diff --git a/test/common/slay.sh b/test/common/slay.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5f2cae6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/common/slay.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+nm=$1
+
+# shellcheck disable=SC2046
+getpid()
+{
+	initctl status "$1" |awk '/PID :/{ print $3; }'
+}
+
+pid=$(getpid "$nm")
+if [ -f oldpid ]; then
+	oldpid=$(cat oldpid)
+	if [ "$oldpid" = "$pid" ]; then
+		echo "Looks bad, wait for it ..."
+		sleep 3
+		pid=$(getpid "$nm")
+		if [ "$oldpid" = "$pid" ]; then
+			echo "Finit did not deregister old PID $oldpid vs $pid"
+			initctl status "$nm"
+			ps
+			echo "Reloading finit ..."
+			initctl reload
+			sleep 1
+			initctl status "$nm"
+			exit 1
+		fi
+	fi
+fi
+
+if [ "$pid" -le 1 ]; then
+	sleep 3
+	pid=$(getpid "$nm")
+	if [ "$pid" -le 1 ]; then
+		echo "Got a bad PID: $pid, aborting ..."
+		ps
+		sleep 1
+		initctl status "$nm"
+		ps
+		exit 1
+	fi
+fi
+
+echo "$pid" > oldpid
+
+#echo "PID $pid, kill -9 ..."
+kill -9 "$pid"
diff --git a/test/start-kill-service.sh b/test/start-kill-service.sh
index 16457d29..f028ecf9 100755
--- a/test/start-kill-service.sh
+++ b/test/start-kill-service.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ test_teardown() {
 
 say "Test start $(date)"
 
+cp "$TEST_DIR"/common/slay.sh    "$TENV_ROOT"/test_assets/
 cp "$TEST_DIR"/common/service.sh "$TENV_ROOT"/test_assets/
+rm "$TENV_ROOT"/oldpid
 
 say "Add service stanza in $FINIT_CONF"
 texec sh -c "echo 'service [2345] respawn log /test_assets/service.sh -- Test service' > $FINIT_CONF"
@@ -37,10 +39,7 @@ laps=1000
 while [ $i -lt $laps ]; do
     i=$((i + 1))
     say "Lap $i/$laps, killing service ..." # we have this, no sleep needed
-    #    texec sh -c "echo \"PID is \$(initctl status service.sh |awk '/PID : /{ print \$3; }')\"; echo \"PID file says \$(cat /run/service.pid)\"; kill -9 \$(cat /run/service.pid)"
-    #texec sh -c "initctl status service.sh"
-    #texec sh -c "initctl signal service.sh KILL"
-    texec sh -c "kill -9 \$(cat /run/service.pid)"
+    texec sh -c "/test_assets/slay.sh service.sh"
 done
 
 retry 'assert_new_pid service.sh /run/service.pid'