diff --git a/example/app-framework/src/main/java/com/mastercard/test/flow/example/framework/Discovery.java b/example/app-framework/src/main/java/com/mastercard/test/flow/example/framework/Discovery.java
index d1a5472631..cd4032c97d 100644
--- a/example/app-framework/src/main/java/com/mastercard/test/flow/example/framework/Discovery.java
+++ b/example/app-framework/src/main/java/com/mastercard/test/flow/example/framework/Discovery.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import java.net.SocketException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.function.BiPredicate;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
@@ -30,8 +31,11 @@ public class Discovery {
 	private static final ObjectMapper JSON = new ObjectMapper();
 
 	private final InetSocketAddress group;
+	private long advertiseTimeout = -1;
 	private MulticastSocket listenSocket;
+	private long listenTimeout = -1;
 	private volatile boolean shouldStop = false;
+	private volatile boolean listening = false;
 
 	/**
 	 * @param group The multicast address on which to advertise and listen for
@@ -52,6 +56,29 @@ public void stop() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Checks if we're still listening for dependencies
+	 *
+	 * @return <code>true</code> if there still a chance of finding new dependencies
+	 */
+	public boolean listening() {
+		return listening;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Controls how long our services will be advertised for
+	 *
+	 * @param count The number of units. Supply a negative number to advertise
+	 *              forever.
+	 * @param unit  The unit duration
+	 * @return <code>this</code>
+	 * @see #advertise(String, int, Set)
+	 */
+	public Discovery stoppingAfter( int count, TimeUnit unit ) {
+		advertiseTimeout = unit.toMillis( count );
+		return this;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Starts advertising the {@link Service}s offered by this {@link Instance}
 	 *
@@ -59,6 +86,7 @@ public void stop() {
 	 * @param port     The port on which the advertised services are available
 	 * @param services The set of {@link Service} class names to advertise
 	 * @return <code>this</code>
+	 * @see #stoppingAfter(int, TimeUnit)
 	 */
 	public Discovery advertise( String protocol, int port, Set<String> services ) {
 
@@ -76,7 +104,11 @@ public Discovery advertise( String protocol, int port, Set<String> services ) {
 			try( MulticastSocket socket = new MulticastSocket( group.getPort() ) ) {
 				socket.joinGroup( group.getAddress() );
 
-				while( !shouldStop ) {
+				long limit = System.currentTimeMillis() + advertiseTimeout;
+				boolean limitBreached = false;
+				while( !shouldStop && !limitBreached ) {
+					limitBreached = advertiseTimeout > 0 && System.currentTimeMillis() > limit;
+
 					if( LOG.isTraceEnabled() ) {
 						LOG.trace( "Sending {}", new String( advert.getData(), UTF_8 ) );
 					}
@@ -103,12 +135,26 @@ public Discovery advertise( String protocol, int port, Set<String> services ) {
 		return this;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Controls how long we'll wait for dependencies to be found before giving up.
+	 *
+	 * @param count The number of units. Supply a negative number to wait forever.
+	 * @param unit  The unit duration
+	 * @return <code>this</code>
+	 * @see #listen(BiPredicate)
+	 */
+	public Discovery abortingAfter( int count, TimeUnit unit ) {
+		listenTimeout = unit.toMillis( count );
+		return this;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Starts listening for services advertised on the cluster
 	 *
 	 * @param action What to do with discovered remote {@link Service}s. Return true
 	 *               if all dependencies are satisfied
 	 * @return <code>this</code>
+	 * @see #abortingAfter(int, TimeUnit)
 	 */
 	public Discovery listen( BiPredicate<String, URL> action ) {
 
@@ -120,7 +166,16 @@ public Discovery listen( BiPredicate<String, URL> action ) {
 				socket.joinGroup( group.getAddress() );
 				// this will turn to true when all of our dependencies have been satisfied
 				boolean satisfied = false;
+				long limit = System.currentTimeMillis() + listenTimeout;
+				if( listenTimeout > 0 ) {
+					socket.setSoTimeout( (int) listenTimeout );
+				}
 				while( !satisfied && !shouldStop ) {
+
+					if( listenTimeout > 0 && System.currentTimeMillis() > limit ) {
+						throw new IllegalStateException( "Missing dependencies after " + listenTimeout + "ms" );
+					}
+
 					socket.receive( pkt );
 					if( LOG.isTraceEnabled() ) {
 						LOG.trace( "Received {}", new String( data, pkt.getOffset(), pkt.getLength(), UTF_8 ) );
@@ -139,14 +194,18 @@ public Discovery listen( BiPredicate<String, URL> action ) {
 			}
 			catch( SocketException se ) {
 				if( !shouldStop ) {
+					listening = false;
 					throw new UncheckedIOException( se );
 				}
 			}
 			catch( IOException ioe ) {
+				listening = false;
 				throw new UncheckedIOException( ioe );
 			}
+			listening = false;
 		}, "Discovery listen" );
 		listen.setDaemon( true );
+		listening = true;
 		listen.start();
 
 		return this;
diff --git a/example/app-framework/src/main/java/com/mastercard/test/flow/example/framework/Instance.java b/example/app-framework/src/main/java/com/mastercard/test/flow/example/framework/Instance.java
index 4fe2d60d01..76cff260c1 100644
--- a/example/app-framework/src/main/java/com/mastercard/test/flow/example/framework/Instance.java
+++ b/example/app-framework/src/main/java/com/mastercard/test/flow/example/framework/Instance.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.mastercard.test.flow.example.framework;
 
+import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.joining;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toCollection;
 
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ public Instance start() {
 		// the rest will have to come from our cluster peers.
 		// start advertising our own services...
 		Discovery discovery = new Discovery( cluster )
+				.stoppingAfter( 30, SECONDS )
 				.advertise(
 						"http", port(),
 						services.stream()
@@ -181,8 +183,9 @@ public Instance start() {
 
 		// ... and listening for those that we require
 		if( !required.isEmpty() ) {
-			discovery.listen(
-					( typeName, rmtUrl ) -> {
+			discovery
+					.abortingAfter( 10, SECONDS )
+					.listen( ( typeName, rmtUrl ) -> {
 						@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 						Class<? extends Service> type = Optional.of( typeName )
 								.map( n -> {
@@ -211,7 +214,7 @@ public Instance start() {
 		}
 
 		// now we wait until our dependencies have been satisfied
-		while( !required.isEmpty() ) {
+		while( discovery.listening() ) {
 			try {
 				synchronized( required ) {
 					if( !required.isEmpty() ) {
@@ -221,7 +224,7 @@ public Instance start() {
 									.sorted()
 									.collect( joining() ) );
 						}
-						required.wait();
+						required.wait( 1000 );
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -232,6 +235,14 @@ public Instance start() {
 			}
 		}
 
+		if( !required.isEmpty() ) {
+			String missing = required.stream()
+					.map( c -> "\n  " + c.getName() )
+					.sorted()
+					.collect( joining() );
+			LOG.error( "Instance incomplete! Missing{}", missing );
+			throw new IllegalStateException( "Missing dependencies:" + missing );
+		}
 		LOG.info( "Instance complete" );
 		return this;
 	}