diff --git a/tests/test_proxy_steerable.cpp b/tests/test_proxy_steerable.cpp
index 14092df1..75286f0d 100644
--- a/tests/test_proxy_steerable.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_proxy_steerable.cpp
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@
 #define CONTENT_SIZE_MAX 32
 #define ROUTING_ID_SIZE 10
 #define ROUTING_ID_SIZE_MAX 32
-#define QT_WORKERS 5
+#define QT_WORKERS 3
 #define QT_CLIENTS 3
 #define is_verbose 0
+#define TEST_SLEEP_MS 500
 
 const char *proxy_control_address = "inproc://proxy_control";
 
@@ -127,15 +128,12 @@ static void client_task (void *db_)
                           routing_id, content);
                     if (memcmp (content, "TERMINATE", 9) == 0) {
                         run = false;
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    if (memcmp (content, "STOP", 4) == 0) {
+                    } else if (memcmp (content, "STOP", 4) == 0) {
                         enable_send = false;
-                        break;
-                    }
-                    if (memcmp (content, "START", 5) == 0) {
+                    } else if (memcmp (content, "START", 5) == 0) {
                         enable_send = true;
                     }
+                    break;
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -187,7 +185,7 @@ void server_task (void * /*unused_*/)
 
     // Launch pool of worker threads, precise number is not critical
     int thread_nbr;
-    void *threads[5];
+    void *threads[QT_WORKERS];
     for (thread_nbr = 0; thread_nbr < QT_WORKERS; thread_nbr++)
         threads[thread_nbr] = zmq_threadstart (&server_worker, NULL);
 
@@ -261,26 +259,34 @@ static void server_worker (void * /*unused_*/)
     char routing_id[ROUTING_ID_SIZE_MAX] =
       {}; // the size received is the size sent
 
-    bool run = true;
+    zmq_pollitem_t items[] = {{control, 0, ZMQ_POLLIN, 0},
+                              {worker, 0, ZMQ_POLLIN, 0}};
     bool keep_sending = true;
-    while (run) {
-        int rc = zmq_recv (control, content, CONTENT_SIZE_MAX,
-                           ZMQ_DONTWAIT); // usually, rc == -1 (no message)
-        if (rc > 0) {
-            content[rc] = 0; // NULL-terminate the command string
-            if (is_verbose)
-                printf ("server_worker receives command = %s\n", content);
-            if (memcmp (content, "TERMINATE", 9) == 0)
-                run = false;
-            if (memcmp (content, "STOP", 4) == 0)
-                keep_sending = false;
+    while (true) {
+        zmq_poll (items, 2, 100);
+        if (items[0].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
+            //Commands over the worker control socket
+            int rc = zmq_recv (control, content, CONTENT_SIZE_MAX, 0);
+            if (rc > 0) {
+                content[rc] = 0; // NULL-terminate the command string
+                if (is_verbose)
+                    printf ("server_worker receives command = %s\n", content);
+                if (memcmp (content, "TERMINATE", 9) == 0)
+                    break;
+                if (memcmp (content, "STOP", 4) == 0)
+                    keep_sending = false;
+            }
         }
-        // The DEALER socket gives us the reply envelope and message
-        // if we don't poll, we have to use ZMQ_DONTWAIT, if we poll, we can block-receive with 0
-        rc = zmq_recv (worker, routing_id, ROUTING_ID_SIZE_MAX, ZMQ_DONTWAIT);
-        if (rc == ROUTING_ID_SIZE) {
+        if (items[1].revents & ZMQ_POLLIN) {
+            // The DEALER socket gives us the reply envelope and message
+            int rc = zmq_recv (worker, routing_id, ROUTING_ID_SIZE_MAX, 0);
+            if (rc != ROUTING_ID_SIZE) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            routing_id[rc] = 0; //null terminate
             rc = zmq_recv (worker, content, CONTENT_SIZE_MAX, 0);
             TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT (CONTENT_SIZE, rc);
+            content[rc] = 0; //null terminate
             if (is_verbose)
                 printf ("server receive - routing_id = %s    content = %s\n",
                         routing_id, content);
@@ -360,7 +366,7 @@ uint64_t statistics (void *proxy_control, const char *runctx)
                         zmq_atomic_counter_value (g_clients_pkts_out),
                         zmq_atomic_counter_value (g_workers_pkts_out));
             }
-            printf ("%" PRIu64, val);
+            printf ("%" PRIu64 " ", val);
             if (count == 7) {
                 printf ("}\n");
             }
@@ -426,7 +432,7 @@ void test_proxy_steerable ()
         threads[i] = zmq_threadstart (&client_task, &databags[i]);
     }
     threads[QT_CLIENTS] = zmq_threadstart (&server_task, NULL);
-    msleep (500); // Run for 500 ms then quit
+    msleep (TEST_SLEEP_MS); // setup time
 
     // Proxy control socket
     int control_socktype = ZMQ_PAIR;
@@ -453,19 +459,20 @@ void test_proxy_steerable ()
 
     send_string_expect_success (control, "START", 0);
 
-    msleep (500); // Run for 500 ms then quit
+    msleep (TEST_SLEEP_MS); // Run for some time
 
     TEST_ASSERT (statistics (proxy_control, "started clients") > 0);
     steer (proxy_control, "PAUSE", "pausing proxying after 500ms");
     uint64_t bytes = statistics (proxy_control, "post-pause");
 
-    msleep (500); // Run for 500 ms then quit
+    msleep (TEST_SLEEP_MS); // Paused for some time
 
+    //check no more bytes have been proxied while paused
     TEST_ASSERT (statistics (proxy_control, "post-pause") == bytes);
 
     steer (proxy_control, "RESUME", "resuming proxying after another 500ms");
 
-    msleep (500); // Run for 500 ms then quit
+    msleep (TEST_SLEEP_MS); // Resumed for a while
 
     TEST_ASSERT (statistics (proxy_control, "ran for a while") > bytes);
 
@@ -475,16 +482,16 @@ void test_proxy_steerable ()
 
     statistics (proxy_control, "stopped clients and workers");
 
-    msleep (500); // Wait for all clients and workers to STOP
+    msleep (TEST_SLEEP_MS); // Wait for all clients and workers to STOP
 
     if (is_verbose)
         printf ("shutting down all clients and server workers\n");
     send_string_expect_success (control, "TERMINATE", 0);
 
-    msleep (500);
+    msleep (TEST_SLEEP_MS);
     statistics (proxy_control, "terminate clients and server workers");
 
-    msleep (500); // Wait for all clients and workers to terminate
+    msleep (TEST_SLEEP_MS); // Wait for all clients and workers to terminate
     steer (proxy_control, "TERMINATE", "terminate proxy");
 
     for (int i = 0; i < QT_CLIENTS + 1; i++)