diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/images/test_images_oneserver_negative.py b/tempest/api/compute/images/test_images_oneserver_negative.py
index ea6608c..864f445 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/images/test_images_oneserver_negative.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/images/test_images_oneserver_negative.py
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@
         alt_snapshot_name = data_utils.rand_name('test-snap-')
         self.assertRaises(exceptions.Conflict, self.client.create_image,
                           self.server_id, alt_snapshot_name)
-        self.client.wait_for_image_status(image_id, 'ACTIVE')
 
     @attr(type=['negative', 'gate'])
     def test_create_image_specify_name_over_256_chars(self):
diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_actions.py b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_actions.py
index 3c40e80..5552d0b 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_actions.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_server_actions.py
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@
         image1_id = data_utils.parse_image_id(resp['location'])
         self.addCleanup(_clean_oldest_backup, image1_id)
         self.assertEqual(202, resp.status)
+        self.os.image_client.wait_for_image_status(image1_id, 'active')
 
         backup2 = data_utils.rand_name('backup')
         self.servers_client.wait_for_server_status(self.server_id, 'ACTIVE')
@@ -257,6 +258,7 @@
         image2_id = data_utils.parse_image_id(resp['location'])
         self.addCleanup(self.os.image_client.delete_image, image2_id)
         self.assertEqual(202, resp.status)
+        self.os.image_client.wait_for_image_status(image2_id, 'active')
 
         # verify they have been created
         properties = {
diff --git a/tempest/common/waiters.py b/tempest/common/waiters.py
index 497a297..44198f0 100644
--- a/tempest/common/waiters.py
+++ b/tempest/common/waiters.py
@@ -75,10 +75,16 @@
         timed_out = int(time.time()) - start_time >= timeout
 
         if timed_out:
-            message = ('Server %s failed to reach %s status within the '
-                       'required time (%s s).' %
-                       (server_id, status, timeout))
+            expected_task_state = 'None' if ready_wait else 'n/a'
+            message = ('Server %(server_id)s failed to reach %(status)s '
+                       'status and task state "%(expected_task_state)s" '
+                       'within the required time (%(timeout)s s).' %
+                       {'server_id': server_id,
+                        'status': status,
+                        'expected_task_state': expected_task_state,
+                        'timeout': timeout})
             message += ' Current status: %s.' % server_status
+            message += ' Current task state: %s.' % task_state
             raise exceptions.TimeoutException(message)
         old_status = server_status
         old_task_state = task_state
diff --git a/tempest/tests/test_wrappers.py b/tempest/tests/test_wrappers.py
index dbf1809..88bef9b 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/test_wrappers.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/test_wrappers.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
         # version or an sdist to work. so make the test directory a git repo
         # too.
         subprocess.call(['git', 'init'])
-        exit_code = subprocess.call('sh pretty_tox.sh tests.passing',
+        exit_code = subprocess.call('bash pretty_tox.sh tests.passing',
                                     shell=True, stdout=DEVNULL, stderr=DEVNULL)
         self.assertEqual(exit_code, 0)
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
         # version or an sdist to work. so make the test directory a git repo
         # too.
         subprocess.call(['git', 'init'])
-        exit_code = subprocess.call('sh pretty_tox.sh', shell=True,
+        exit_code = subprocess.call('bash pretty_tox.sh', shell=True,
                                     stdout=DEVNULL, stderr=DEVNULL)
         self.assertEqual(exit_code, 1)
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
         # Change directory, run wrapper and check result
         self.addCleanup(os.chdir, os.path.abspath(os.curdir))
         os.chdir(self.directory)
-        exit_code = subprocess.call('sh pretty_tox_serial.sh tests.passing',
+        exit_code = subprocess.call('bash pretty_tox_serial.sh tests.passing',
                                     shell=True, stdout=DEVNULL, stderr=DEVNULL)
         self.assertEqual(exit_code, 0)
 
@@ -93,6 +93,6 @@
         # Change directory, run wrapper and check result
         self.addCleanup(os.chdir, os.path.abspath(os.curdir))
         os.chdir(self.directory)
-        exit_code = subprocess.call('sh pretty_tox_serial.sh', shell=True,
+        exit_code = subprocess.call('bash pretty_tox_serial.sh', shell=True,
                                     stdout=DEVNULL, stderr=DEVNULL)
         self.assertEqual(exit_code, 1)
diff --git a/tools/pretty_tox.sh b/tools/pretty_tox.sh
index a5a6076..07c35a0 100755
--- a/tools/pretty_tox.sh
+++ b/tools/pretty_tox.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -o pipefail
 
 TESTRARGS=$1
 python setup.py testr --slowest --testr-args="--subunit $TESTRARGS" | subunit2pyunit
diff --git a/tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh b/tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh
index 45f05bd..42ce760 100755
--- a/tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh
+++ b/tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -o pipefail
 
 TESTRARGS=$@
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 9389cf4..1d7e1b7 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -31,19 +31,19 @@
 # The regex below is used to select which tests to run and exclude the slow tag:
 # See the testrepostiory bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/testrepository/+bug/1208610
 commands =
-  sh tools/pretty_tox.sh '(?!.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])(^tempest\.(api|scenario|thirdparty|cli)) {posargs}'
+  bash tools/pretty_tox.sh '(?!.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])(^tempest\.(api|scenario|thirdparty|cli)) {posargs}'
 
 [testenv:testr-full]
 sitepackages = True
 commands =
-  sh tools/pretty_tox.sh '(?!.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])(^tempest\.(api|scenario|thirdparty|cli)) {posargs}'
+  bash tools/pretty_tox.sh '(?!.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])(^tempest\.(api|scenario|thirdparty|cli)) {posargs}'
 
 [testenv:heat-slow]
 sitepackages = True
 setenv = OS_TEST_TIMEOUT=1200
 # The regex below is used to select heat api/scenario tests tagged as slow.
 commands =
-  sh tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh '(?=.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])(^tempest\.(api|scenario)\.orchestration) {posargs}'
+  bash tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh '(?=.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])(^tempest\.(api|scenario)\.orchestration) {posargs}'
 
 [testenv:large-ops]
 sitepackages = True
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 [testenv:smoke]
 sitepackages = True
 commands =
-   sh tools/pretty_tox.sh '(?!.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])((smoke)|(^tempest\.scenario)) {posargs}'
+   bash tools/pretty_tox.sh '(?!.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])((smoke)|(^tempest\.scenario)) {posargs}'
 
 [testenv:smoke-serial]
 sitepackages = True
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
 # https://bugs.launchpad.net/tempest/+bug/1216076 so the neutron smoke
 # job would fail if we moved it to parallel.
 commands =
-   sh tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh '(?!.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])((smoke)|(^tempest\.scenario)) {posargs}'
+   bash tools/pretty_tox_serial.sh '(?!.*\[.*\bslow\b.*\])((smoke)|(^tempest\.scenario)) {posargs}'
 
 [testenv:stress]
 sitepackages = True