diff --git a/nsqadmin/nsqadmin_test.go b/nsqadmin/nsqadmin_test.go
index c9a7ab891..6220e2826 100644
--- a/nsqadmin/nsqadmin_test.go
+++ b/nsqadmin/nsqadmin_test.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func TestTLSHTTPClient(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	resp, err := http.Get(u.String())
-	test.Equal(t, nil, err)
+	test.Nil(t, err)
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
 	test.Equal(t, resp.StatusCode < 500, true)
diff --git a/nsqd/nsqd.go b/nsqd/nsqd.go
index de9286605..285ae8713 100644
--- a/nsqd/nsqd.go
+++ b/nsqd/nsqd.go
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ type NSQD struct {
 }
 
 func New(opts *Options) (*NSQD, error) {
+	var err error
+
 	dataPath := opts.DataPath
 	if opts.DataPath == "" {
 		cwd, _ := os.Getwd()
@@ -152,6 +154,21 @@ func New(opts *Options) (*NSQD, error) {
 	n.logf(LOG_INFO, version.String("nsqd"))
 	n.logf(LOG_INFO, "ID: %d", opts.ID)
 
+	n.tcpListener, err = net.Listen("tcp", opts.TCPAddress)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", opts.TCPAddress, err)
+	}
+	n.httpListener, err = net.Listen("tcp", opts.HTTPAddress)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", opts.HTTPAddress, err)
+	}
+	if n.tlsConfig != nil && opts.HTTPSAddress != "" {
+		n.httpsListener, err = tls.Listen("tcp", opts.HTTPSAddress, n.tlsConfig)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", opts.HTTPSAddress, err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return n, nil
 }
 
@@ -225,24 +242,8 @@ func (n *NSQD) RemoveClient(clientID int64) {
 }
 
 func (n *NSQD) Main() error {
-	var err error
 	ctx := &context{n}
 
-	n.tcpListener, err = net.Listen("tcp", n.getOpts().TCPAddress)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", n.getOpts().TCPAddress, err)
-	}
-	n.httpListener, err = net.Listen("tcp", n.getOpts().HTTPAddress)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", n.getOpts().HTTPAddress, err)
-	}
-	if n.tlsConfig != nil && n.getOpts().HTTPSAddress != "" {
-		n.httpsListener, err = tls.Listen("tcp", n.getOpts().HTTPSAddress, n.tlsConfig)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", n.getOpts().HTTPSAddress, err)
-		}
-	}
-
 	exitCh := make(chan error)
 	var once sync.Once
 	exitFunc := func(err error) {
@@ -275,7 +276,7 @@ func (n *NSQD) Main() error {
 		n.waitGroup.Wrap(n.statsdLoop)
 	}
 
-	err = <-exitCh
+	err := <-exitCh
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/nsqd/nsqd_test.go b/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
index 9bacd0e6e..25c6d8286 100644
--- a/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
+++ b/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
@@ -244,8 +244,16 @@ func TestPauseMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 func mustStartNSQLookupd(opts *nsqlookupd.Options) (*net.TCPAddr, *net.TCPAddr, *nsqlookupd.NSQLookupd) {
 	opts.TCPAddress = "127.0.0.1:0"
 	opts.HTTPAddress = "127.0.0.1:0"
-	lookupd := nsqlookupd.New(opts)
-	lookupd.Main()
+	lookupd, err := nsqlookupd.New(opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	go func() {
+		err := lookupd.Main()
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+	}()
 	return lookupd.RealTCPAddr(), lookupd.RealHTTPAddr(), lookupd
 }
 
@@ -411,14 +419,15 @@ func TestCluster(t *testing.T) {
 func TestSetHealth(t *testing.T) {
 	opts := NewOptions()
 	opts.Logger = test.NewTestLogger(t)
-	nsqd := New(opts)
+	nsqd, err := New(opts)
+	test.Nil(t, err)
 	defer nsqd.Exit()
 
-	test.Equal(t, nil, nsqd.GetError())
+	test.Nil(t, nsqd.GetError())
 	test.Equal(t, true, nsqd.IsHealthy())
 
 	nsqd.SetHealth(nil)
-	test.Equal(t, nil, nsqd.GetError())
+	test.Nil(t, nsqd.GetError())
 	test.Equal(t, true, nsqd.IsHealthy())
 
 	nsqd.SetHealth(errors.New("health error"))
@@ -437,8 +446,8 @@ func TestCrashingLogger(t *testing.T) {
 		// Test invalid log level causes error
 		opts := NewOptions()
 		opts.LogLevel = "bad"
-		_ = New(opts)
-		return
+		_, err := New(opts)
+		test.Nil(t, err)
 	}
 	cmd := exec.Command(os.Args[0], "-test.run=TestCrashingLogger")
 	cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), "BE_CRASHER=1")
diff --git a/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go b/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
index 20e31ed71..cbd068664 100644
--- a/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
+++ b/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
@@ -41,8 +41,16 @@ func mustStartNSQD(opts *Options) (*net.TCPAddr, *net.TCPAddr, *NSQD) {
 		}
 		opts.DataPath = tmpDir
 	}
-	nsqd := New(opts)
-	nsqd.Main()
+	nsqd, err := New(opts)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	go func() {
+		err := nsqd.Main()
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+	}()
 	return nsqd.RealTCPAddr(), nsqd.RealHTTPAddr(), nsqd
 }
 
@@ -1594,12 +1602,12 @@ func testIOLoopReturnsClientErr(t *testing.T, fakeConn test.FakeNetConn) {
 	opts := NewOptions()
 	opts.Logger = test.NewTestLogger(t)
 	opts.LogLevel = "debug"
-
-	prot := &protocolV2{ctx: &context{nsqd: New(opts)}}
+	nsqd, err := New(opts)
+	test.Nil(t, err)
+	prot := &protocolV2{ctx: &context{nsqd: nsqd}}
 	defer prot.ctx.nsqd.Exit()
 
-	err := prot.IOLoop(fakeConn)
-
+	err = prot.IOLoop(fakeConn)
 	test.NotNil(t, err)
 	test.Equal(t, "E_INVALID invalid command INVALID_COMMAND", err.Error())
 	test.NotNil(t, err.(*protocol.FatalClientErr))
@@ -1609,7 +1617,7 @@ func BenchmarkProtocolV2Exec(b *testing.B) {
 	b.StopTimer()
 	opts := NewOptions()
 	opts.Logger = test.NewTestLogger(b)
-	nsqd := New(opts)
+	nsqd, _ := New(opts)
 	ctx := &context{nsqd}
 	p := &protocolV2{ctx}
 	c := newClientV2(0, nil, ctx)
diff --git a/nsqlookupd/nsqlookupd.go b/nsqlookupd/nsqlookupd.go
index 2b5723c1f..11dc3b547 100644
--- a/nsqlookupd/nsqlookupd.go
+++ b/nsqlookupd/nsqlookupd.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ type NSQLookupd struct {
 }
 
 func New(opts *Options) (*NSQLookupd, error) {
+	var err error
+
 	if opts.Logger == nil {
 		opts.Logger = log.New(os.Stderr, opts.LogPrefix, log.Ldate|log.Ltime|log.Lmicroseconds)
 	}
@@ -33,24 +35,23 @@ func New(opts *Options) (*NSQLookupd, error) {
 
 	l.logf(LOG_INFO, version.String("nsqlookupd"))
 
+	l.tcpListener, err = net.Listen("tcp", opts.TCPAddress)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", opts.TCPAddress, err)
+	}
+	l.httpListener, err = net.Listen("tcp", opts.HTTPAddress)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", opts.TCPAddress, err)
+	}
+
 	return l, nil
 }
 
 // Main starts an instance of nsqlookupd and returns an
 // error if there was a problem starting up.
 func (l *NSQLookupd) Main() error {
-	var err error
 	ctx := &Context{l}
 
-	l.tcpListener, err = net.Listen("tcp", l.opts.TCPAddress)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", l.opts.TCPAddress, err)
-	}
-	l.httpListener, err = net.Listen("tcp", l.opts.HTTPAddress)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("listen (%s) failed - %s", l.opts.TCPAddress, err)
-	}
-
 	exitCh := make(chan error)
 	var once sync.Once
 	exitFunc := func(err error) {
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ func (l *NSQLookupd) Main() error {
 		exitFunc(http_api.Serve(l.httpListener, httpServer, "HTTP", l.logf))
 	})
 
-	err = <-exitCh
+	err := <-exitCh
 	return err
 }