diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b676e97e0b82..439ddd5e2acf 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
     "grunt-jscs": "^1.8.0",
     "grunt-karma": "^0.12.0",
     "grunt-replace": "^0.7.9",
-    "grunt-run": "^0.3.0",
+    "grunt-run": "spalger/grunt-run#master",
     "grunt-s3": "^0.2.0-alpha.3",
     "grunt-simple-mocha": "^0.4.0",
     "html-entities": "^1.1.1",
diff --git a/src/cli/serve/serve.js b/src/cli/serve/serve.js
index 1ec1934146ca..283b1193c723 100644
--- a/src/cli/serve/serve.js
+++ b/src/cli/serve/serve.js
@@ -84,6 +84,13 @@ module.exports = function (program) {
 
     set('plugins.paths', [].concat(opts.pluginPath || []));
 
-    return new KbnServer(_.merge(settings, this.getUnknownOptions()));
+    let server = new KbnServer(_.merge(settings, this.getUnknownOptions()));
+
+    server.ready().catch(function (err) {
+      console.error(err.stack);
+      process.exit(1);
+    });
+
+    return server;
   });
 };
diff --git a/src/optimize/index.js b/src/optimize/index.js
index 0b8927457faf..871960895224 100644
--- a/src/optimize/index.js
+++ b/src/optimize/index.js
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ module.exports = function (kbnServer, server, config) {
     plugins: kbnServer.plugins
   });
 
+  server.on('close', _.bindKey(optmzr.disable || _.noop, optmzr));
+
   kbnServer.mixin(require('./browserTests'))
   .then(function () {
 
diff --git a/src/server/KbnServer.js b/src/server/KbnServer.js
index ba2965f66eb5..3ee78ef27228 100644
--- a/src/server/KbnServer.js
+++ b/src/server/KbnServer.js
@@ -60,6 +60,16 @@ module.exports = class KbnServer extends EventEmitter {
     .each(function (fn) {
       return fn.call(self, self, self.server, self.config);
     })
+    .catch(function (err) {
+      self.server.log('fatal', err);
+      self.emit('error', err);
+
+      return self.close()
+      .then(function () {
+        // retrow once server is closed
+        throw err;
+      });
+    })
     .return(undefined);
   }
 
@@ -74,34 +84,24 @@ module.exports = class KbnServer extends EventEmitter {
    */
   listen() {
     let self = this;
-    let server = self.server;
-    let start = _.ary(promify(server.start, server), 0);
 
     return self.ready()
     .then(function () {
-      return self.mixin(start, require('./pid'));
+      return self.mixin(
+        function () {
+          return fromNode(_.bindKey(self.server, 'start'));
+        },
+        require('./pid')
+      );
     })
-    .then(
-      function () {
-        server.log(['listening', 'info'], 'Server running at ' + server.info.uri);
-        self.emit('listening');
-        return server;
-      },
-      function (err) {
-        server.log('fatal', err);
-        self.emit('error', err);
-      }
-    );
+    .then(function () {
+      self.server.log(['listening', 'info'], 'Server running at ' + self.server.info.uri);
+      self.emit('listening');
+      return self.server;
+    });
   }
 
   close() {
-    let self = this;
-
-    return fromNode(function (cb) {
-      self.server.stop(cb);
-    })
-    .then(function () {
-      return _.get(self, 'optimizer.disable', _.noop)();
-    });
+    return fromNode(_.bindKey(this.server, 'stop'));
   }
 };