diff --git a/backend/ldap_server_test.go b/backend/ldap_server_test.go
index 8f1ba78221ed2200e27b84e44dd393c1bae5476c..f02c60194ba99b0354146733db7077acd8b7a718 100644
--- a/backend/ldap_server_test.go
+++ b/backend/ldap_server_test.go
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 package backend
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"net"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -14,6 +17,22 @@ type testLDAPServerConfig struct {
 	LDIFs []string
 }
 
+func waitForPort(port int, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	addr := fmt.Sprintf("127.0.0.1:%d", port)
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(timeout)
+	for {
+		conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", addr)
+		if err == nil {
+			conn.Close()
+			return nil
+		}
+		time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+		if time.Now().After(deadline) {
+			return errors.New("server did not come up within the deadline")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func startTestLDAPServer(t testing.TB, config *testLDAPServerConfig) func() {
 	tmpf, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -29,14 +48,18 @@ ldap.port=%d
 	args := []string{tmpf.Name()}
 	args = append(args, config.LDIFs...)
 	proc := exec.Command("./unboundid-ldap-server/bin/unboundid-ldap-server", args...)
+	proc.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	proc.Stderr = os.Stderr
 
 	if err := proc.Start(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error starting LDAP server: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+	waitForPort(config.Port, 5*time.Second)
 
 	return func() {
 		proc.Process.Kill()
+		proc.Wait()
+		os.Remove(tmpf.Name())
 	}
 }