diff --git a/packages/functional-tests/src/app.ts b/packages/functional-tests/src/app.ts
index 4ddc105ae..fd1984fdd 100644
--- a/packages/functional-tests/src/app.ts
+++ b/packages/functional-tests/src/app.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ export class App {
 	private playPauseButton: MRE.Actor;
 	private playPauseText: MRE.Actor;
 	private runnerActors: MRE.Actor[];
-	private sharedActors: MRE.Actor[];
 	private backgroundMaterial: MRE.Material;
 
 	private testRoot: MRE.Actor;
@@ -113,12 +112,6 @@ export class App {
 				}
 				return this.runPromise = this.runTestHelper(user);
 			})
-			.then(() => {
-				if (this.playPauseButton) {
-					this.playPauseButton.appearance.material.color.set(0, 1, 0, 1);
-					this.playPauseText.text.contents = "Start";
-				}
-			})
 			// and log unexpected errors
 			.catch(err => console.log(err));
 	}
@@ -130,6 +123,13 @@ export class App {
 		const test = this.activeTest = this.activeTestFactory(this, this.baseUrl, user);
 		this.setOverrideText(test.expectedResultDescription);
 
+		this.testRoot = MRE.Actor.Create(this.context, {
+			actor: {
+				name: 'testRoot',
+				exclusiveToUser: this.exclusiveUser && this.exclusiveUser.id || undefined
+			}
+		});
+
 		let success: boolean;
 		try {
 			test.checkPermission(user);
@@ -149,20 +149,24 @@ export class App {
 		if (success) {
 			this.setOverrideText(null);
 		}
-
-		test.cleanup();
-
-		// Delete all actors
-		destroyActors(this.context.rootActors.filter(x =>
-			!this.runnerActors.includes(x) && !this.sharedActors.includes(x)));
 	}
 
 	private async stopTest() {
 		if (this.activeTest !== null) {
 			this.activeTest.stop();
 			await this.runPromise;
+			this.activeTest.cleanup();
 			this.activeTest = null;
 			this.runPromise = null;
+
+			// Delete all actors
+			this.testRoot?.destroy();
+			this.testRoot = null;
+
+			if (this.playPauseButton) {
+				this.playPauseButton.appearance.material.color.set(0, 1, 0, 1);
+				this.playPauseText.text.contents = "Start";
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -194,17 +198,6 @@ export class App {
 		const wasRunning = !!this.activeTest;
 		await this.stopTest();
 
-		if (this.testRoot) {
-			this.testRoot.destroy();
-		}
-
-		this.testRoot = MRE.Actor.Create(this.context, {
-			actor: {
-				name: 'testRoot',
-				exclusiveToUser: this.exclusiveUser && this.exclusiveUser.id || undefined
-			}
-		});
-
 		if (wasRunning) {
 			this.runTest(user);
 		}
@@ -251,7 +244,7 @@ export class App {
 		this.exclusiveUserToggle.setBehavior(MRE.ButtonBehavior)
 			.onButton('released', user => this.toggleExclusiveUser(user));
 
-		const floor = MRE.Actor.Create(this.context, {
+		MRE.Actor.Create(this.context, {
 			actor: {
 				name: 'floor',
 				appearance: {
@@ -267,7 +260,7 @@ export class App {
 			}
 		});
 
-		const wall = MRE.Actor.Create(this.context, {
+		MRE.Actor.Create(this.context, {
 			actor: {
 				name: 'wall',
 				appearance: {
@@ -282,8 +275,6 @@ export class App {
 				collider: { geometry: { shape: MRE.ColliderType.Auto } }
 			}
 		});
-
-		this.sharedActors = [this.exclusiveUserToggle, label, wall, floor];
 	}
 
 	private setupRunner() {
@@ -306,23 +297,16 @@ export class App {
 			}
 		});
 
-		this.testRoot = MRE.Actor.Create(this.context, {
-			actor: {
-				name: 'testRoot',
-				exclusiveToUser: this.exclusiveUser && this.exclusiveUser.id || undefined
-			}
-		});
-
 		if (this.params.nomenu === 'true') {
 			this.runnerActors = [this.contextLabel];
 			return;
 		}
 
 		// start or stop the active test
-		const ppMat = this.assets.createMaterial('pp', {
-			color: MRE.Color3.Green().toJSON()
-		});
-		const ppMesh = this.assets.createBoxMesh('playpause', 0.7, 0.3, 0.1);
+		const ppMat = this.assets.materials.find(m => m.name === 'ppMat') ||
+			this.assets.createMaterial('ppMat', { color: MRE.Color3.Green() });
+		const ppMesh = this.assets.materials.find(m => m.name === 'ppMesh') ||
+			this.assets.createBoxMesh('ppMesh', 0.7, 0.3, 0.1);
 
 		this.playPauseButton = MRE.Actor.Create(this.context, {
 			actor: {
@@ -363,7 +347,7 @@ export class App {
 				if (this.activeTest === null) {
 					this.runTest(user);
 				} else {
-					this.stopTest().catch(() => { });
+					this.stopTest().catch(err => MRE.log.error('app', err));
 				}
 			});
 
diff --git a/packages/functional-tests/src/utils/destroyActors.ts b/packages/functional-tests/src/utils/destroyActors.ts
index e8090b8ab..3996d2a25 100644
--- a/packages/functional-tests/src/utils/destroyActors.ts
+++ b/packages/functional-tests/src/utils/destroyActors.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export default function destroyActors(actors: Actor | Actor[]): Actor[] {
 		actors = [actors];
 	}
 	for (const actor of actors) {
-		actor.destroy();
+		actor?.destroy();
 	}
 	return [];
 }