diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 646139c87..24fc74032 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 'use strict'
 
+let http = require( 'http' )
 const express = require( 'express' )
 const logger = require( 'morgan-debug' )
 const bodyParser = require( 'body-parser' )
@@ -7,13 +8,17 @@ const debug = require( 'debug' )( 'speckle:errors' )
 const { ApolloServer } = require( 'apollo-server-express' )
 
 const { contextApiTokenHelper } = require( './modules/shared' )
-const knex = require('./db/knex')
+const knex = require( './db/knex' )
 
+/**
+ * Initialises the express application together with the graphql server middleware.
+ * @return {[type]} an express applicaiton and the graphql server
+ */
 exports.init = async ( ) => {
 
   const app = express( )
-  
-  await knex.migrate.latest()
+
+  await knex.migrate.latest( )
 
   if ( process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test' ) {
     app.use( logger( 'speckle', 'dev', {} ) )
@@ -53,4 +58,41 @@ exports.init = async ( ) => {
   } )
 
   return { app, graphqlServer }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Starts a http server, hoisting the express app to it.
+ * @param  {[type]} app [description]
+ * @return {[type]}     [description]
+ */
+exports.startHttp = async ( app ) => {
+  let port = process.env.PORT || 3000
+  app.set( 'port', port )
+
+  let server = http.createServer( app )
+
+  server.on( 'error', error => {
+    let bind = typeof port === 'string' ? 'Pipe ' + port : 'Port ' + port
+
+    switch ( error.code ) {
+      case 'EACCES':
+        console.error( bind + ' whattt requires elevated privileges' )
+        process.exit( 1 )
+        break
+      case 'EADDRINUSE':
+        console.error( bind + ' is already in use' )
+        process.exit( 1 )
+        break
+      default:
+        throw error
+    }
+  } )
+
+  server.on( 'listening', ( ) => {
+    console.log( `Listening on ${server.address().port}` )
+  } )
+
+  server.listen( port )
+  
+  return { server }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bin/www b/bin/www
index b5e911bd1..15289a512 100644
--- a/bin/www
+++ b/bin/www
@@ -3,42 +3,9 @@
 'use strict'
 
 let debug = require( 'debug' )( 'www:server' )
-let http = require( 'http' )
+let { init, startHttp } = require( '../app' )
 
-
-let { init } = require( '../app' )
-
-init( ).
-then( ( { app } ) => {
-  let port = process.env.PORT || 3000
-
-  app.set( 'port', port )
-
-  let server = http.createServer( app )
-
-  server.on( 'error', error => {
-    let bind = typeof port === 'string' ? 'Pipe ' + port : 'Port ' + port
-
-    switch ( error.code ) {
-      case 'EACCES':
-        console.error( bind + ' whattt requires elevated privileges' )
-        process.exit( 1 )
-        break
-      case 'EADDRINUSE':
-        console.error( bind + ' is already in use' )
-        process.exit( 1 )
-        break
-      default:
-        throw error
-    }
-  } )
-
-  server.on( 'listening', ( ) => {
-    debug( `Listening on ${server.address().port}` )
-  } )
-
-  server.listen( port )
-} )
-.catch( err => {
-  debug( err )
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+init( ).then( ( { app } ) => startHttp( app ) )
+  .catch( err => {
+    debug( err )
+  } )
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/core/tests/graph.spec.js b/modules/core/tests/graph.spec.js
index d6a2b99d9..f2d4a2dba 100644
--- a/modules/core/tests/graph.spec.js
+++ b/modules/core/tests/graph.spec.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const chaiHttp = require( 'chai-http' )
 const assert = require( 'assert' )
 const root = require( 'app-root-path' )
 
-const { init } = require( `${root}/app` )
+const { init, startHttp } = require( `${root}/app` )
 
 const expect = chai.expect
 chai.use( chaiHttp )
@@ -15,34 +15,37 @@ const { createUser, createToken } = require( '../users/services' )
 describe( 'GraphQL API Core', ( ) => {
   let userA = { name: 'd1', username: 'd1', email: 'd.1@speckle.systems', password: 'wow' }
   let userB = { name: 'd2', username: 'd2', email: 'd.2@speckle.systems', password: 'wow' }
-  let app
+  let testServer
+  let addr
 
   before( async ( ) => {
     await knex.migrate.latest( )
-    // let app = await init( )
-    require( `${root}/bin/www` )
-
+    let { app } = await init( )
+    let { server } = await startHttp( app )
+    testServer = server
 
     userA.id = await createUser( userA )
     userA.token = `Bearer ${(await createToken( userA.id, 'test token user A', [ 'streams:read', 'streams:write', 'user:read', 'token:create', 'token:read' ] ))}`
     userB.id = await createUser( userB )
     userB.token = `Bearer ${(await createToken( userB.id, 'test token user B', [ 'streams:read', 'streams:write', 'user:read', 'token:create', 'token:read' ] ))}`
 
+    addr = `http://localhost:${process.env.PORT || 3000}`
   } )
 
   after( async ( ) => {
     await knex.migrate.rollback( )
+    testServer.close()
   } )
 
   describe( 'Mutations', ( ) => {
     it( 'Should create a stream', async ( ) => {
-      // const res = await chai.request(app).post('/graphql').send().set()
+      assert.fail('todo')
     } )
   } )
 
   describe( 'Queries', ( ) => {
     it( 'Should retrieve my profile', async ( ) => {
-      const res = await chai.request( 'http://localhost:3000' ).post( '/graphql' ).set( 'Authorization', userA.token ).send( {
+      const res = await chai.request( addr ).post( '/graphql' ).set( 'Authorization', userA.token ).send( {
         query: `
          {
             user {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5a2c876e2..fae22ca84 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
   "description": "speckle server",
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {
-    "dev": "NODE_ENV=development DEBUG=www:server,speckle:* nodemon ./bin/www --watch . --watch ./bin/www  -e js,graphql,env",
-    "test": "DEBUG=speckle:test,speckle:errors NODE_ENV=test nyc nyc --reporter=html mocha -s 0 --exit",
-    "test-watch": "DEBUG=speckle:test,speckle:errors NODE_ENV=test mocha --watch -s 0 --exit",
-    "test-graph": "DEBUG=speckle:test,speckle:errors NODE_ENV=test mocha ./modules/core/tests/graph.spec.js --watch -s 0 --exit --no-config"
+    "dev": "PORT=3000 NODE_ENV=development DEBUG=www:server,speckle:* nodemon ./bin/www --watch . --watch ./bin/www  -e js,graphql,env",
+    "test": "PORT=3001 DEBUG=speckle:test,speckle:errors NODE_ENV=test nyc nyc --reporter=html mocha -s 0 --exit",
+    "test-watch": "PORT=3001 DEBUG=speckle:test,speckle:errors NODE_ENV=test mocha --watch -s 0 --exit",
+    "test-graph": "PORT=3001 DEBUG=speckle:test,speckle:errors NODE_ENV=test mocha ./modules/core/tests/graph.spec.js --watch -s 0 --exit --no-config"
   },
   "author": "",
   "license": "MIT",