diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5693eef6f..a6f26877c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE ON)
 macro(add_patch submodule patch working_directory patch_list)
   add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${patch}.applied
     WORKING_DIRECTORY ${working_directory}
-    COMMAND patch --forward -p0 < ${patchdir}/${submodule}/${patch}
+    COMMAND patch --forward -p0 < ${patchdir}/${submodule}/${patch} || true
     COMMAND touch ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${patch}.applied
     COMMENT "Applying ${patch}")
   list(APPEND ${patch_list} ${patch}.applied)
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 9655ccef1..7e8d370c8 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ RUN apt -y install autoconf automake autotools-dev bc \
     gperf libgmp-dev libmpc-dev libmpfr-dev libtool texinfo tmux \
     patchutils zlib1g-dev wget bzip2 patch vim-common lbzip2 python \
     pkg-config libglib2.0-dev libpixman-1-dev libssl-dev screen \
-    device-tree-compiler expect makeself unzip cpio rsync cmake ninja-build p7zip-full
+    device-tree-compiler expect makeself unzip cpio rsync cmake ninja-build \
+    p7zip-full socat
 
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --reinstall ca-certificates
 RUN git clone https://github.com/keystone-enclave/keystone /keystone
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.32.nobuild b/docker/Dockerfile.32.nobuild
index 1f38ba6af..d5754ef17 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.32.nobuild
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.32.nobuild
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ RUN apt -y install autoconf automake autotools-dev bc \
     gperf libgmp-dev libmpc-dev libmpfr-dev libtool texinfo tmux \
     patchutils zlib1g-dev wget bzip2 patch vim-common lbzip2 python \
     pkg-config libglib2.0-dev libpixman-1-dev libssl-dev screen \
-    device-tree-compiler expect makeself unzip cpio rsync cmake ninja-build p7zip-full
+    device-tree-compiler expect makeself unzip cpio rsync cmake ninja-build \
+    p7zip-full socat
 
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --reinstall ca-certificates
 RUN git clone https://github.com/keystone-enclave/keystone /keystone
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.nobuild b/docker/Dockerfile.nobuild
index 54f8b9fcf..640725d6e 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.nobuild
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.nobuild
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ RUN apt -y install autoconf automake autotools-dev bc \
     gperf libgmp-dev libmpc-dev libmpfr-dev libtool texinfo tmux \
     patchutils zlib1g-dev wget bzip2 patch vim-common lbzip2 python \
     pkg-config libglib2.0-dev libpixman-1-dev libssl-dev screen \
-    device-tree-compiler expect makeself unzip cpio rsync cmake ninja-build p7zip-full
+    device-tree-compiler expect makeself unzip cpio rsync cmake ninja-build \
+    p7zip-full socat
 
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --reinstall ca-certificates
 RUN git clone https://github.com/keystone-enclave/keystone /keystone
diff --git a/scripts/run-qemu.sh.in b/scripts/run-qemu.sh.in
index 5d625d109..8f3cb79ec 100755
--- a/scripts/run-qemu.sh.in
+++ b/scripts/run-qemu.sh.in
@@ -31,4 +31,5 @@ done;
  -netdev user,id=net0,net=192.168.100.1/24,dhcpstart=192.168.100.128,hostfwd=tcp::${HOST_PORT}-:22 \
  -device virtio-net-device,netdev=net0 \
  -device virtio-rng-pci \
- -smp $SMP
+ -smp $SMP \
+ -monitor unix:qemu-monitor.sock,server,nowait  
diff --git a/scripts/travis.sh b/scripts/travis.sh
index f7040c893..da831f2c7 100755
--- a/scripts/travis.sh
+++ b/scripts/travis.sh
@@ -1,19 +1,39 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 EXPECTED_LOG_DIR=$1
+MONITOR_SOCKET=qemu-monitor.sock
+ATTEMPTS=10
+ATTEMPT_DELAY=5
 
-# Launch QEMU test
+# Launch QEMU
 screen -L -dmS qemu ./scripts/run-qemu.sh
-# TODO: check for connectivity before starting, instead of sleeping
-sleep 20
+sleep 1
+
+# Verify VM is running before running tests - abort after 10 failed attempts
+for ((i = 0;;)); do
+    result=$( (echo "info status" && sleep 1) | \
+	    socat - unix-connect:$MONITOR_SOCKET | \
+	    grep -oF "running")
+    [[ -z "$result" ]] || break
+    echo "VM not yet running. (check $((++i))/$ATTEMPTS)"
+    if [[ $i -eq $ATTEMPTS ]]; then
+	echo "[FAIL] VM not confirmed as running after max of $ATTEMPTS checks - aborting."
+	exit 1
+    fi
+    sleep $ATTEMPT_DELAY
+done
+
+# Clean up socket
+rm $MONITOR_SOCKET
+echo "VM confirmed to be running. Proceeding to run test(s)."
+
 ./scripts/test-qemu.sh 2>&1 | grep -v "Warning: Permanently added" | tee output.log
 
 diff output.log $EXPECTED_LOG_DIR/test-qemu.expected.log
-if [ $? -eq 0 ]
-then
-  echo "[PASS] output.log matches with the expected output"
-  exit 0
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "[PASS] output.log matches with the expected output"
+    exit 0
 else
-  echo "[FAIL] output.log does not match with the expected output"
-  exit 1
+    echo "[FAIL] output.log does not match with the expected output"
+    exit 1
 fi