diff --git a/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/recursortests.py b/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/recursortests.py
index 284b94255291..a04d78a17d4a 100644
--- a/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/recursortests.py
+++ b/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/recursortests.py
@@ -791,10 +791,22 @@ def tearDownAuth(cls):
             cls.killProcess(auth);
 
     @classmethod
-    def tearDownRecursor(cls):
-        p = cls.killProcess(cls._recursor)
-        if p.returncode not in (0, -15):
-            raise AssertionError('Process exited with return code %d' % (p.returncode))
+    def tearDownRecursor(cls, subdir=None):
+        # We now kill the recursor in a friendly way, as systemd is doing the same.
+        if subdir is None:
+            confdir = os.path.join('configs', cls._confdir)
+        else:
+            confdir = os.path.join('configs', cls._confdir, subdir)
+        dirlist = os.listdir(confdir)
+        print(dirlist)
+        rec_controlCmd = [os.environ['RECCONTROL'],
+                          '--config-dir=%s' % confdir,
+                          '--timeout=20',
+                          'quit-nicely']
+        try:
+            subprocess.check_output(rec_controlCmd, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+            raise AssertionError('%s failed (%d): %s' % (rec_controlCmd, e.returncode, e.output))
 
     @classmethod
     def sendUDPQuery(cls, query, timeout=2.0, decode=True, fwparams=dict()):
diff --git a/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/runtests b/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/runtests
index 3543dd2b79c5..0553e0747407 100755
--- a/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/runtests
+++ b/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/runtests
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 if pgrep pdns_server; then
     echo 'There are (stray?) pdns_servers running that might interfere with these tests!'
 fi
+if pgrep pdns_recursor; then
+    echo 'There are (stray?) pdns_recursors running that might interfere with these tests!'
+fi
 
 export PROTOCOL_BUFFERS_PYTHON_IMPLEMENTATION=python
 
diff --git a/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/test_Flags.py b/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/test_Flags.py
index 702d44de1d97..da6d46eb5dbb 100644
--- a/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/test_Flags.py
+++ b/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/test_Flags.py
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ def sendUDPQuery(cls, query, dnssec_setting, timeout=2.0):
     @classmethod
     def tearDownClass(cls):
         cls.tearDownAuth()
-        for _, recursor in cls._recursors.items():
+        for subdir, recursor in cls._recursors.items():
             cls._recursor = recursor
-            cls.tearDownRecursor()
+            cls.tearDownRecursor(subdir)
 
     def getQueryForSecure(self, flags='', ednsflags=''):
         return self.createQuery('ns1.example.', 'A', flags, ednsflags)
diff --git a/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/test_RecDnstap.py b/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/test_RecDnstap.py
index 025b32c17a8f..c5dd367eda7a 100644
--- a/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/test_RecDnstap.py
+++ b/regression-tests.recursor-dnssec/test_RecDnstap.py
@@ -191,10 +191,9 @@ def FrameStreamUnixListener(cls, conn, param):
                 if e.errno in (errno.EBADF, errno.EPIPE):
                     break
                 sys.stderr.write("Unexpected socket error %s\n" % str(e))
-                sys.exit(1)
-            except exception as e:
+            except Exception as e:
                 sys.stderr.write("Unexpected socket error %s\n" % str(e))
-                sys.exit(1)
+                break
         conn.close()
 
     @classmethod
@@ -208,8 +207,7 @@ def FrameStreamUnixListenerMain(cls, param):
             sock.bind(param.path)
             sock.listen(100)
         except socket.error as e:
-            sys.stderr.write("Error binding/listening in the framestream listener: %s\n" % str(e))
-            sys.exit(1)
+            raise Exception("Error binding/listening in the framestream listener: %s\n" % str(e))
         DNSTapListeners.append(sock)
         while True:
             try: