diff --git a/src/registry/domain/options-sanitiser.js b/src/registry/domain/options-sanitiser.js
index 29e7fb50b..f9cefc9ce 100644
--- a/src/registry/domain/options-sanitiser.js
+++ b/src/registry/domain/options-sanitiser.js
@@ -38,5 +38,11 @@ module.exports = function(input){
     options.hotReloading = !!options.local;
   }
 
+  if(!_.isUndefined(options.verbosity)){
+    options.verbosity = 0;
+  }
+
+  options.port = process.env.PORT || options.port;
+
   return options;
 };
diff --git a/src/registry/index.js b/src/registry/index.js
index cf8e1c916..b13798755 100644
--- a/src/registry/index.js
+++ b/src/registry/index.js
@@ -1,24 +1,19 @@
 'use strict';
 
+var async = require('async');
 var colors = require('colors');
 var express = require('express');
 var format = require('stringformat');
 var http = require('http');
-var path = require('path');
 var _ = require('underscore');
 
 var appStart = require('./app-start');
-var baseUrlHandler = require('./middleware/base-url-handler');
-var cors = require('./middleware/cors');
-var discoveryHandler = require('./middleware/discovery-handler');
 var eventsHandler = require('./domain/events-handler');
-var fileUploads = require('./middleware/file-uploads');
+var middleware = require('./middleware');
 var pluginsInitialiser = require('./domain/plugins-initialiser');
 var Repository = require('./domain/repository');
-var requestHandler = require('./middleware/request-handler');
-var Router = require('./router');
+var router = require('./router');
 var sanitiseOptions = require('./domain/options-sanitiser');
-var settings = require('../resources/settings');
 var validator = require('./domain/validators');
 
 module.exports = function(options){
@@ -26,7 +21,6 @@ module.exports = function(options){
   var repository,
       self = this,
       server,
-      withLogging = !_.has(options, 'verbosity') || options.verbosity > 0,
       validationResult = validator.validateRegistryConfiguration(options),
       plugins = [];
 
@@ -45,41 +39,9 @@ module.exports = function(options){
     }
   };
 
-  this.init = function(callback){
-    var app = express();
-
+  this.init = function(){
+    self.app = middleware.bind(express(), options);
     repository = new Repository(options);
-
-    // middleware
-    app.set('port', process.env.PORT || options.port);
-    app.set('json spaces', 0);
-
-    app.use(function(req, res, next){
-      res.conf = options;
-      next();
-    });
-
-    app.use(requestHandler());
-    app.use(express.json());
-    app.use(express.urlencoded());
-    app.use(cors);
-    app.use(fileUploads);
-    app.use(baseUrlHandler);
-    app.use(discoveryHandler);
-
-    app.set('views', path.join(__dirname, 'views'));
-    app.set('view engine', 'jade');
-    app.set('view cache', true);
-
-    if(withLogging){
-      app.use(express.logger('dev'));
-    }
-
-    if(options.local){
-      app.use(express.errorHandler({ dumpExceptions: true, showStack: true }));
-    }
-
-    self.app = app;
   };
 
   this.register = function(plugin, cb){
@@ -92,81 +54,54 @@ module.exports = function(options){
       callback = _.noop;
     }
 
-    var app = this.app;
+    router.create(this.app, options, repository);
+
+    async.waterfall([
+      function(cb){
+        pluginsInitialiser.init(plugins, cb);
+      },
+      function(plugins, cb){
+        options.plugins = plugins;
+        repository.init(cb);
+      },
+      function(componentsInfo, cb){
+        appStart(repository, options, function(err){
+          cb(!!err ? err.msg : null, componentsInfo);
+        });
+      }
+    ],
+    function(err, componentsInfo){
+      if(!!err){ return callback(err); }
 
-    // routes
-    app.use(app.router);
-    var router = new Router(options, repository);
+      server = http.createServer(self.app);
 
-    if(options.prefix !== '/'){
-      app.get('/', function(req, res){ res.redirect(options.prefix); });
-      app.get(options.prefix.substr(0, options.prefix.length - 1), router.listComponents);
-    }
+      server.listen(options.port, function(err){
+        
+        if(!!err){ return callback(err); }
 
-    app.get(options.prefix + 'oc-client/client.js', router.staticRedirector);
-    app.get(options.prefix + 'oc-client/oc-client.min.map', router.staticRedirector);
+        eventsHandler.fire('start', {});
+        
+        if(!!options.verbosity){
 
-    if(options.local){
-      app.get(format('{0}:componentName/:componentVersion/{1}*', options.prefix, settings.registry.localStaticRedirectorPath), router.staticRedirector);
-    } else {
-      app.put(options.prefix + ':componentName/:componentVersion', options.beforePublish, router.publish);
-    }
+          console.log(format('Registry started at port {0}'.green, self.app.get('port')));
+          
+          if(_.isObject(componentsInfo)){
 
-    app.get(options.prefix, router.listComponents);
-    app.post(options.prefix, router.components);
-
-    app.get(format('{0}:componentName/:componentVersion{1}', options.prefix, settings.registry.componentInfoPath), router.componentInfo);
-    app.get(format('{0}:componentName{1}', options.prefix, settings.registry.componentInfoPath), router.componentInfo);
-
-    app.get(format('{0}:componentName/:componentVersion{1}', options.prefix, settings.registry.componentPreviewPath), router.componentPreview);
-    app.get(format('{0}:componentName{1}', options.prefix, settings.registry.componentPreviewPath), router.componentPreview);
+            var componentsNumber = _.keys(componentsInfo.components).length,
+                componentsReleases = _.reduce(componentsInfo.components, function(memo, component){
+                  return (parseInt(memo, 10) + component.length);
+                });
 
-    app.get(options.prefix + ':componentName/:componentVersion', router.component);
-    app.get(options.prefix + ':componentName', router.component);
+            console.log(format('Registry serving {0} components for a total of {1} releases.', componentsNumber, componentsReleases).green);
+          }
+        }
 
-    if(!!options.routes){
-      _.forEach(options.routes, function(route){
-        app[route.method.toLowerCase()](route.route, route.handler);
+        callback(null, { app: self.app, server: server });
       });
-    }
-
-    app.set('etag', 'strong');
-
-    pluginsInitialiser.init(plugins, function(err, plugins){
-      if(!!err){ return callback(err); }
-      options.plugins = plugins;
 
-      repository.init(function(err, componentsInfo){
-        appStart(repository, options, function(err, res){
-
-          if(!!err){ return callback(err.msg); }
-
-          server = http.createServer(self.app);
-
-          server.listen(self.app.get('port'), function(){
-            eventsHandler.fire('start', {});
-            if(withLogging){
-              console.log(format('Registry started at port {0}'.green, self.app.get('port')));
-              if(_.isObject(componentsInfo)){
-                var componentsNumber = _.keys(componentsInfo.components).length;
-                var componentsReleases = _.reduce(componentsInfo.components, function(memo, component){
-                  return (parseInt(memo, 10) + component.length);
-                });
-
-                console.log(format('Registry serving {0} components for a total of {1} releases.', componentsNumber, componentsReleases).green);
-              }
-            }
-            callback(null, {
-              app: self.app,
-              server: server
-            });
-          });
-
-          server.on('error', function(e){
-            eventsHandler.fire('error', { code: 'EXPRESS_ERROR', message: e });
-            callback(e);
-          });
-        });
+      server.on('error', function(e){
+        eventsHandler.fire('error', { code: 'EXPRESS_ERROR', message: e });
+        callback(e);
       });
     });
   };
diff --git a/src/registry/middleware/index.js b/src/registry/middleware/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..37df9ca1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/registry/middleware/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var express = require('express');
+var path = require('path');
+var _ = require('underscore');
+
+var baseUrlHandler = require('./base-url-handler');
+var cors = require('./cors');
+var discoveryHandler = require('./discovery-handler');
+var fileUploads = require('./file-uploads');
+var requestHandler = require('./request-handler');
+
+module.exports.bind = function(app, options){
+
+  app.set('port', options.port);
+  app.set('json spaces', 0);
+
+  app.use(function(req, res, next){
+    res.conf = options;
+    next();
+  });
+
+  app.use(requestHandler());
+  app.use(express.json());
+  app.use(express.urlencoded());
+  app.use(cors);
+  app.use(fileUploads);
+  app.use(baseUrlHandler);
+  app.use(discoveryHandler);
+
+  app.set('views', path.join(__dirname, '../views'));
+  app.set('view engine', 'jade');
+  app.set('view cache', true);
+
+  if(!!options.verbosity){
+    app.use(express.logger('dev'));
+  }
+
+  if(options.local){
+    app.use(express.errorHandler({ dumpExceptions: true, showStack: true }));
+  }
+
+  return app;
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/registry/router.js b/src/registry/router.js
index 6a8444752..3ad3215a9 100644
--- a/src/registry/router.js
+++ b/src/registry/router.js
@@ -1,15 +1,19 @@
 'use strict';
 
+var format = require('stringformat');
+var _ = require('underscore');
+
 var ComponentRoute = require('./routes/component');
 var ComponentsRoute = require('./routes/components');
 var ComponentInfoRoute = require('./routes/component-info');
 var ComponentPreviewRoute = require('./routes/component-preview');
 var ListComponentsRoute = require('./routes/list-components');
 var PublishRoute = require('./routes/publish');
+var settings = require('../resources/settings');
 var StaticRedirectorRoute = require('./routes/static-redirector');
 
-module.exports = function(conf, repository){
-  return {
+module.exports.create = function(app, conf, repository){
+  var routes = {
     component: new ComponentRoute(conf, repository),
     components: new ComponentsRoute(conf, repository),
     componentInfo: new ComponentInfoRoute(repository),
@@ -18,4 +22,42 @@ module.exports = function(conf, repository){
     publish: new PublishRoute(repository),
     staticRedirector: new StaticRedirectorRoute(repository)
   };
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+
+  app.use(app.router);
+
+  if(conf.prefix !== '/'){
+    app.get('/', function(req, res){ res.redirect(conf.prefix); });
+    app.get(conf.prefix.substr(0, conf.prefix.length - 1), routes.listComponents);
+  }
+
+  app.get(conf.prefix + 'oc-client/client.js', routes.staticRedirector);
+  app.get(conf.prefix + 'oc-client/oc-client.min.map', routes.staticRedirector);
+
+  if(conf.local){
+    app.get(format('{0}:componentName/:componentVersion/{1}*', conf.prefix, settings.registry.localStaticRedirectorPath), routes.staticRedirector);
+  } else {
+    app.put(conf.prefix + ':componentName/:componentVersion', conf.beforePublish, routes.publish);
+  }
+
+  app.get(conf.prefix, routes.listComponents);
+  app.post(conf.prefix, routes.components);
+
+  app.get(format('{0}:componentName/:componentVersion{1}', conf.prefix, settings.registry.componentInfoPath), routes.componentInfo);
+  app.get(format('{0}:componentName{1}', conf.prefix, settings.registry.componentInfoPath), routes.componentInfo);
+
+  app.get(format('{0}:componentName/:componentVersion{1}', conf.prefix, settings.registry.componentPreviewPath), routes.componentPreview);
+  app.get(format('{0}:componentName{1}', conf.prefix, settings.registry.componentPreviewPath), routes.componentPreview);
+
+  app.get(conf.prefix + ':componentName/:componentVersion', routes.component);
+  app.get(conf.prefix + ':componentName', routes.component);
+
+  if(!!conf.routes){
+    _.forEach(conf.routes, function(route){
+      app[route.method.toLowerCase()](route.route, route.handler);
+    });
+  }
+
+  app.set('etag', 'strong');
+
+  return app;
+};
diff --git a/test/unit/registry.js b/test/unit/registry.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f958cd555
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/registry.js
@@ -0,0 +1,229 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var expect = require('chai').expect;
+var injectr = require('injectr');
+var sinon = require('sinon');
+
+describe('registry', function(){
+
+	var repositoryInitStub = sinon.stub();
+
+	var deps = {
+		'./app-start': sinon.stub(),
+		'./domain/events-handler': {},
+		'express': sinon.stub(),
+		'http': {
+			createServer: sinon.stub()
+		},
+		'./middleware': { bind: sinon.stub() },
+		'./domain/plugins-initialiser': { init: sinon.stub() },
+		'./domain/repository': sinon.stub().returns({
+			init: repositoryInitStub
+		}),
+		'./router': sinon.stub(),
+		'./domain/options-sanitiser': sinon.stub(),
+		'./domain/validators': {
+			validateRegistryConfiguration: sinon.stub()
+		}
+	};
+
+	var Registry = injectr('../../src/registry/index.js', deps);
+
+	describe('when instanciated', function(){
+
+		describe('when options are not valid', function(){
+			
+			var init;
+			beforeEach(function(){
+				deps['./domain/validators'].validateRegistryConfiguration.returns({ isValid: false, message: 'blargh' });
+				init = function(){ var registry = new Registry({}); };
+			});
+
+			it('should throw an error', function(){
+				expect(init).to.throw('blargh');
+			});
+		});
+
+		describe('when options are valid', function(){
+
+			var registry;
+			beforeEach(function(){
+				deps['./domain/validators'].validateRegistryConfiguration.returns({ isValid: true });
+				deps.express.returns('express instance');
+				deps['./domain/options-sanitiser'].returns({ port: 3000 });
+				registry = new Registry({});
+			});
+
+			it('should instantiate express', function(){
+				expect(deps.express.called).to.be.true;
+			});
+
+			it('should bind the middleware', function(){
+				var bind = deps['./middleware'].bind;
+				expect(bind.called).to.be.true;
+				expect(bind.args[0][0]).to.equal('express instance');
+				expect(bind.args[0][1]).to.eql({ port: 3000 });
+			});
+
+			it('should instanciate the repository', function(){
+				expect(deps['./domain/repository'].called).to.be.true;
+			});
+
+			describe('when starting it', function(){
+
+				describe('when plugins initialiser fails', function(){
+
+					var error;
+					beforeEach(function(done){
+						deps['./domain/plugins-initialiser'].init.yields('error!');
+						registry.start(function(err){
+							error = err;
+							done();
+						});
+					});
+
+					it('should fail with error', function(){
+						expect(error).to.equal('error!');
+					});
+				});
+
+				describe('when plugins initialiser succeeds', function(){
+
+					describe('when repository initialisation fails', function(){
+
+						var error;
+						beforeEach(function(done){
+							deps['./domain/plugins-initialiser'].init.yields(null, 'ok');
+							repositoryInitStub.yields('nope');
+
+							registry.start(function(err){
+								error = err;
+								done();
+							});
+						});
+
+						it('should fail with error', function(){
+							expect(error).to.equal('nope');
+						});
+					});
+
+					describe('when repository initialisation succeeds', function(){
+
+						describe('when app fails to start', function(){
+
+							var error;
+							beforeEach(function(done){
+								deps['./domain/plugins-initialiser'].init.yields(null, 'ok');
+								repositoryInitStub.yields(null, 'ok');
+								deps['./app-start'].yields({ msg: 'I got a problem'});
+
+								registry.start(function(err){
+									error = err;
+									done();
+								});
+							});
+
+							it('should fail with error', function(){
+								expect(error).to.equal('I got a problem');
+							});
+						});
+
+						describe('when app starts', function(){
+
+							describe('when http listener errors', function(){
+
+								var error;
+								beforeEach(function(done){
+									deps['./domain/plugins-initialiser'].init.yields(null, 'ok');
+									repositoryInitStub.yields(null, 'ok');
+									deps['./app-start'].yields(null, 'ok');
+
+									deps['http'].createServer.returns({
+										listen: sinon.stub().yields('Port is already used'),
+										on: sinon.stub()
+									});
+
+									registry.start(function(err){
+										error = err;
+										done();
+									});
+								});
+
+								it('should fail with error', function(){
+									expect(error).to.equal('Port is already used');
+								});
+							});
+
+							describe('when http listener succeeds', function(){
+
+								var error, result;
+								beforeEach(function(done){
+									deps['./domain/plugins-initialiser'].init.yields(null, 'ok');
+									repositoryInitStub.yields(null, 'ok');
+									deps['./app-start'].yields(null, 'ok');
+									deps['./domain/events-handler'].fire = sinon.stub();
+
+									deps['http'].createServer.returns({
+										listen: sinon.stub().yields(null, 'ok'),
+										on: sinon.stub()
+									});
+
+									registry.start(function(err, res){
+										error = err;
+										result = res;
+										done();
+									});
+								});
+
+								it('should not return error', function(){
+									expect(error).to.be.null;
+								});
+
+								it('should return the server instance', function(){
+									expect(result.app).to.not.be.null;
+									expect(result.server).to.not.be.null;
+								});
+
+								it('should emit a start event', function(){
+									expect(deps['./domain/events-handler'].fire.args[0]).to.eql(['start', {}]);
+								});
+							});
+
+							describe('when http listener emits an error before the listener to start', function(){
+
+								var error;
+								beforeEach(function(done){
+									deps['./domain/plugins-initialiser'].init.yields(null, 'ok');
+									repositoryInitStub.yields(null, 'ok');
+									deps['./app-start'].yields(null, 'ok');
+									deps['./domain/events-handler'].fire = sinon.stub();
+
+									deps['http'].createServer.returns({
+										listen: sinon.stub(),
+										on: sinon.stub().yields('I failed for some reason')
+									});
+
+									registry.start(function(err, res){
+										error = err;
+										done();
+									});
+								});
+
+								it('should return error', function(){
+									expect(error).to.be.equal('I failed for some reason');
+								});
+
+								it('should emit an error event', function(){
+									expect(deps['./domain/events-handler'].fire.args[0]).to.eql(['error', {
+										code: 'EXPRESS_ERROR',
+										message: 'I failed for some reason'
+									}]);
+								});
+							});
+						});
+					});
+				});
+			});
+		});
+	});
+});
\ No newline at end of file