diff --git a/consensus/byzantine_test.go b/consensus/byzantine_test.go
index 9d0caf77..7cd6089e 100644
--- a/consensus/byzantine_test.go
+++ b/consensus/byzantine_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func init() {
 // Heal partition and ensure A sees the commit
 func TestByzantine(t *testing.T) {
 	N := 4
-	css := randConsensusNet(N, "consensus_byzantine_test", crankTimeoutPropose, newMockTickerFunc(false))
+	css := randConsensusNet(N, "consensus_byzantine_test", newMockTickerFunc(false))
 
 	// give the byzantine validator a normal ticker
 	css[0].SetTimeoutTicker(NewTimeoutTicker())
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func TestByzantine(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		eventChans[i] = subscribeToEvent(eventSwitch, "tester", types.EventStringNewBlock(), 1)
 
-		conR := NewConsensusReactor(css[i], false)
+		conR := NewConsensusReactor(css[i], true) // so we dont start the consensus states
 		conR.SetEventSwitch(eventSwitch)
 
 		var conRI p2p.Reactor
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ func TestByzantine(t *testing.T) {
 		p2p.Connect2Switches(sws, i, j)
 	})
 
+	// start the state machines
+	byzR := reactors[0].(*ByzantineReactor)
+	s := byzR.reactor.conS.GetState()
+	byzR.reactor.SwitchToConsensus(s)
+	for i := 1; i < N; i++ {
+		cr := reactors[i].(*ConsensusReactor)
+		cr.SwitchToConsensus(cr.conS.GetState())
+	}
+
 	// byz proposer sends one block to peers[0]
 	// and the other block to peers[1] and peers[2].
 	// note peers and switches order don't match.
diff --git a/consensus/common_test.go b/consensus/common_test.go
index b3ffaa2b..9f65a66c 100644
--- a/consensus/common_test.go
+++ b/consensus/common_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/tendermint/go-common"
 	cfg "github.com/tendermint/go-config"
 	dbm "github.com/tendermint/go-db"
-	"github.com/tendermint/go-logger"
 	"github.com/tendermint/go-p2p"
 	bc "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/blockchain"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/config/tendermint_test"
@@ -257,7 +256,7 @@ func randConsensusState(nValidators int) (*ConsensusState, []*validatorStub) {
 	return cs, vss
 }
 
-func randConsensusNet(nValidators int, testName string, updateConfig func(cfg.Config), tickerFunc func() TimeoutTicker) []*ConsensusState {
+func randConsensusNet(nValidators int, testName string, tickerFunc func() TimeoutTicker) []*ConsensusState {
 	genDoc, privVals := randGenesisDoc(nValidators, false, 10)
 	css := make([]*ConsensusState, nValidators)
 	for i := 0; i < nValidators; i++ {
@@ -265,7 +264,6 @@ func randConsensusNet(nValidators int, testName string, updateConfig func(cfg.Co
 		state := sm.MakeGenesisState(db, genDoc)
 		state.Save()
 		thisConfig := tendermint_test.ResetConfig(Fmt("%s_%d", testName, i))
-		updateConfig(thisConfig)
 		EnsureDir(thisConfig.GetString("cs_wal_dir"), 0700) // dir for wal
 		css[i] = newConsensusStateWithConfig(thisConfig, state, privVals[i], counter.NewCounterApplication(true))
 		css[i].SetTimeoutTicker(tickerFunc())
@@ -274,7 +272,7 @@ func randConsensusNet(nValidators int, testName string, updateConfig func(cfg.Co
 }
 
 // nPeers = nValidators + nNotValidator
-func randConsensusNetWithPeers(nValidators, nPeers int, testName string, updateConfig func(cfg.Config), tickerFunc func() TimeoutTicker) []*ConsensusState {
+func randConsensusNetWithPeers(nValidators, nPeers int, testName string, tickerFunc func() TimeoutTicker) []*ConsensusState {
 	genDoc, privVals := randGenesisDoc(nValidators, false, int64(testMinPower))
 	css := make([]*ConsensusState, nPeers)
 	for i := 0; i < nPeers; i++ {
@@ -282,7 +280,6 @@ func randConsensusNetWithPeers(nValidators, nPeers int, testName string, updateC
 		state := sm.MakeGenesisState(db, genDoc)
 		state.Save()
 		thisConfig := tendermint_test.ResetConfig(Fmt("%s_%d", testName, i))
-		updateConfig(thisConfig)
 		EnsureDir(thisConfig.GetString("cs_wal_dir"), 0700) // dir for wal
 		var privVal *types.PrivValidator
 		if i < nValidators {
@@ -373,15 +370,6 @@ func getSwitchIndex(switches []*p2p.Switch, peer *p2p.Peer) int {
 	return -1
 }
 
-// so we dont violate synchrony assumptions
-// TODO: make tests more robust to this instead (handle round changes)
-// XXX: especially a problem when running the race detector on circle
-func crankTimeoutPropose(config cfg.Config) {
-	logger.SetLogLevel("info")
-	config.Set("timeout_propose", 110000) // TODO: crank it to eleventy
-	config.Set("timeout_commit", 1000)
-}
-
 //------------------------------------
 
 func newMockTickerFunc(onlyOnce bool) func() TimeoutTicker {
diff --git a/consensus/reactor_test.go b/consensus/reactor_test.go
index 037118e0..f90bacc6 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor_test.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor_test.go
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ func init() {
 // Ensure a testnet makes blocks
 func TestReactor(t *testing.T) {
 	N := 4
-	css := randConsensusNet(N, "consensus_reactor_test", crankTimeoutPropose, newMockTickerFunc(true))
+	css := randConsensusNet(N, "consensus_reactor_test", newMockTickerFunc(true))
 	reactors := make([]*ConsensusReactor, N)
 	eventChans := make([]chan interface{}, N)
 	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
-		reactors[i] = NewConsensusReactor(css[i], false)
+		reactors[i] = NewConsensusReactor(css[i], true) // so we dont start the consensus states
 
 		eventSwitch := events.NewEventSwitch()
 		_, err := eventSwitch.Start()
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ func TestReactor(t *testing.T) {
 		return s
 	}, p2p.Connect2Switches)
 
+	// start the state machines
+	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
+		s := reactors[i].conS.GetState()
+		reactors[i].SwitchToConsensus(s)
+	}
+
 	// wait till everyone makes the first new block
 	timeoutWaitGroup(t, N, func(wg *sync.WaitGroup, j int) {
 		<-eventChans[j]
@@ -58,7 +64,7 @@ func TestReactor(t *testing.T) {
 func TestValidatorSetChanges(t *testing.T) {
 	nPeers := 8
 	nVals := 4
-	css := randConsensusNetWithPeers(nVals, nPeers, "consensus_val_set_changes_test", crankTimeoutPropose, newMockTickerFunc(true))
+	css := randConsensusNetWithPeers(nVals, nPeers, "consensus_val_set_changes_test", newMockTickerFunc(true))
 	reactors := make([]*ConsensusReactor, nPeers)
 	eventChans := make([]chan interface{}, nPeers)
 	for i := 0; i < nPeers; i++ {