diff --git a/asterix-common/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/test/aql/TestsUtils.java b/asterix-common/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/test/aql/TestsUtils.java
index f1fa2a3..7f1591d 100644
--- a/asterix-common/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/test/aql/TestsUtils.java
+++ b/asterix-common/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/test/aql/TestsUtils.java
@@ -188,10 +188,16 @@
 
     private static String[] handleError(GetMethod method) throws Exception {
         String errorBody = method.getResponseBodyAsString();
-        JSONObject result = new JSONObject(errorBody);
-        String[] errors = { result.getJSONArray("error-code").getString(0), result.getString("summary"),
-                result.getString("stacktrace") };
-        return errors;
+        try {
+            JSONObject result = new JSONObject(errorBody);
+            String[] errors = { result.getJSONArray("error-code").getString(0), result.getString("summary"),
+                    result.getString("stacktrace") };
+            return errors;
+        } catch (JSONException je) {
+            GlobalConfig.ASTERIX_LOGGER.log(Level.SEVERE, "Response body is not in JSON " + errorBody);
+            String[] errors = { "no error code", "no summary", "no stacktrace" };
+            return errors;
+        }
     }
 
     // Executes Query and returns results as JSONArray
@@ -277,8 +283,17 @@
         // Provide custom retry handler is necessary
         method.getParams().setParameter(HttpMethodParams.RETRY_HANDLER, new DefaultHttpMethodRetryHandler(3, false));
 
-        // Execute the method.
-        int statusCode = client.executeMethod(method);
+        int statusCode = HttpStatus.SC_BAD_REQUEST;
+        int retry = 0;
+        while (retry++ < 3) {
+            // Execute the method.
+            statusCode = client.executeMethod(method);
+            if (statusCode == HttpStatus.SC_OK) {
+                break;
+            }
+            GlobalConfig.ASTERIX_LOGGER.log(Level.INFO, "Method failed: " + method.getStatusLine());
+            Thread.sleep(1000);            
+        }
 
         // Check if the method was executed successfully.
         if (statusCode != HttpStatus.SC_OK) {
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/transaction/RecoveryIT.java b/asterix-installer/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/transaction/RecoveryIT.java
index 89cbec8..3346203 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/transaction/RecoveryIT.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/test/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/transaction/RecoveryIT.java
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
             }
         })[0];
         managixHomePath = new File(installerTargetPath, managixHomeDirName).getAbsolutePath();
+        LOGGER.info("MANAGIX_HOME=" + managixHomePath);
 
         String fileListPath = asterixInstallerPath.getAbsolutePath() + File.separator + "src" + File.separator + "test"
                 + File.separator + "resources" + File.separator + "transactionts" + File.separator + "data"
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@
         String srcBasePath = asterixAppPath.getAbsolutePath();
         String destBasePath = managixHomePath + File.separator + "clusters" + File.separator + "local" + File.separator
                 + "working_dir";
+        LOGGER.info("working dir: " + destBasePath);
         prepareDataFiles(fileListPath, srcBasePath, destBasePath);
 
         pb = new ProcessBuilder();
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@
         File outdir = new File(PATH_ACTUAL);
         FileUtils.deleteDirectory(outdir);
         TestsUtils.executeScript(pb, scriptHomePath + File.separator + "setup_teardown" + File.separator
-                + "stop_and_delete.sh");
+                + "stop.sh");
         TestsUtils.executeScript(pb, scriptHomePath + File.separator + "setup_teardown" + File.separator
                 + "shutdown.sh");
     }
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/test/resources/transactionts/scripts/setup_teardown/stop.sh b/asterix-installer/src/test/resources/transactionts/scripts/setup_teardown/stop.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4fd44b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/test/resources/transactionts/scripts/setup_teardown/stop.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+$MANAGIX_HOME/bin/managix stop -n nc1;
+