diff --git a/lib/driverProviders/local.ts b/lib/driverProviders/local.ts
index f91d88f15..d60a2613a 100644
--- a/lib/driverProviders/local.ts
+++ b/lib/driverProviders/local.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import * as path from 'path';
 import * as q from 'q';
 
 import {Config} from '../config';
-import {BrowserError} from '../exitCodes';
+import {BrowserError, ConfigError} from '../exitCodes';
 import {Logger} from '../logger';
 
 import {DriverProvider} from './driverProvider';
@@ -95,13 +95,15 @@ export class Local extends DriverProvider {
    *     ready to test.
    */
   setupDriverEnv(): q.Promise<any> {
-    let deferred = q.defer();
-
     this.addDefaultBinaryLocs_();
     logger.info('Starting selenium standalone server...');
 
     let serverConf = this.config_.localSeleniumStandaloneOpts || {};
 
+    if (!Array.isArray(serverConf.jvmArgs)) {
+      throw new ConfigError(logger, 'jvmArgs should be an array.');
+    }
+
     // If args or port is not set use seleniumArgs and seleniumPort
     // for backward compatibility
     if (serverConf.args === undefined) {
@@ -121,14 +123,20 @@ export class Local extends DriverProvider {
 
     this.server_ = new remote.SeleniumServer(this.config_.seleniumServerJar, serverConf);
 
+    let deferred = q.defer();
     // start local server, grab hosted address, and resolve promise
-    this.server_.start(this.config_.seleniumServerStartTimeout).then((url: string) => {
-      logger.info('Selenium standalone server started at ' + url);
-      this.server_.address().then((address: string) => {
-        this.config_.seleniumAddress = address;
-        deferred.resolve();
-      });
-    });
+    this.server_.start(this.config_.seleniumServerStartTimeout)
+        .then((url: string) => {
+          logger.info('Selenium standalone server started at ' + url);
+          return this.server_.address();
+        })
+        .then((address: string) => {
+          this.config_.seleniumAddress = address;
+          deferred.resolve();
+        })
+        .catch((err: string) => {
+          deferred.reject(err);
+        });
 
     return deferred.promise;
   }
@@ -143,13 +151,9 @@ export class Local extends DriverProvider {
    *     is down.
    */
   teardownEnv(): q.Promise<any> {
-    let deferred = q.defer();
-    super.teardownEnv().then(() => {
+    return super.teardownEnv().then(() => {
       logger.info('Shutting down selenium standalone server.');
-      this.server_.stop().then(() => {
-        deferred.resolve();
-      });
+      return this.server_.stop();
     });
-    return deferred.promise;
   }
 }