diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 5e0cbcaf43..903127a026 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ addons:
     - ubuntu-toolchain-r-test
     packages:
     - g++-4.8
-services:
-  - redis-server
 node_js:
   - "0.10"
   - "0.12"
diff --git a/test/conf/password.conf b/test/conf/password.conf
index 8351cb455f..fae73a9415 100644
--- a/test/conf/password.conf
+++ b/test/conf/password.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 requirepass porkchopsandwiches
-port 6378
+port 6379
 bind ::1 127.0.0.1
 unixsocket /tmp/redis.sock
 unixsocketperm 755
diff --git a/test/conf/redis.conf b/test/conf/redis.conf
index dd9a4b6572..16f1434200 100644
--- a/test/conf/redis.conf
+++ b/test/conf/redis.conf
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-port 6378
+port 6379
 bind ::1 127.0.0.1
 unixsocket /tmp/redis.sock
 unixsocketperm 755
diff --git a/test/lib/config.js b/test/lib/config.js
index 54c6ed27bb..296fdc0bf8 100644
--- a/test/lib/config.js
+++ b/test/lib/config.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ var redis = require('../../index');
 
 var config = {
     redis: redis,
-    PORT: 6378,
+    PORT: 6379,
     HOST: {
         IPv4: "127.0.0.1",
         IPv6: "::1"
diff --git a/test/lib/redis-process.js b/test/lib/redis-process.js
index 212cf359c0..32f2045e41 100644
--- a/test/lib/redis-process.js
+++ b/test/lib/redis-process.js
@@ -11,6 +11,17 @@ module.exports = {
         var confFile = conf || path.resolve(__dirname, '../conf/redis.conf');
         var rp = cp.spawn("redis-server", [confFile], {});
 
+        // capture a failure booting redis, and give
+        // the user running the test some directions.
+        rp.once("exit", function (code) {
+            if (code !== 0) {
+                console.error('failed to starting redis with exit code "' + code + '" ' +
+                  'stop any other redis processes currently running (' +
+                  'hint: lsof -i :6379)');
+                process.exit(code)
+            }
+        })
+
         // wait for redis to become available, by
         // checking the port we bind on.
         waitForRedis(true, function () {
diff --git a/test/node_redis.spec.js b/test/node_redis.spec.js
index c20b879f0b..93b5531473 100644
--- a/test/node_redis.spec.js
+++ b/test/node_redis.spec.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ describe("The node_redis client", function () {
                     });
                 });
 
-                it("connects correctly with defaults values", function (done) {
+                it("connects correctly with default values", function (done) {
                     client = redis.createClient();
                     client.on("error", done);
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ describe("The node_redis client", function () {
                     });
                 });
 
-                it("throws on strange connection infos", function () {
+                it("throws on strange connection info", function () {
                     try {
                         redis.createClient(true);
                         throw new Error('failed');