diff --git a/simulation/docker.go b/simulation/docker.go
index 8fe9d0f539..a213c20c44 100644
--- a/simulation/docker.go
+++ b/simulation/docker.go
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ func (n *DockerNode) rpcClient() (*rpc.Client, error) {
 	var client *rpc.Client
 	var err error
 	wsAddr := fmt.Sprintf("ws://%s:%d", n.ipAddr, dockerWebsocketPort)
-	for start := time.Now(); time.Since(start) < 30*time.Second; time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond) {
+	for start := time.Now(); time.Since(start) < 30*time.Second; time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond) {
 		client, err = rpc.Dial(wsAddr)
 		if err == nil {
 			break
diff --git a/simulation/exec.go b/simulation/exec.go
index 75f803b6e5..5dcc103ff0 100644
--- a/simulation/exec.go
+++ b/simulation/exec.go
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@ type ExecAdapterConfig struct {
 
 // ExecNode is a node that is executed locally
 type ExecNode struct {
-	adapter *ExecAdapter
-	config  NodeConfig
-	cmd     *exec.Cmd
-	info    NodeInfo
+	adapter  *ExecAdapter
+	config   NodeConfig
+	cmd      *exec.Cmd
+	info     NodeInfo
+	waitChan chan error
 }
 
 // NewExecAdapter creates an ExecAdapter by receiving a ExecAdapterConfig
@@ -69,9 +70,10 @@ func (a ExecAdapter) NewNode(config NodeConfig) Node {
 		ID: config.ID,
 	}
 	node := &ExecNode{
-		config:  config,
-		adapter: &a,
-		info:    info,
+		config:   config,
+		adapter:  &a,
+		info:     info,
+		waitChan: make(chan error),
 	}
 	return node
 }
@@ -135,6 +137,11 @@ func (n *ExecNode) Start() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error starting node %s: %s", n.config.ID, err)
 	}
 
+	// Wait channel from cmd.Wait() to know if the cmd exited before successful rpc.Dial call
+	go func(cmd *exec.Cmd, waitCh chan error) {
+		waitCh <- cmd.Wait()
+	}(n.cmd, n.waitChan)
+
 	// Wait for the node to start
 	var client *rpc.Client
 	var err error
@@ -143,11 +150,40 @@ func (n *ExecNode) Start() error {
 			n.Stop()
 		}
 	}()
-	for start := time.Now(); time.Since(start) < 10*time.Second; time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond) {
+
+	for start := time.Now(); time.Since(start) < 30*time.Second; time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond) {
 		client, err = rpc.Dial(n.ipcPath())
 		if err == nil {
 			break
 		}
+		// rpc.Dial is failing, so let's check if command exited due to TCP/UDP pair fail
+		select {
+		case <-n.waitChan:
+			// Command exited
+
+			// Restart command, as the process got killed due to tcp/udp pair of ports being taken
+			n.cmd = &exec.Cmd{
+				Path:   n.adapter.config.ExecutablePath,
+				Args:   args,
+				Dir:    dir,
+				Env:    n.config.Env,
+				Stdout: n.config.Stdout,
+				Stderr: n.config.Stderr,
+			}
+
+			if err := n.cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+				n.cmd = nil
+				return fmt.Errorf("error starting node %s: %s", n.config.ID, err)
+			}
+
+			// Wait channel from cmd.Wait() to know if the cmd exited before successful rpc.Dial call
+			go func(cmd *exec.Cmd, waitCh chan error) {
+				waitCh <- cmd.Wait()
+			}(n.cmd, n.waitChan)
+
+		default:
+			// Wait hasn't returned, so Command is still running...
+		}
 	}
 	if client == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not establish rpc connection. node %s: %v", n.config.ID, err)
@@ -190,12 +226,8 @@ func (n *ExecNode) Stop() error {
 	}
 
 	// Wait for the process to terminate or timeout
-	waitErr := make(chan error)
-	go func() {
-		waitErr <- n.cmd.Wait()
-	}()
 	select {
-	case err := <-waitErr:
+	case err := <-n.waitChan:
 		return err
 	case <-time.After(20 * time.Second):
 		return n.cmd.Process.Kill()
diff --git a/simulation/simulation.go b/simulation/simulation.go
index 8d0becfe03..12d1509706 100644
--- a/simulation/simulation.go
+++ b/simulation/simulation.go
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ func (s *Simulation) WaitForHealthyNetwork() error {
 					return err
 				}
 				if !healthy.Healthy() {
-					return fmt.Errorf("node %s is not healthy", nodes[i].Info().ID)
+					return fmt.Errorf("node %s is not healthy: known <%v> ; connected <%v>", nodes[i].Info().ID, healthy.CountKnowNN, healthy.CountConnectNN)
 				}
 				return nil
 			})