diff --git a/cmd/counter/main.go b/cmd/counter/main.go
index 351e0886..aa55778c 100644
--- a/cmd/counter/main.go
+++ b/cmd/counter/main.go
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	srv.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
+	if _, err := srv.Start(); err != nil {
+		logger.Error(err.Error())
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 
 	// Wait forever
 	cmn.TrapSignal(func() {
diff --git a/cmd/dummy/main.go b/cmd/dummy/main.go
index 9e1a8112..85bbca18 100644
--- a/cmd/dummy/main.go
+++ b/cmd/dummy/main.go
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	srv.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
+	if _, err := srv.Start(); err != nil {
+		logger.Error(err.Error())
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 
 	// Wait forever
 	cmn.TrapSignal(func() {
diff --git a/example/block_aware/block_aware_app.go b/example/block_aware/block_aware_app.go
index 30e115ac..8bacecd1 100644
--- a/example/block_aware/block_aware_app.go
+++ b/example/block_aware/block_aware_app.go
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	srv.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
+	if _, err := srv.Start(); err != nil {
+		logger.Error(err.Error())
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 
 	// Wait forever
 	cmn.TrapSignal(func() {
diff --git a/example/block_aware/block_aware_test.go b/example/block_aware/block_aware_test.go
index 817deec6..38acdd51 100644
--- a/example/block_aware/block_aware_test.go
+++ b/example/block_aware/block_aware_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ func TestChainAware(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	srv.SetLogger(log.TestingLogger().With("module", "abci-server"))
+	if _, err := srv.Start(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err.Error())
+	}
 	defer srv.Stop()
 
 	// Connect to the socket
diff --git a/example/dummy/dummy_test.go b/example/dummy/dummy_test.go
index 8ef36d07..e180af3e 100644
--- a/example/dummy/dummy_test.go
+++ b/example/dummy/dummy_test.go
@@ -214,22 +214,21 @@ func makeSocketClientServer(app types.Application, name string) (abcicli.Client,
 	socket := cmn.Fmt("unix://%s.sock", name)
 	logger := log.TestingLogger()
 
-	server, err := server.NewSocketServer(socket, app)
-	if err != nil {
+	server := server.NewSocketServer(socket, app)
+	server.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
+	if _, err := server.Start(); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	server.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
 
 	// Connect to the socket
 	client := abcicli.NewSocketClient(socket, false)
+	client.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-client"))
 	if _, err := client.Start(); err != nil {
 		server.Stop()
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	client.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-client"))
-	client.Start()
 
-	return client, server, err
+	return client, server, nil
 }
 
 func makeGRPCClientServer(app types.Application, name string) (abcicli.Client, cmn.Service, error) {
@@ -238,19 +237,19 @@ func makeGRPCClientServer(app types.Application, name string) (abcicli.Client, c
 	logger := log.TestingLogger()
 
 	gapp := types.NewGRPCApplication(app)
-	server, err := server.NewGRPCServer(socket, gapp)
-	if err != nil {
+	server := server.NewGRPCServer(socket, gapp)
+	server.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
+	if _, err := server.Start(); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	server.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-server"))
 
 	client := abcicli.NewGRPCClient(socket, true)
+	client.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-client"))
 	if _, err := client.Start(); err != nil {
 		server.Stop()
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	client.SetLogger(logger.With("module", "abci-client"))
-	return client, server, err
+	return client, server, nil
 }
 
 func TestClientServer(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/example/example_test.go b/example/example_test.go
index cdb44082..7e116c59 100644
--- a/example/example_test.go
+++ b/example/example_test.go
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ func testStream(t *testing.T, app types.Application) {
 	numDeliverTxs := 200000
 
 	// Start the listener
-	server, err := server.NewSocketServer("unix://test.sock", app)
-	if err != nil {
+	server := server.NewSocketServer("unix://test.sock", app)
+	if _, err := server.Start(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Error starting socket server: %v", err.Error())
 	}
 	server.SetLogger(log.TestingLogger().With("module", "abci-server"))
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ func testGRPCSync(t *testing.T, app *types.GRPCApplication) {
 	numDeliverTxs := 2000
 
 	// Start the listener
-	server, err := server.NewGRPCServer("unix://test.sock", app)
-	if err != nil {
+	server := server.NewGRPCServer("unix://test.sock", app)
+	if _, err := server.Start(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Error starting GRPC server: %v", err.Error())
 	}
 	server.SetLogger(log.TestingLogger().With("module", "abci-server"))
diff --git a/server/grpc_server.go b/server/grpc_server.go
index ae2a481d..90346d69 100644
--- a/server/grpc_server.go
+++ b/server/grpc_server.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type GRPCServer struct {
 }
 
 // NewGRPCServer returns a new gRPC ABCI server
-func NewGRPCServer(protoAddr string, app types.ABCIApplicationServer) (cmn.Service, error) {
+func NewGRPCServer(protoAddr string, app types.ABCIApplicationServer) cmn.Service {
 	parts := strings.SplitN(protoAddr, "://", 2)
 	proto, addr := parts[0], parts[1]
 	s := &GRPCServer{
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ func NewGRPCServer(protoAddr string, app types.ABCIApplicationServer) (cmn.Servi
 		app:      app,
 	}
 	s.BaseService = *cmn.NewBaseService(nil, "ABCIServer", s)
-	_, err := s.Start() // Just start it
-	return s, err
+	return s
 }
 
 // OnStart starts the gRPC service
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 45d9ac1f..0bbd65e3 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ func NewServer(protoAddr, transport string, app types.Application) (cmn.Service,
 	var err error
 	switch transport {
 	case "socket":
-		s, err = NewSocketServer(protoAddr, app)
+		s = NewSocketServer(protoAddr, app)
 	case "grpc":
-		s, err = NewGRPCServer(protoAddr, types.NewGRPCApplication(app))
+		s = NewGRPCServer(protoAddr, types.NewGRPCApplication(app))
 	default:
 		err = fmt.Errorf("Unknown server type %s", transport)
 	}
diff --git a/server/socket_server.go b/server/socket_server.go
index f8d6f54a..2b01dbd7 100644
--- a/server/socket_server.go
+++ b/server/socket_server.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ type SocketServer struct {
 	app    types.Application
 }
 
-func NewSocketServer(protoAddr string, app types.Application) (cmn.Service, error) {
+func NewSocketServer(protoAddr string, app types.Application) cmn.Service {
 	parts := strings.SplitN(protoAddr, "://", 2)
 	proto, addr := parts[0], parts[1]
 	s := &SocketServer{
@@ -40,10 +40,7 @@ func NewSocketServer(protoAddr string, app types.Application) (cmn.Service, erro
 		conns:    make(map[int]net.Conn),
 	}
 	s.BaseService = *cmn.NewBaseService(nil, "ABCIServer", s)
-	// FIXME we are loosing "Starting ABCIServer" message here
-	// add logger to params?
-	_, err := s.Start() // Just start it
-	return s, err
+	return s
 }
 
 func (s *SocketServer) OnStart() error {