diff --git a/core/peer/peer_test.go b/core/peer/peer_test.go
index 2d93a24057d..bafa94b801b 100644
--- a/core/peer/peer_test.go
+++ b/core/peer/peer_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ package peer
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -90,7 +91,8 @@ func TestCreateChainFromBlock(t *testing.T) {
 	cleanup := setupPeerFS(t)
 	defer cleanup()
 
-	testChainID := "mytestchainid"
+	Initialize(nil, &ccprovider.MockCcProviderImpl{}, (&mscc.MocksccProviderFactory{}).NewSystemChaincodeProvider(), txvalidator.MapBasedPluginMapper(map[string]validation.PluginFactory{}))
+	testChainID := fmt.Sprintf("mytestchainid-%d", rand.Int())
 	block, err := configtxtest.MakeGenesisBlock(testChainID)
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Printf("Failed to create a config block, err %s\n", err)
@@ -187,6 +189,11 @@ func TestCreateChainFromBlock(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(channels) != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("incorrect number of channels")
 	}
+
+	// cleanup the chain referenes to enable execution with -count n
+	chains.Lock()
+	chains.list = map[string]*chain{}
+	chains.Unlock()
 }
 
 func TestGetLocalIP(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go b/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
index 3c72705866d..a200597958a 100644
--- a/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
+++ b/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ type gossipDiscoveryImpl struct {
 	logger           *logging.Logger
 	disclosurePolicy DisclosurePolicy
 	pubsub           *util.PubSub
+
+	aliveTimeInterval            time.Duration
+	aliveExpirationTimeout       time.Duration
+	aliveExpirationCheckInterval time.Duration
+	reconnectInterval            time.Duration
 }
 
 // NewDiscoveryService returns a new discovery service with the comm module passed and the crypto service passed
@@ -110,6 +115,11 @@ func NewDiscoveryService(self NetworkMember, comm CommService, crypt CryptoServi
 		logger:           util.GetLogger(util.LoggingDiscoveryModule, self.InternalEndpoint),
 		disclosurePolicy: disPol,
 		pubsub:           util.NewPubSub(),
+
+		aliveTimeInterval:            getAliveTimeInterval(),
+		aliveExpirationTimeout:       getAliveExpirationTimeout(),
+		aliveExpirationCheckInterval: getAliveExpirationCheckInterval(),
+		reconnectInterval:            getReconnectInterval(),
 	}
 
 	d.validateSelfConfig()
@@ -153,7 +163,7 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) Connect(member NetworkMember, id identifier) {
 					return
 				}
 				d.logger.Warningf("Could not connect to %v : %v", member, err)
-				time.Sleep(getReconnectInterval())
+				time.Sleep(d.reconnectInterval)
 				continue
 			}
 			peer := &NetworkMember{
@@ -219,7 +229,7 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) sendUntilAcked(peer *NetworkMember, message *proto
 		if _, timeoutErr := sub.Listen(); timeoutErr == nil {
 			return
 		}
-		time.Sleep(getReconnectInterval())
+		time.Sleep(d.reconnectInterval)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -602,8 +612,8 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) periodicalReconnectToDead() {
 		}
 
 		wg.Wait()
-		d.logger.Debug("Sleeping", getReconnectInterval())
-		time.Sleep(getReconnectInterval())
+		d.logger.Debug("Sleeping", d.reconnectInterval)
+		time.Sleep(d.reconnectInterval)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -657,7 +667,7 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) periodicalCheckAlive() {
 	defer d.logger.Debug("Stopped")
 
 	for !d.toDie() {
-		time.Sleep(getAliveExpirationCheckInterval())
+		time.Sleep(d.aliveExpirationCheckInterval)
 		dead := d.getDeadMembers()
 		if len(dead) > 0 {
 			d.logger.Debugf("Got %v dead members: %v", len(dead), dead)
@@ -707,7 +717,7 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) getDeadMembers() []common.PKIidType {
 	dead := []common.PKIidType{}
 	for id, last := range d.aliveLastTS {
 		elapsedNonAliveTime := time.Since(last.lastSeen)
-		if elapsedNonAliveTime.Nanoseconds() > getAliveExpirationTimeout().Nanoseconds() {
+		if elapsedNonAliveTime > d.aliveExpirationTimeout {
 			d.logger.Warning("Haven't heard from", []byte(id), "for", elapsedNonAliveTime)
 			dead = append(dead, common.PKIidType(id))
 		}
@@ -719,8 +729,8 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) periodicalSendAlive() {
 	defer d.logger.Debug("Stopped")
 
 	for !d.toDie() {
-		d.logger.Debug("Sleeping", getAliveTimeInterval())
-		time.Sleep(getAliveTimeInterval())
+		d.logger.Debug("Sleeping", d.aliveTimeInterval)
+		time.Sleep(d.aliveTimeInterval)
 		msg, err := d.createSignedAliveMessage(true)
 		if err != nil {
 			d.logger.Warningf("Failed creating alive message: %+v", errors.WithStack(err))
@@ -1007,7 +1017,7 @@ type aliveMsgStore struct {
 func newAliveMsgStore(d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) *aliveMsgStore {
 	policy := proto.NewGossipMessageComparator(0)
 	trigger := func(m interface{}) {}
-	aliveMsgTTL := getAliveExpirationTimeout() * msgExpirationFactor
+	aliveMsgTTL := d.aliveExpirationTimeout * msgExpirationFactor
 	externalLock := func() { d.lock.Lock() }
 	externalUnlock := func() { d.lock.Unlock() }
 	callback := func(m interface{}) {