diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
index ee6c13d..969de6c 100644
--- a/Vagrantfile
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ end
 
 boxes = [
   { name: "node0.lctp", role: :head_node,    mac: "5CA1AB1E0001", json: load_json("node0.json") },
-  { name: "node1.lctp", role: :compute_node, mac: "5CA1AB1E0002", json: load_json("node1.json") }
-  #{ name: "node2.lctp", role: :compute_node, mac: "5CA1AB1E0003", json: load_json("node2.json") }
+  { name: "node1.lctp", role: :compute_node, mac: "5CA1AB1E0002", json: load_json("node1.json") },
+  #{ name: "node2.lctp", role: :compute_node, mac: "5CA1AB1E0003", json: load_json("node2.json") },
 ]
 
 ["vbguest", "berkshelf"].each do |plugin|
diff --git a/site-cookbooks/ntp/files/default/test/default_test.rb b/site-cookbooks/ntp/files/default/test/default_test.rb
index ee4d795..bffc942 100644
--- a/site-cookbooks/ntp/files/default/test/default_test.rb
+++ b/site-cookbooks/ntp/files/default/test/default_test.rb
@@ -2,8 +2,19 @@ require 'minitest/spec'
 
 describe_recipe 'ntp::default' do
   it "starts the ntp daemon" do
-    # ugly workaround because of race condition
-    assert_sh("sleep 3 && kill -0 $(cat /var/run/ntpd.pid)")
+    # linear back off to work around race condition
+    assert_sh <<EOF
+bash -c'
+NEXT_WAIT_TIME=0
+until [ $NEXT_WAIT_TIME -eq 4 ]; do
+  if service ntp status; then
+    exit 0
+  fi
+  sleep $(( NEXT_WAIT_TIME++ ))
+done
+exit 1
+'
+EOF
   end
   it "should sync the time" do
     assert_sh("ntpq -p")