diff --git a/scripts/check_bitcoind_reset.ts b/scripts/check_bitcoind_reset.ts
index 7dce0fa4..4b95f467 100755
--- a/scripts/check_bitcoind_reset.ts
+++ b/scripts/check_bitcoind_reset.ts
@@ -10,29 +10,29 @@
 
 import { bitcoindClients, resetBitcoinServers } from '../tests/helpers/bitcoin'
 
-const { btcdClientA }: any = bitcoindClients()
+const { bitcoinCoreClientA }: any = bitcoindClients()
 
 const main = async () => {
   console.log('Stopping bitcoind container...')
   await resetBitcoinServers()
 
-  let count = await btcdClientA.getBlockCount()
+  let count = await bitcoinCoreClientA.getBlockCount()
   console.log(`initial blocksize: ${count}`)
 
-  await btcdClientA.generate(101)
+  await bitcoinCoreClientA.generate(101)
 
-  count = await btcdClientA.getBlockCount()
+  count = await bitcoinCoreClientA.getBlockCount()
   console.log(`after generating 101 blocks: ${count}`)
 
   console.log('Stopping bitcoind container...')
   await resetBitcoinServers()
 
-  count = await btcdClientA.getBlockCount()
+  count = await bitcoinCoreClientA.getBlockCount()
   console.log(`block count after stop: ${count}`)
 
-  await btcdClientA.generate(11)
+  await bitcoinCoreClientA.generate(11)
 
-  count = await btcdClientA.getBlockCount()
+  count = await bitcoinCoreClientA.getBlockCount()
   console.log(`block count after generating 11 blocks: ${count}`)
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/claim_with_data.ts b/tests/functional/claim_with_data.ts
index 300d8b16..d7bbd5a9 100644
--- a/tests/functional/claim_with_data.ts
+++ b/tests/functional/claim_with_data.ts
@@ -34,16 +34,16 @@ const createClaim = pipeP(
   signVerifiableClaim,
 )
 
-const { btcdClientA, btcdClientB }: any = bitcoindClients()
+const { bitcoinCoreClientA, bitcoinCoreClientB }: any = bitcoindClients()
 
 describe('A user can successfully submit a claim into the po.et network', async (assert: any) => {
   await resetBitcoinServers()
-  await btcdClientB.addNode(btcdClientA.host, 'add')
+  await bitcoinCoreClientB.addNode(bitcoinCoreClientA.host, 'add')
   await delay(5 * 1000)
 
   const dbA = await createDatabase(PREFIX_A)
   const serverA = await app({
-    BITCOIN_URL: btcdClientA.host,
+    BITCOIN_URL: bitcoinCoreClientA.host,
     API_PORT: NODE_A_PORT,
     MONGODB_DATABASE: dbA.settings.tempDbName,
     MONGODB_USER: dbA.settings.tempDbUser,
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ describe('A user can successfully submit a claim into the po.et network', async
 
   const dbB = await createDatabase(PREFIX_B)
   const serverB = await app({
-    BITCOIN_URL: btcdClientB.host,
+    BITCOIN_URL: bitcoinCoreClientB.host,
     API_PORT: NODE_B_PORT,
     MONGODB_DATABASE: dbB.settings.tempDbName,
     MONGODB_USER: dbB.settings.tempDbUser,
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ describe('A user can successfully submit a claim into the po.et network', async
   })
 
   // Make sure node A has regtest coins to pay for transactions.
-  await ensureBitcoinBalance(btcdClientA)
+  await ensureBitcoinBalance(bitcoinCoreClientA)
 
   // Allow everything to finish starting.
   await delay(5 * 1000)
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ describe('A user can successfully submit a claim into the po.et network', async
   await delay(parseInt(process.env.ANCHOR_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS || '10', 10) * 1000 * 2)
 
   // mine N confirmation blocks on bitcoindA.
-  await btcdClientA.generate(parseInt(process.env.CONFIRMATION_BLOCKS || '1', 10))
+  await bitcoinCoreClientA.generate(parseInt(process.env.CONFIRMATION_BLOCKS || '1', 10))
 
   // Wait for claim batches to be read from the blockchain.
   await delay(parseInt(process.env.READ_DIRECTORY_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS || '5', 10) * 1000 * 3)
diff --git a/tests/functional/transaction_timeout.ts b/tests/functional/transaction_timeout.ts
index 724d0675..acfa32c4 100644
--- a/tests/functional/transaction_timeout.ts
+++ b/tests/functional/transaction_timeout.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@ import { allPass, is, isNil, lensPath, not, path, pipe, pipeP, view } from 'ramd
 import { describe } from 'riteway'
 
 import { issuer, privateKey } from '../helpers/Keys'
-import { ensureBitcoinBalance, bitcoindClients, resetBitcoinServers } from '../helpers/bitcoin'
+import {
+  ensureBitcoinBalance,
+  bitcoindClients,
+  resetBitcoinServers,
+  waitForBlockchainSync,
+  waitForBlockchainsToSync,
+} from '../helpers/bitcoin'
 import { delayInSeconds, runtimeId, setUpServerAndDb } from '../helpers/utils'
 import { getWork, postWork } from '../helpers/works'
 
@@ -32,7 +38,7 @@ const createClaim = pipeP(
   signVerifiableClaim,
 )
 
-const { btcdClientA, btcdClientB }: any = bitcoindClients()
+const { bitcoinCoreClientA, bitcoinCoreClientB }: any = bitcoindClients()
 
 const blockHash = lensPath(['anchor', 'blockHash'])
 const blockHeight = lensPath(['anchor', 'blockHeight'])
@@ -48,15 +54,17 @@ const hasValidTxId = allPass([is(String), lengthIsGreaterThan0])
 
 describe('Transaction timout will reset the transaction id for the claim', async assert => {
   await resetBitcoinServers()
-  await btcdClientB.addNode(btcdClientA.host, 'add')
+  await bitcoinCoreClientB.addNode(bitcoinCoreClientA.host, 'add')
 
   await delayInSeconds(5)
 
   const { db, server } = await setUpServerAndDb({ PREFIX, NODE_PORT, blockchainSettings })
 
   // Make sure node A has regtest coins to pay for transactions.
-  await ensureBitcoinBalance(btcdClientA)
-  await btcdClientA.setNetworkActive(false)
+  const generatedBlockHeight = 101
+  await ensureBitcoinBalance(bitcoinCoreClientA, generatedBlockHeight)
+  await waitForBlockchainsToSync(generatedBlockHeight, [bitcoinCoreClientA, bitcoinCoreClientB])
+  await bitcoinCoreClientA.setNetworkActive(false)
 
   // Allow everything to finish starting.
   await delayInSeconds(5)
@@ -99,10 +107,14 @@ describe('Transaction timout will reset the transaction id for the claim', async
     expected: true,
   })
 
-  await btcdClientB.generate(blockchainSettings.MAXIMUM_TRANSACTION_AGE_IN_BLOCKS + 1)
-  await btcdClientA.setNetworkActive(true)
+  await bitcoinCoreClientB.generate(blockchainSettings.MAXIMUM_TRANSACTION_AGE_IN_BLOCKS + 1)
+  const targetHeight = 102 + blockchainSettings.MAXIMUM_TRANSACTION_AGE_IN_BLOCKS
+  const waitForTargetHeight = waitForBlockchainSync(targetHeight)
+  await waitForTargetHeight(bitcoinCoreClientB)
+  await bitcoinCoreClientA.setNetworkActive(true)
+  await waitForTargetHeight(bitcoinCoreClientA)
 
-  await delayInSeconds((blockchainSettings.PURGE_STALE_TRANSACTIONS_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS  + 5) * 2)
+  await delayInSeconds(blockchainSettings.PURGE_STALE_TRANSACTIONS_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS  + 5)
 
   const secondResponse = await getWorkFromNode(claim.id)
   const secondGet = await secondResponse.json()
@@ -122,7 +134,7 @@ describe('Transaction timout will reset the transaction id for the claim', async
     expected: true,
   })
 
-  await btcdClientA.generate(1)
+  await bitcoinCoreClientA.generate(1)
   await delayInSeconds(
     blockchainSettings.BATCH_CREATION_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS +
       blockchainSettings.READ_DIRECTORY_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS,
diff --git a/tests/helpers/bitcoin.ts b/tests/helpers/bitcoin.ts
index 93e0a058..f2d8557a 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/bitcoin.ts
+++ b/tests/helpers/bitcoin.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
 /* tslint:disable:no-relative-imports */
+import BitcoinCore = require('bitcoin-core')
 const Client = require('bitcoin-core')
-import { delay } from '../helpers/utils'
+import { LoggingConfiguration, Configuration, loadConfigurationWithDefaults } from 'Configuration'
+import { createModuleLogger } from 'Helpers/Logging'
+import * as Pino from 'pino'
+import {delay, delayInSeconds} from '../helpers/utils'
 
 const BITCOIND_A = 'bitcoind-1'
 const BITCOIND_B = 'bitcoind-2'
 
+const loggingConfiguration: LoggingConfiguration = loadConfigurationWithDefaults()
+const logger: Pino.Logger = createModuleLogger(loggingConfiguration, __dirname)
+
 const createClient = (host: string) =>
   new Client({
     host,
@@ -15,22 +22,40 @@ const createClient = (host: string) =>
   })
 
 const clientSingleton = (hostA: string = BITCOIND_A, hostB: string = BITCOIND_B) => {
-  const btcdClientA: any = null
-  const btcdClientB: any = null
+  const bitcoinCoreClientA: any = null
+  const bitcoinCoreClientB: any = null
 
   return () => ({
-    btcdClientA: btcdClientA || createClient(hostA),
-    btcdClientB: btcdClientB || createClient(hostB),
+    bitcoinCoreClientA: bitcoinCoreClientA || createClient(hostA),
+    bitcoinCoreClientB: bitcoinCoreClientB || createClient(hostB),
   })
 }
+export const waitForBlockchainsToSync = async (
+  targetBlockHeight: number,
+  bitcoinClients: ReadonlyArray<BitcoinCore>,
+): Promise<void> => {
+  const waitForTargetHeight = waitForBlockchainSync(targetBlockHeight)
+  await Promise.all(bitcoinClients.map(waitForTargetHeight))
+}
+
+export const waitForBlockchainSync = (targetBlockHeight: number) =>
+  async (bitcoinClient: BitcoinCore): Promise<void> => {
+    logger.info(`Waiting for ${targetBlockHeight}`)
+    let { blocks } = await bitcoinClient.getBlockchainInfo()
+    while (blocks < targetBlockHeight) {
+      await delayInSeconds(10)
+      blocks = (await bitcoinClient.getBlockchainInfo()).blocks
+      logger.info(`currentHeight: ${blocks}`)
+    }
+}
 
 export const bitcoindClients = clientSingleton(process.env.BITCOIN_URL, process.env.BITCOIN_URL_B)
 
 export const resetBitcoinServers = async () => {
-  const { btcdClientA, btcdClientB }: any = bitcoindClients()
+  const { bitcoinCoreClientA, bitcoinCoreClientB }: any = bitcoindClients()
 
-  await btcdClientA.stop()
-  await btcdClientB.stop()
+  await bitcoinCoreClientA.stop()
+  await bitcoinCoreClientB.stop()
   await delay(5 * 1000)
 }