
+    pclose(pipe);
+
+    ignmsg << "Completed command [" << cmd << "]" << std::endl;
+
+    _running = false;
+  }
+
+  /// \brief Kill all LRAUV processes.
+  /// \return True if some process was killed.
+  public: static bool KillLRAUV()
+  {
+    bool killed{false};
     for (auto process : {"sh.*bin/LRAUV", "bin/LRAUV"})
     {
       auto pid = GetPID(process);
@@ -243,13 +254,9 @@ class LrauvTestFixture : public ::testing::Test
 
       ignmsg << "Killing process [" << process << "] with pid [" << pid << "]" << std::endl;
       kill(pid, 9);
+      killed = true;
     }
-
-    pclose(pipe);
-
-    ignmsg << "Completed command [" << cmd << "]" << std::endl;
-
-    _running = false;
+    return killed;
   }
 
   /// \brief How many times has OnPostUpdate been run
diff --git a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_depth_vbs.cc b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_depth_vbs.cc
index 11d09f7f..850f7477 100644
--- a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_depth_vbs.cc
+++ b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_depth_vbs.cc
@@ -53,25 +53,26 @@ TEST_F(LrauvTestFixture, DepthVBS)
         lrauvRunning);
   });
 
+  // Run enough iterations (chosen empirically) to reach steady state, then kill
+  // the controller
+  int targetIterations{28000};
   int maxSleep{100};
   int sleep{0};
-  for (; sleep < maxSleep && lrauvRunning; ++sleep)
+  for (; sleep < maxSleep && lrauvRunning && this->iterations < targetIterations; ++sleep)
   {
     igndbg << "Ran [" << this->iterations << "] iterations." << std::endl;
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(1s);
   }
   EXPECT_LT(sleep, maxSleep);
-  EXPECT_FALSE(lrauvRunning);
+  ASSERT_LT(targetIterations, this->tethysPoses.size());
 
+  LrauvTestFixture::KillLRAUV();
   lrauvThread.join();
 
   ignmsg << "Logged [" << this->tethysPoses.size() << "] poses" << std::endl;
 
-  int maxIterations{28000};
-  ASSERT_LT(maxIterations, this->tethysPoses.size());
-
   // Uncomment to get new expectations
-  // for (int i = 2000; i <= maxIterations; i += 2000)
+  // for (int i = 2000; i <= targetIterations; i += 2000)
   // {
   //   auto pose = this->tethysPoses[i];
   //   std::cout << "this->CheckRange(" << i << ", {"
diff --git a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_pitch_and_depth_mass_vbs.cc b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_pitch_and_depth_mass_vbs.cc
index 267932b7..a5700a92 100644
--- a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_pitch_and_depth_mass_vbs.cc
+++ b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_pitch_and_depth_mass_vbs.cc
@@ -53,23 +53,24 @@ TEST_F(LrauvTestFixture, PitchDepthVBS)
         lrauvRunning);
   });
 
+  // Run enough iterations (chosen empirically) to reach steady state, then kill
+  // the controller
+  int targetIterations{28000};
   int maxSleep{100};
   int sleep{0};
-  for (; sleep < maxSleep && lrauvRunning; ++sleep)
+  for (; sleep < maxSleep && lrauvRunning && this->iterations < targetIterations; ++sleep)
   {
     igndbg << "Ran [" << this->iterations << "] iterations." << std::endl;
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(1s);
   }
   EXPECT_LT(sleep, maxSleep);
-  EXPECT_FALSE(lrauvRunning);
+  EXPECT_LT(targetIterations, this->tethysPoses.size());
 
+  LrauvTestFixture::KillLRAUV();
   lrauvThread.join();
 
   ignmsg << "Logged [" << this->tethysPoses.size() << "] poses" << std::endl;
 
-  int maxIterations{28000};
-  ASSERT_LT(maxIterations, this->tethysPoses.size());
-
   bool targetReached = false, firstSample = true;
   double prev_z = 0, totalDepthChange = 0;
   // Vehicle should sink to 10 meters and hold there
diff --git a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_pitch_mass.cc b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_pitch_mass.cc
index d9386981..7e8d6b3b 100644
--- a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_pitch_mass.cc
+++ b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_pitch_mass.cc
@@ -58,23 +58,24 @@ TEST_F(LrauvTestFixture, PitchMass)
         lrauvRunning);
   });
 
+  // Run enough iterations (chosen empirically) to reach steady state, then kill
+  // the controller
+  int targetIterations{28000};
   int maxSleep{100};
   int sleep{0};
-  for (; sleep < maxSleep && lrauvRunning; ++sleep)
+  for (; sleep < maxSleep && lrauvRunning && this->iterations < targetIterations; ++sleep)
   {
     igndbg << "Ran [" << this->iterations << "] iterations." << std::endl;
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(1s);
   }
   EXPECT_LT(sleep, maxSleep);
-  EXPECT_FALSE(lrauvRunning);
+  EXPECT_LT(targetIterations, this->tethysPoses.size());
 
+  LrauvTestFixture::KillLRAUV();
   lrauvThread.join();
 
   ignmsg << "Logged [" << this->tethysPoses.size() << "] poses" << std::endl;
 
-  int maxIterations{28000};
-  EXPECT_LT(maxIterations, this->tethysPoses.size());
-
   // Give it some iterations to reach steady state
   for (auto i = 2000u; i < this->tethysPoses.size(); i = i + 1000)
   {
diff --git a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_yoyo_circle.cc b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_yoyo_circle.cc
index ae3c1632..a18d937d 100644
--- a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_yoyo_circle.cc
+++ b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_mission_yoyo_circle.cc
@@ -61,23 +61,24 @@ TEST_F(LrauvTestFixture, YoYoCircle)
         lrauvRunning);
   });
 
+  // Run enough iterations (chosen empirically) to reach steady state, then kill
+  // the controller
+  int targetIterations{28000};
   int maxSleep{100};
   int sleep{0};
-  for (; sleep < maxSleep && lrauvRunning; ++sleep)
+  for (; sleep < maxSleep && lrauvRunning && this->iterations < targetIterations; ++sleep)
   {
     igndbg << "Ran [" << this->iterations << "] iterations." << std::endl;
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(1s);
   }
   EXPECT_LT(sleep, maxSleep);
-  EXPECT_FALSE(lrauvRunning);
+  EXPECT_LT(targetIterations, this->tethysPoses.size());
 
+  LrauvTestFixture::KillLRAUV();
   lrauvThread.join();
 
   ignmsg << "Logged [" << this->tethysPoses.size() << "] poses" << std::endl;
 
-  int minIterations{28000};
-  ASSERT_LT(minIterations, this->tethysPoses.size());
-
   // Check bounds
   double dtSec = std::chrono::duration<double>(this->dt).count();
   ASSERT_LT(0.0, dtSec);
diff --git a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_state_msg.cc b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_state_msg.cc
index 1e968fb3..db9ba6c8 100644
--- a/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_state_msg.cc
+++ b/lrauv_ignition_plugins/test/test_state_msg.cc
@@ -28,13 +28,20 @@
 #include "lrauv_state.pb.h"
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////
-TEST_F(LrauvTestFixture, Command)
+TEST_F(LrauvTestFixture, State)
 {
   // TODO(chapulina) Test other fields, see
   // https://github.com/osrf/lrauv/pull/81
 
   // Initial state
   this->fixture->Server()->Run(true, 100, false);
+  int maxSleep{100};
+  int sleep{0};
+  for (; sleep < maxSleep && this->stateMsgs.size() < 100; ++sleep)
+  {
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(100ms);
+  }
+  EXPECT_LT(sleep, maxSleep);
   EXPECT_EQ(100, this->stateMsgs.size());
 
   auto latest = this->stateMsgs.back();