diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/cmd/mediaapi-integration-tests/main.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/cmd/mediaapi-integration-tests/main.go
index 29a79d762..f0e3b0c03 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/cmd/mediaapi-integration-tests/main.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/cmd/mediaapi-integration-tests/main.go
@@ -104,14 +104,17 @@ func startMediaAPI(suffix string, dynamicThumbnails bool) (*exec.Cmd, chan error
 
 	proxyCmd, proxyCmdChan := test.StartProxy(proxyAddr, cfg)
 
-	cmd, cmdChan := test.StartServer(
-		serverType,
-		serverArgs,
+	test.InitDatabase(
 		postgresDatabase,
 		postgresContainerName,
 		databases,
 	)
 
+	cmd, cmdChan := test.CreateBackgroundCommand(
+		filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(os.Args[0]), "dendrite-"+serverType+"-server"),
+		serverArgs,
+	)
+
 	fmt.Printf("==TESTSERVER== STARTED %v -> %v : %v\n", proxyAddr, cfg.Listen.MediaAPI, dir)
 	return cmd, cmdChan, string(cfg.Listen.MediaAPI), proxyCmd, proxyCmdChan, proxyAddr, dir
 }
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/cmd/syncserver-integration-tests/main.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/cmd/syncserver-integration-tests/main.go
index 6bc59456b..b0e36c425 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/cmd/syncserver-integration-tests/main.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/cmd/syncserver-integration-tests/main.go
@@ -147,9 +147,7 @@ func startSyncServer() (*exec.Cmd, chan error) {
 		testDatabaseName,
 	}
 
-	cmd, cmdChan := test.StartServer(
-		"sync-api",
-		serverArgs,
+	test.InitDatabase(
 		postgresDatabase,
 		postgresContainerName,
 		databases,
@@ -165,6 +163,11 @@ func startSyncServer() (*exec.Cmd, chan error) {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
+	cmd, cmdChan := test.CreateBackgroundCommand(
+		filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(os.Args[0]), "dendrite-sync-api-server"),
+		serverArgs,
+	)
+
 	return cmd, cmdChan
 }
 
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/common/test/server.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/common/test/server.go
index 2f089fe34..d990d4105 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/common/test/server.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/common/test/server.go
@@ -65,12 +65,8 @@ func CreateBackgroundCommand(command string, args []string) (*exec.Cmd, chan err
 	return cmd, cmdChan
 }
 
-// StartServer creates the database and config file needed for the server to run and
-// then starts the server. The Cmd being executed is returned. A channel is also returned,
-// which will have any termination errors sent down it, followed immediately by the channel being closed.
-// If postgresContainerName is not an empty string, psql will be run from inside that container. If it is
-// an empty string, psql will be assumed to be in PATH.
-func StartServer(serverType string, serverArgs []string, postgresDatabase, postgresContainerName string, databases []string) (*exec.Cmd, chan error) {
+// InitDatabase creates the database and config file needed for the server to run
+func InitDatabase(postgresDatabase, postgresContainerName string, databases []string) {
 	if len(databases) > 0 {
 		var dbCmd string
 		var dbArgs []string
@@ -89,11 +85,6 @@ func StartServer(serverType string, serverArgs []string, postgresDatabase, postg
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	return CreateBackgroundCommand(
-		filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(os.Args[0]), "dendrite-"+serverType+"-server"),
-		serverArgs,
-	)
 }
 
 // StartProxy creates a reverse proxy