diff --git a/services/chat/app.coffee b/services/chat/app.coffee
index 8f5cc18dc0..3fad2e610e 100644
--- a/services/chat/app.coffee
+++ b/services/chat/app.coffee
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ settings = require 'settings-sharelatex'
 
 Server = require "./app/js/server"
 
-port = settings.internal?.chat?.port or 3010
-host = settings.internal?.chat?.host or "localhost"
+if !module.parent # Called directly
+	port = settings.internal?.chat?.port or 3010
+	host = settings.internal?.chat?.host or "localhost"
+	Server.server.listen port, host, (error) ->
+		throw error if error?
+		logger.info "Chat starting up, listening on #{host}:#{port}"
 
-Server.server.listen port, host, (error) ->
-	throw error if error?
-	logger.info "Chat starting up, listening on #{host}:#{port}"
+module.exports = Server.server
diff --git a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/DeletingAMessageTests.coffee b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/DeletingAMessageTests.coffee
index 65c183d0f0..7d6ca8b00b 100644
--- a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/DeletingAMessageTests.coffee
+++ b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/DeletingAMessageTests.coffee
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 expect = require("chai").expect
 
 ChatClient = require "./helpers/ChatClient"
+ChatApp = require "./helpers/ChatApp"
 
 describe "Deleting a message", ->
-	before ->
+	before (done) ->
 		@project_id = ObjectId().toString()
 		@user_id = ObjectId().toString()
 		@thread_id = ObjectId().toString()
+		ChatApp.ensureRunning done
 
 	describe "in a thread", ->
 		before (done) ->
diff --git a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/DeletingAThreadTests.coffee b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/DeletingAThreadTests.coffee
index 850bcf0ef0..a803e730c7 100644
--- a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/DeletingAThreadTests.coffee
+++ b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/DeletingAThreadTests.coffee
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@ expect = require("chai").expect
 crypto = require "crypto"
 
 ChatClient = require "./helpers/ChatClient"
+ChatApp = require "./helpers/ChatApp"
 
 describe "Deleting a thread", ->
-	before ->
+	before (done) ->
 		@project_id = ObjectId().toString()
 		@user_id = ObjectId().toString()
+		ChatApp.ensureRunning done
 
 	describe "with a thread that is deleted", ->
 		before (done) ->
diff --git a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/EditingAMessageTests.coffee b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/EditingAMessageTests.coffee
index 51e14cfedd..f507e4b205 100644
--- a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/EditingAMessageTests.coffee
+++ b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/EditingAMessageTests.coffee
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 expect = require("chai").expect
 
 ChatClient = require "./helpers/ChatClient"
+ChatApp = require "./helpers/ChatApp"
 
 describe "Editing a message", ->
-	before ->
+	before (done) ->
 		@project_id = ObjectId().toString()
 		@user_id = ObjectId().toString()
 		@thread_id = ObjectId().toString()
+		ChatApp.ensureRunning done
 
 	describe "in a thread", ->
 		before (done) ->
diff --git a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/GettingMessagesTests.coffee b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/GettingMessagesTests.coffee
index 6d622b409a..b0c872e5cd 100644
--- a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/GettingMessagesTests.coffee
+++ b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/GettingMessagesTests.coffee
@@ -4,13 +4,15 @@ async = require "async"
 crypto = require "crypto"
 
 ChatClient = require "./helpers/ChatClient"
+ChatApp = require "./helpers/ChatApp"
 
 describe "Getting messages", ->
-	before ->
+	before (done) ->
 		@user_id1 = ObjectId().toString()
 		@user_id2 = ObjectId().toString()
 		@content1 = "foo bar"
 		@content2 = "hello world"
+		ChatApp.ensureRunning done
 
 	describe "globally", ->
 		before (done) ->
diff --git a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/ResolvingAThreadTests.coffee b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/ResolvingAThreadTests.coffee
index 4f666666ac..d162f881f6 100644
--- a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/ResolvingAThreadTests.coffee
+++ b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/ResolvingAThreadTests.coffee
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@ expect = require("chai").expect
 crypto = require "crypto"
 
 ChatClient = require "./helpers/ChatClient"
+ChatApp = require "./helpers/ChatApp"
 
 describe "Resolving a thread", ->
-	before ->
+	before (done) ->
 		@project_id = ObjectId().toString()
 		@user_id = ObjectId().toString()
+		ChatApp.ensureRunning done
+
 	describe "with a resolved thread", ->
 		before (done) ->
 			@thread_id = ObjectId().toString()
diff --git a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/SendingAMessageTests.coffee b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/SendingAMessageTests.coffee
index 77af23bda7..64a2d5dbe5 100644
--- a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/SendingAMessageTests.coffee
+++ b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/SendingAMessageTests.coffee
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 expect = require("chai").expect
 
 ChatClient = require "./helpers/ChatClient"
+ChatApp = require "./helpers/ChatApp"
 
 describe "Sending a message", ->
-	before ->
+	before (done) ->
+		ChatApp.ensureRunning done
 
 	describe "globally", ->
 		before (done) ->
diff --git a/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/helpers/ChatApp.coffee b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/helpers/ChatApp.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8973541003
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/chat/test/acceptance/coffee/helpers/ChatApp.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+app = require('../../../../app')
+require("logger-sharelatex").logger.level("error")
+
+module.exports =
+	running: false
+	initing: false
+	callbacks: []
+	ensureRunning: (callback = (error) ->) ->
+		if @running
+			return callback()
+		else if @initing
+			@callbacks.push callback
+		else
+			@initing = true
+			@callbacks.push callback
+			app.listen 3010, "localhost", (error) => 
+				throw error if error?
+				@running = true
+				for callback in @callbacks
+					callback()
\ No newline at end of file