diff --git a/tests/Node.py b/tests/Node.py
index 3b9fa6e53ef..65160155075 100644
--- a/tests/Node.py
+++ b/tests/Node.py
@@ -1363,7 +1363,9 @@ def interruptAndVerifyExitStatus(self, timeout=60):
         self.killed=True
 
     def verifyAlive(self, silent=False):
-        if not silent and Utils.Debug: Utils.Print("Checking if node(pid=%s) is alive(killed=%s): %s" % (self.pid, self.killed, self.cmd))
+        logStatus=not silent and Utils.Debug
+        pid=self.pid
+        if logStatus: Utils.Print("Checking if node(pid=%s) is alive(killed=%s): %s" % (self.pid, self.killed, self.cmd))
         if self.killed or self.pid is None:
             self.killed=True
             self.pid=None
@@ -1375,10 +1377,13 @@ def verifyAlive(self, silent=False):
             # mark node as killed
             self.pid=None
             self.killed=True
+            if logStatus: Utils.Print("Determined node(formerly pid=%s) is killed" % (pid))
             return False
         except PermissionError as ex:
+            if logStatus: Utils.Print("Determined node(formerly pid=%s) is alive" % (pid))
             return True
 
+        if logStatus: Utils.Print("Determined node(pid=%s) is alive" % (self.pid))
         return True
 
     def getBlockProducerByNum(self, blockNum, timeout=None, waitForBlock=True, exitOnError=True):
diff --git a/tests/nodeos_under_min_avail_ram.py b/tests/nodeos_under_min_avail_ram.py
index 333e8136147..57a47eaa83e 100755
--- a/tests/nodeos_under_min_avail_ram.py
+++ b/tests/nodeos_under_min_avail_ram.py
@@ -165,19 +165,19 @@
         errorExit("Incorrect number of store actions sent")
 
     # Make sure all the nodes are shutdown (may take a little while for this to happen, so making multiple passes)
-    allDone=False
     count=0
-    while not allDone:
+    while True:
         allDone=True
         for node in nodes:
             if node.verifyAlive():
                 allDone=False
-        if not allDone:
-            time.sleep(5)
+        if allDone:
+            break
         count+=1
-        if count>5:
+        if count>12:
             Utils.cmdError("All Nodes should have died")
             errorExit("Failure - All Nodes should have died")
+        time.sleep(5)
 
     for i in range(numNodes):
         f = open(Utils.getNodeDataDir(i) + "/stderr.txt")
@@ -268,7 +268,6 @@
     addSwapFlags={}
 
     time.sleep(10)
-    allDone=True
     for node in nodes:
         if not node.verifyAlive():
             Utils.cmdError("All Nodes should be alive")
@@ -305,7 +304,6 @@
 
     time.sleep(10)
     Print("Check nodes are alive")
-    allDone=True
     for node in nodes:
         if not node.verifyAlive():
             Utils.cmdError("All Nodes should be alive")