diff --git a/test/01-smoke.test.js b/test/01-smoke.test.js
index a7d0d5c14..a5f1d17e7 100644
--- a/test/01-smoke.test.js
+++ b/test/01-smoke.test.js
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ const test = require('brittle')
 const path = require('bare-path')
 const hypercoreid = require('hypercore-id-encoding')
 const Helper = require('./helper')
-const versions = path.join(Helper.localDir, 'test', 'fixtures', 'versions')
-const dhtBootstrap = path.join(Helper.localDir, 'test', 'fixtures', 'dht-bootstrap')
+const versionsDir = path.join(Helper.localDir, 'test', 'fixtures', 'versions')
+const dhtBootstrapDir = path.join(Helper.localDir, 'test', 'fixtures', 'dht-bootstrap')
 const requireAssets = path.join(Helper.localDir, 'test', 'fixtures', 'require-assets')
 const subDepRequireAssets = path.join(Helper.localDir, 'test', 'fixtures', 'sub-dep-require-assets')
 
@@ -12,27 +12,116 @@ test('smoke', async function ({ ok, is, alike, plan, comment, teardown, timeout
   timeout(180000)
   plan(10)
 
-  const versionsRun = await run({ dir: versions, ok, comment, teardown })
-  is(JSON.parse(versionsRun.result).app.key, versionsRun.key, 'app version matches staged key')
+  const testVersions = async () => {
+    const dir = versionsDir
 
-  const dhtBootstrapRun = await run({ dir: dhtBootstrap, ok, comment, teardown })
-  alike(JSON.parse(dhtBootstrapRun.result), Pear.config.dht.bootstrap, 'dht bootstrap matches Pear.config.dth.bootstrap')
+    const helper = new Helper()
+    teardown(() => helper.close(), { order: Infinity })
+    await helper.ready()
 
-  await Helper.untilClose(versionsRun.pipe)
-  ok(true, 'ended')
+    const id = Math.floor(Math.random() * 10000)
 
-  await Helper.untilClose(dhtBootstrapRun.pipe)
-  ok(true, 'ended')
+    comment('staging')
+    const staging = helper.stage({ channel: `test-${id}`, name: `test-${id}`, dir, dryRun: false, bare: true })
+    teardown(() => Helper.teardownStream(staging))
+    const staged = await Helper.pick(staging, { tag: 'final' })
+    ok(staged.success, 'stage succeeded')
+
+    comment('seeding')
+    const seeding = helper.seed({ channel: `test-${id}`, name: `test-${id}`, dir, key: null, cmdArgs: [] })
+    teardown(() => Helper.teardownStream(seeding))
+    const until = await Helper.pick(seeding, [{ tag: 'key' }, { tag: 'announced' }])
+    const announced = await until.announced
+    ok(announced, 'seeding is announced')
+
+    const key = await until.key
+    ok(hypercoreid.isValid(key), 'app key is valid')
+
+    const link = `pear://${key}`
+    const run = await Helper.run({ link })
+
+    const result = await Helper.untilResult(run.pipe)
+    const versions = JSON.parse(result)
+    is(versions.app.key, key, 'app version matches staged key')
+
+    await Helper.untilClose(run.pipe)
+    ok(true, 'ended')
+  }
+
+  const testDhtBootstrap = async () => {
+    const dir = dhtBootstrapDir
+
+    const helper = new Helper()
+    teardown(() => helper.close(), { order: Infinity })
+    await helper.ready()
+
+    const id = Math.floor(Math.random() * 10000)
+
+    comment('staging')
+    const staging = helper.stage({ channel: `test-${id}`, name: `test-${id}`, dir, dryRun: false, bare: true })
+    teardown(() => Helper.teardownStream(staging))
+    const staged = await Helper.pick(staging, { tag: 'final' })
+    ok(staged.success, 'stage succeeded')
+
+    comment('seeding')
+    const seeding = helper.seed({ channel: `test-${id}`, name: `test-${id}`, dir, key: null, cmdArgs: [] })
+    teardown(() => Helper.teardownStream(seeding))
+    const until = await Helper.pick(seeding, [{ tag: 'key' }, { tag: 'announced' }])
+    const announced = await until.announced
+    ok(announced, 'seeding is announced')
+
+    const key = await until.key
+    ok(hypercoreid.isValid(key), 'app key is valid')
+
+    const link = `pear://${key}`
+    const run = await Helper.run({ link })
+
+    const result = await Helper.untilResult(run.pipe)
+    const dhtBootstrap = JSON.parse(result)
+    alike(dhtBootstrap, Pear.config.dht.bootstrap, 'dht bootstrap matches Pear.config.dht.bootstrap')
+
+    await Helper.untilClose(run.pipe)
+    ok(true, 'ended')
+  }
+
+  await Promise.all([testVersions(), testDhtBootstrap()])
 })
 
 test('app with assets', async function ({ ok, is, plan, comment, teardown, timeout }) {
   timeout(180000)
   plan(5)
 
-  const { pipe, result } = await run({ dir: requireAssets, ok, comment, teardown })
+  const dir = requireAssets
+
+  const helper = new Helper()
+  teardown(() => helper.close(), { order: Infinity })
+  await helper.ready()
+
+  const id = Math.floor(Math.random() * 10000)
+
+  comment('staging')
+  const staging = helper.stage({ channel: `test-${id}`, name: `test-${id}`, dir, dryRun: false, bare: true })
+  teardown(() => Helper.teardownStream(staging))
+  const staged = await Helper.pick(staging, { tag: 'final' })
+  ok(staged.success, 'stage succeeded')
+
+  comment('seeding')
+  const seeding = helper.seed({ channel: `test-${id}`, name: `test-${id}`, dir, key: null, cmdArgs: [] })
+  teardown(() => Helper.teardownStream(seeding))
+  const until = await Helper.pick(seeding, [{ tag: 'key' }, { tag: 'announced' }])
+  const announced = await until.announced
+  ok(announced, 'seeding is announced')
+
+  const key = await until.key
+  ok(hypercoreid.isValid(key), 'app key is valid')
+
+  const link = `pear://${key}`
+  const run = await Helper.run({ link })
+
+  const result = await Helper.untilResult(run.pipe)
   is(result.trim(), 'This is the content of the asset', 'Read asset from entrypoint')
 
-  await Helper.untilClose(pipe)
+  await Helper.untilClose(run.pipe)
   ok(true, 'ended')
 })
 
@@ -40,21 +129,8 @@ test('app with assets in sub dep', async function ({ ok, is, plan, comment, tear
   timeout(180000)
   plan(5)
 
-  const { pipe, result } = await run({ dir: subDepRequireAssets, ok, comment, teardown })
-  is(result.trim(), 'This is the content of the asset', 'Read asset from entrypoint')
-
-  await Helper.untilClose(pipe)
-  ok(true, 'ended')
-})
-
-async function run ({ dir, ok, comment, teardown }) {
-  const { key, link } = await build({ dir, ok, comment, teardown })
-  const { pipe } = await Helper.run({ link })
-  const result = await Helper.untilResult(pipe)
-  return { key, pipe, result }
-}
+  const dir = subDepRequireAssets
 
-async function build ({ dir, ok, comment, teardown }) {
   const helper = new Helper()
   teardown(() => helper.close(), { order: Infinity })
   await helper.ready()
@@ -78,6 +154,11 @@ async function build ({ dir, ok, comment, teardown }) {
   ok(hypercoreid.isValid(key), 'app key is valid')
 
   const link = `pear://${key}`
+  const run = await Helper.run({ link })
+
+  const result = await Helper.untilResult(run.pipe)
+  is(result.trim(), 'This is the content of the asset', 'Read asset from entrypoint')
 
-  return { key, link }
-}
+  await Helper.untilClose(run.pipe)
+  ok(true, 'ended')
+})
diff --git a/test/fixtures/dht-bootstrap/index.js b/test/fixtures/dht-bootstrap/index.js
index b40cf475a..9a9477366 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/dht-bootstrap/index.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/dht-bootstrap/index.js
@@ -1,2 +1,9 @@
 const pipe = Pear.worker.pipe()
-pipe.on('data', () => pipe.write(JSON.stringify(Pear.config.dht.bootstrap)))
+pipe.on('data', () => {
+  try {
+    pipe.write(JSON.stringify(Pear.config.dht.bootstrap))
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error(err)
+    Pear.exit()
+  }
+})
diff --git a/test/fixtures/require-assets/index.js b/test/fixtures/require-assets/index.js
index 288f2113a..9699ee397 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/require-assets/index.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/require-assets/index.js
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ const fs = require('bare-fs')
 const pipe = Pear.worker.pipe()
 pipe.on('data', () => {
   try {
-    pipe.write(fs.readFileSync(require.asset('./text-file.txt'), 'utf8'))
+    pipe.write(fs.readFileSync(require.asset('./text-file.txt')))
   } catch (err) {
     console.error(err)
-    pipe.write('failed to read asset')
+    Pear.exit()
   }
 })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/sub-dep-require-assets/index.js b/test/fixtures/sub-dep-require-assets/index.js
index b9c4e1536..10cec31e2 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/sub-dep-require-assets/index.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/sub-dep-require-assets/index.js
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@ pipe.on('data', () => {
     pipe.write(readAsset())
   } catch (err) {
     console.error(err)
-    pipe.write('failed to read asset')
+    Pear.exit()
   }
 })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/sub-dep-require-assets/lib/utils.js b/test/fixtures/sub-dep-require-assets/lib/utils.js
index dfba6a467..e204d2fea 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/sub-dep-require-assets/lib/utils.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/sub-dep-require-assets/lib/utils.js
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 const fs = require('bare-fs')
 
-module.exports = () => fs.readFileSync(require.asset('../text-file.txt'), 'utf8')
+module.exports = () => fs.readFileSync(require.asset('../text-file.txt'))
diff --git a/test/fixtures/versions/index.js b/test/fixtures/versions/index.js
index 904c6250d..69ebc295e 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/versions/index.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/versions/index.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ pipe.on('data', () => {
   Pear.versions().then((versions) => {
     pipe.write(JSON.stringify(versions))
   }).catch((err) => {
-    pipe.write(`${err}`)
+    console.error(err)
+    Pear.exit()
   })
 })
diff --git a/test/helper.js b/test/helper.js
index 13eefd108..91076b1f7 100644
--- a/test/helper.js
+++ b/test/helper.js
@@ -155,6 +155,14 @@ class Helper extends IPC {
         clearTimeout(timeoutId)
         resolve(data.toString())
       })
+      pipe.on('close', () => {
+        clearTimeout(timeoutId)
+        reject(new Error('unexpected closed'))
+      })
+      pipe.on('end', () => {
+        clearTimeout(timeoutId)
+        reject(new Error('unexpected ended'))
+      })
     })
     pipe.write('start')
     return res
@@ -167,6 +175,10 @@ class Helper extends IPC {
         clearTimeout(timeoutId)
         resolve('closed')
       })
+      pipe.on('end', () => {
+        clearTimeout(timeoutId)
+        resolve('ended')
+      })
     })
     pipe.end()
     return res