diff --git a/bin/tests/system/runtime/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/runtime/tests.sh
index b56ea4cab7..ba42115e03 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/runtime/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/runtime/tests.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,33 @@ RNDCCMD="$RNDC -c $SYSTEMTESTTOP/common/rndc.conf -p ${CONTROLPORT} -s"
 status=0
 n=0
 
+kill_named() {
+	pidfile="${1}"
+	if [ ! -r "${pidfile}" ]; then
+		return 1
+	fi
+
+	pid=$(cat "${pidfile}" 2>/dev/null)
+	if test "${pid:+set}" = "set"; then
+		$KILL -15 "${pid}" >/dev/null 2>&1
+		retries=10
+		while [ "$retries" -gt 0 ]; do
+			if ! $KILL -0 "${pid}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+				break
+			fi
+			sleep 1
+			retries=$((retries-1))
+		done
+		# Timed-out
+		if [ "$retries" -eq 0 ]; then
+			echo_i "failed to kill named ($pidfile)"
+			return 1
+		fi
+	fi
+	rm -f "${pidfile}"
+	return 0
+}
+
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "verifying that named started normally ($n)"
 ret=0
@@ -32,8 +59,7 @@ ret=0
 (cd ns2; $NAMED -c named-alt2.conf -D runtime-ns2-extra-2 -X named.lock -m record,size,mctx -d 99 -g -U 4 >> named3.run 2>&1 & )
 sleep 2
 grep "another named process" ns2/named3.run > /dev/null || ret=1
-pid=`cat ns2/named3.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
+kill_named ns2/named3.pid && ret=1
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
@@ -43,8 +69,7 @@ ret=0
 (cd ns2; $NAMED -c named-alt3.conf -D runtime-ns2-extra-3 -m record,size,mctx -d 99 -g -U 4 >> named4.run 2>&1 & )
 sleep 2
 grep "another named process" ns2/named4.run > /dev/null && ret=1
-pid=`cat ns2/named4.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
+kill_named ns2/named4.pid || ret=1
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
@@ -88,12 +113,7 @@ cd ns2
 $NAMED -c named-alt4.conf -D runtime-ns2-extra-4 -d 99 -g > named4.run 2>&1 &
 sleep 2
 grep "exiting (due to fatal error)" named4.run > /dev/null || ret=1
-# pidfile could be in either place depending on whether the directory
-# successfully changed.
-pid=`cat named.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
-pid=`cat ../named.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
+kill_named named.pid && ret=1
 cd ..
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
@@ -105,12 +125,7 @@ cd ns2
 $NAMED -c named-alt5.conf -D runtime-ns2-extra-5 -d 99 -g > named5.run 2>&1 &
 sleep 2
 grep "exiting (due to fatal error)" named5.run > /dev/null || ret=1
-# pidfile could be in either place depending on whether the directory
-# successfully changed.
-pid=`cat named.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
-pid=`cat ../named.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
+kill_named named.pid && ret=1
 cd ..
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
@@ -125,8 +140,7 @@ cd ns2
 $NAMED -c "${SPEC_DIR}/named.conf" -d 99 -g > named6.run 2>&1 &
 sleep 2
 grep 'running as.*\\177\\033' named6.run > /dev/null || ret=1
-pid=`cat named7.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
+kill_named named7.pid || ret=1
 cd ..
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
@@ -141,8 +155,7 @@ cd ns2
 $NAMED -c "${SPEC_DIR}/named.conf" -d 99 -g > named7.run 2>&1 &
 sleep 2
 grep 'running as.*\\$\\;' named7.run > /dev/null || ret=1
-pid=`cat named7.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
+kill_named named7.pid || ret=1
 cd ..
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
@@ -152,11 +165,10 @@ echo_i "checking that named logs an ellipsis when the command line is larger tha
 ret=0
 SPEC_DIR=`yes | head -10000 | tr -d '\n'`
 cd ns2
-$NAMED -c "${SPEC_DIR}/named.conf" -d 99 -g > named8.run 2>&1 &
+$NAMED -c "$SPEC_DIR/named-alt7.conf" -g > named8.run 2>&1 &
 sleep 2
 grep "running as.*\.\.\.$" named8.run > /dev/null || ret=1
-pid=`cat named7.pid 2>/dev/null`
-test "${pid:+set}" = set && $KILL -15 ${pid} >/dev/null 2>&1
+kill_named named7.pid || ret=1
 cd ..
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`