diff --git a/bddtests/compose-defaults.yml b/bddtests/compose-defaults.yml
index d8631dfa2d3..0c3be5a8698 100644
--- a/bddtests/compose-defaults.yml
+++ b/bddtests/compose-defaults.yml
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ vp:
     - CORE_VM_ENDPOINT=http://172.17.0.1:2375
     # TODO:  This is currently required due to BUG in variant logic based upon log level.
     - CORE_LOGGING_LEVEL=DEBUG
-  # Startup of peer must be delayed to allow membersrvc to come up first
-  command: sh -c "sleep 5; peer node start"
-  #command: peer node start
-  
+  # Script will wait until membersrvc is up (if it exists) before starting
+  # $$GOPATH (double dollar) required to prevent docker-compose doing its own
+  # substitution before the value gets to the container
+  command: sh -c '$$GOPATH/src/github.com/hyperledger/fabric/bddtests/scripts/start-peer.sh'
+
   # Use these options if coverage desired for peers
   #image: hyperledger/fabric-peer-coverage
   #command: ./peer.test --test.coverprofile=coverage.cov node start
diff --git a/bddtests/docker-compose-1-devmode.yml b/bddtests/docker-compose-1-devmode.yml
index f89d03cf025..7f506bd1dd8 100755
--- a/bddtests/docker-compose-1-devmode.yml
+++ b/bddtests/docker-compose-1-devmode.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ ccenv:
   environment:
     - CORE_CHAINCODE_ID_NAME=testCC
     - CORE_PEER_ADDRESS=vp0:7051
-  command: bash -c "GOBIN=/opt/gopath/bin go install github.com/hyperledger/fabric/examples/chaincode/go/chaincode_example02 && /opt/gopath/bin/chaincode_example02"
+  # $$GOPATH (double dollar) required to prevent docker-compose doing its own
+  # substitution before the value gets to the container
+  command: bash -c 'go install github.com/hyperledger/fabric/examples/chaincode/go/chaincode_example02 && $$GOPATH/bin/chaincode_example02'
   links:
     - vp0
diff --git a/bddtests/scripts/start-peer.sh b/bddtests/scripts/start-peer.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..cd6965fdfd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bddtests/scripts/start-peer.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $0)
+MEMBERSHIP_IP=$(cat /etc/hosts | grep membersrvc | head -n 1 | cut -f1)
+TIMEOUT=10
+
+if [ -n "$MEMBERSHIP_IP" ]; then
+    echo "membersrvc detected, waiting for it before starting with a $TIMEOUT second timout"
+    "$SCRIPT_DIR"/wait-for-it.sh -t "$TIMEOUT" "$MEMBERSHIP_IP":7054
+
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "Failed to contact membersrvc within $TIMEOUT seconds"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+else
+    echo "No membersrvc to wait for, starting immediately"
+fi
+
+peer node start
+
diff --git a/bddtests/scripts/wait-for-it.sh b/bddtests/scripts/wait-for-it.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..46bbf271ffe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bddtests/scripts/wait-for-it.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Modified from https://github.com/vishnubob/wait-for-it to be POSIX compatible
+# Use this script to test if a given TCP host/port are available
+
+cmdname=$(basename $0)
+
+TIMEOUT=${TIMEOUT:-15}
+STRICT=${STRICT:-0}
+CHILD=${CHILD:-0}
+QUIET=${QUIET:-0}
+
+echoerr() { if [ $QUIET -ne 1 ]; then echo "$@" 1>&2; fi }
+
+usage()
+{
+    cat << USAGE >&2
+Usage:
+    $cmdname host:port [-s] [-t timeout] [-- command args]
+    -h HOST | --host=HOST       Host or IP under test
+    -p PORT | --port=PORT       TCP port under test
+                                Alternatively, you specify the host and port as host:port
+    -s | --strict               Only execute subcommand if the test succeeds
+    -q | --quiet                Don't output any status messages
+    -t TIMEOUT | --timeout=TIMEOUT
+                                Timeout in seconds, zero for no timeout
+    -- COMMAND ARGS             Execute command with args after the test finishes
+USAGE
+    exit 1
+}
+
+wait_for()
+{
+    if [ $TIMEOUT -gt 0 ]; then
+        echoerr "$cmdname: waiting $TIMEOUT seconds for $HOST:$PORT"
+    else
+        echoerr "$cmdname: waiting for $HOST:$PORT without a timeout"
+    fi
+    start_ts=$(date +%s)
+    while :
+    do
+        nc -z $HOST $PORT >/dev/null 2>&1
+        result=$?
+        if [ $result -eq 0 ]; then
+            end_ts=$(date +%s)
+            echoerr "$cmdname: $HOST:$PORT is available after $((end_ts - start_ts)) seconds"
+            break
+        fi
+        sleep 1
+    done
+    return $result
+}
+
+wait_for_wrapper()
+{
+    # In order to support SIGINT during timeout: http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/57692
+    if [ $QUIET -eq 1 ]; then
+        timeout $TIMEOUT $0 --quiet --child --host=$HOST --port=$PORT --timeout=$TIMEOUT &
+    else
+        timeout $TIMEOUT $0 --child --host=$HOST --port=$PORT --timeout=$TIMEOUT &
+    fi
+    PID=$!
+    trap "kill -INT -$PID" INT
+    wait $PID
+    RESULT=$?
+    if [ $RESULT -ne 0 ]; then
+        echoerr "$cmdname: timeout occurred after waiting $TIMEOUT seconds for $HOST:$PORT"
+    fi
+    return $RESULT
+}
+
+# process arguments
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]
+do
+    case "$1" in
+        *:* )
+        HOST=$(echo $1 | cut --fields=1 --delimiter=:)
+        PORT=$(echo $1 | cut --fields=2- --delimiter=:)
+        shift 1
+        ;;
+        --child)
+        CHILD=1
+        shift 1
+        ;;
+        -q | --quiet)
+        QUIET=1
+        shift 1
+        ;;
+        -s | --strict)
+        STRICT=1
+        shift 1
+        ;;
+        -h)
+        HOST="$2"
+        if [ "$HOST" = "" ]; then break; fi
+        shift 2
+        ;;
+        --host=*)
+        HOST="${1#*=}"
+        shift 1
+        ;;
+        -p)
+        PORT="$2"
+        if [ "$PORT" = "" ]; then break; fi
+        shift 2
+        ;;
+        --port=*)
+        PORT="${1#*=}"
+        shift 1
+        ;;
+        -t)
+        TIMEOUT="$2"
+        if [ "$TIMEOUT" = "" ]; then break; fi
+        shift 2
+        ;;
+        --timeout=*)
+        TIMEOUT="${1#*=}"
+        shift 1
+        ;;
+        --)
+        shift
+        CLI="$@"
+        break
+        ;;
+        --help)
+        usage
+        ;;
+        *)
+        echoerr "Unknown argument: $1"
+        usage
+        ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+if [ "$HOST" = "" ] || [ "$PORT" = "" ]; then
+    echoerr "Error: you need to provide a host and port to test."
+    usage
+fi
+
+if [ $CHILD -gt 0 ]; then
+    wait_for
+    RESULT=$?
+    exit $RESULT
+else
+    if [ $TIMEOUT -gt 0 ]; then
+        wait_for_wrapper
+        RESULT=$?
+    else
+        wait_for
+        RESULT=$?
+    fi
+fi
+
+if [ "$CLI" != "" ]; then
+    if [ $RESULT -ne 0 ] && [ $STRICT -eq 1 ]; then
+        echoerr "$cmdname: strict mode, refusing to execute subprocess"
+        exit $RESULT
+    fi
+    exec $CLI
+else
+    exit $RESULT
+fi
\ No newline at end of file