diff --git a/packages/taler-harness/src/harness/harness.ts b/packages/taler-harness/src/harness/harness.ts
index 3a12024dc..8f1f3f452 100644
--- a/packages/taler-harness/src/harness/harness.ts
+++ b/packages/taler-harness/src/harness/harness.ts
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ function backoffStart(): number {
 }
 
 function backoffIncrement(n: number): number {
-  return Math.max(n * 2, 1000);
+  return Math.min(Math.floor(n * 1.5), 1000);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ export async function pingProc(
       return;
     } catch (e: any) {
       logger.warn(`service ${serviceName} not ready:`, e.toString());
-      //console.log(e);
+      logger.info(`waiting ${nextDelay}ms`);
       await delayMs(nextDelay);
       nextDelay = backoffIncrement(nextDelay);
     }
@@ -1535,15 +1535,20 @@ export class ExchangeService implements ExchangeServiceInterface {
     );
   }
 
-  async start(): Promise<void> {
+  async start(opts: { skipSetup?: boolean } = {}): Promise<void> {
     if (this.isRunning()) {
       throw Error("exchange is already running");
     }
-    await sh(
-      this.globalState,
-      "exchange-dbinit",
-      `taler-exchange-dbinit -c "${this.configFilename}"`,
-    );
+
+    const skipSetup = opts.skipSetup ?? false;
+
+    if (!skipSetup) {
+      await sh(
+        this.globalState,
+        "exchange-dbinit",
+        `taler-exchange-dbinit -c "${this.configFilename}"`,
+      );
+    }
 
     this.helperCryptoEddsaProc = this.globalState.spawnService(
       "taler-exchange-secmod-eddsa",
@@ -1574,7 +1579,11 @@ export class ExchangeService implements ExchangeServiceInterface {
     );
 
     await this.pingUntilAvailable();
-    await this.keyup();
+    if (!skipSetup) {
+      await this.keyup();
+    } else {
+      logger.info("skipping keyup");
+    }
   }
 
   async pingUntilAvailable(): Promise<void> {
@@ -1912,13 +1921,17 @@ export class MerchantService implements MerchantServiceInterface {
     }
   }
 
-  async start(): Promise<void> {
-    await runCommand(
-      this.globalState,
-      "merchant-dbinit",
-      "taler-merchant-dbinit",
-      ["-c", this.configFilename],
-    );
+  async start(opts: { skipSetup?: boolean } = {}): Promise<void> {
+    const skipSetup = opts.skipSetup ?? false;
+
+    if (!skipSetup) {
+      await runCommand(
+        this.globalState,
+        "merchant-dbinit",
+        "taler-merchant-dbinit",
+        ["-c", this.configFilename],
+      );
+    }
 
     this.proc = this.globalState.spawnService(
       "taler-merchant-httpd",
@@ -2285,12 +2298,14 @@ export class WalletService {
   }
 
   async pingUntilAvailable(): Promise<void> {
+    let nextDelay = backoffStart();
     while (1) {
       try {
         await tryUnixConnect(this.socketPath);
       } catch (e) {
         logger.info(`connection attempt failed: ${e}`);
-        await delayMs(200);
+        await delayMs(nextDelay);
+        nextDelay = backoffIncrement(nextDelay);
         continue;
       }
       logger.info("connection to wallet-core succeeded");
diff --git a/packages/taler-harness/src/harness/helpers.ts b/packages/taler-harness/src/harness/helpers.ts
index 9004d4419..932854a1e 100644
--- a/packages/taler-harness/src/harness/helpers.ts
+++ b/packages/taler-harness/src/harness/helpers.ts
@@ -218,9 +218,6 @@ export async function createSimpleTestkudosEnvironment(
 export async function useSharedTestkudosEnvironment(t: GlobalTestState) {
   const coinConfig: CoinConfig[] = defaultCoinConfig.map((x) => x("TESTKUDOS"));
 
-  // FIXME: We should probably have some file to indicate that
-  // the previous env setup finished successfully.
-
   const sharedDir = `/tmp/taler-harness@${process.env.USER}`;
 
   fs.mkdirSync(sharedDir, { recursive: true });
@@ -270,7 +267,7 @@ export async function useSharedTestkudosEnvironment(t: GlobalTestState) {
     });
   }
 
-  logger.info("setting up exchange");
+  logger.info("setting up merchant");
 
   let merchant: MerchantService;
   const merchantName = "testmerchant-1";
@@ -308,38 +305,59 @@ export async function useSharedTestkudosEnvironment(t: GlobalTestState) {
 
   logger.info("basic setup done, starting services");
 
-  await bank.start();
+  const bankStart = async () => {
+    await bank.start();
 
-  await bank.pingUntilAvailable();
+    await bank.pingUntilAvailable();
+  };
 
-  await exchange.start();
-  await exchange.pingUntilAvailable();
+  const exchangeStart = async () => {
+    await exchange.start({
+      skipSetup: prevSetupDone,
+    });
+    await exchange.pingUntilAvailable();
+  };
 
-  await merchant.start();
-  await merchant.pingUntilAvailable();
+  const merchStart = async () => {
+    await merchant.start({
+      skipSetup: prevSetupDone,
+    });
+    await merchant.pingUntilAvailable();
 
-  await merchant.addInstance({
-    id: "default",
-    name: "Default Instance",
-    paytoUris: [getPayto("merchant-default")],
-    defaultWireTransferDelay: Duration.toTalerProtocolDuration(
-      Duration.fromSpec({ minutes: 1 }),
-    ),
-  });
+    if (!prevSetupDone) {
+      await merchant.addInstance({
+        id: "default",
+        name: "Default Instance",
+        paytoUris: [getPayto("merchant-default")],
+        defaultWireTransferDelay: Duration.toTalerProtocolDuration(
+          Duration.fromSpec({ minutes: 1 }),
+        ),
+      });
 
-  await merchant.addInstance({
-    id: "minst1",
-    name: "minst1",
-    paytoUris: [getPayto("minst1")],
-    defaultWireTransferDelay: Duration.toTalerProtocolDuration(
-      Duration.fromSpec({ minutes: 1 }),
-    ),
-  });
+      await merchant.addInstance({
+        id: "minst1",
+        name: "minst1",
+        paytoUris: [getPayto("minst1")],
+        defaultWireTransferDelay: Duration.toTalerProtocolDuration(
+          Duration.fromSpec({ minutes: 1 }),
+        ),
+      });
+    }
+  };
 
-  const { walletClient, walletService } = await createWalletDaemonWithClient(
-    t,
-    { name: "wallet" },
-  );
+  const walletStart = async () => {
+    return await createWalletDaemonWithClient(t, { name: "wallet" });
+  };
+
+  const res = await Promise.all([
+    exchangeStart(),
+    merchStart(),
+    bankStart(),
+    walletStart(),
+  ]);
+
+  const walletClient = res[3].walletClient;
+  const walletService = res[3].walletService;
 
   console.log("setup done!");
 
@@ -399,7 +417,7 @@ export async function createSimpleTestkudosEnvironmentV2(
   bank.setSuggestedExchange(exchange, exchangeBankAccount.accountPaytoUri);
 
   if (opts.additionalBankConfig) {
-    opts.additionalBankConfig(bank)
+    opts.additionalBankConfig(bank);
   }
   await bank.start();
 
@@ -428,7 +446,7 @@ export async function createSimpleTestkudosEnvironmentV2(
   }
 
   if (opts.additionalExchangeConfig) {
-    opts.additionalExchangeConfig(exchange)
+    opts.additionalExchangeConfig(exchange);
   }
   await exchange.start();
   await exchange.pingUntilAvailable();
@@ -436,7 +454,7 @@ export async function createSimpleTestkudosEnvironmentV2(
   merchant.addExchange(exchange);
 
   if (opts.additionalMerchantConfig) {
-    opts.additionalMerchantConfig(merchant)
+    opts.additionalMerchantConfig(merchant);
   }
   await merchant.start();
   await merchant.pingUntilAvailable();