diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8578a37..19ca936 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,13 +13,16 @@ fmt:
 	@go fmt ./...
 
 test:
-	@go test -v -race -timeout=${TEST_TIMEOUT} `go list ./... | grep -v -E "cmd|scripts|resources"`
+	@go test -v -race -timeout=${TEST_TIMEOUT} `go list ./... | grep -v -E "cmd|scripts|resources|examples"`
+
+test-examples:
+	@make TEST_PKG=./examples/... test-pkg
 
 test-pkg:
 	@go test -v -race -timeout=${TEST_TIMEOUT} ${TEST_PKG}
 
 test-cov:
-	@go test -v -race -timeout=${TEST_TIMEOUT} -coverprofile cover.out `go list ./... | grep -v -E "cmd|scripts|resources"`
+	@go test -v -race -timeout=${TEST_TIMEOUT} -coverprofile cover.out `go list ./... | grep -v -E "cmd|scripts|resources|examples"`
 
 test-open-cov:
 	@make test-cov
diff --git a/core/ctrl.go b/core/ctrl.go
index 9825117..61e5615 100644
--- a/core/ctrl.go
+++ b/core/ctrl.go
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ func (c *Controller) Start(ctx context.Context) {
 
 func (c *Controller) Close() {
 	c.StopOnce(func() {
+		c.lggr.Debugf("closing controller with host %s", c.host.ID())
 		c.threadControl.Close()
-		// d.lggr.Debugf("closing controller with host %s", d.host.ID())
 		if c.dht != nil {
 			if err := c.dht.Close(); err != nil {
 				c.lggr.Errorf("failed to close DHT: %w", err)
diff --git a/core/testutils.go b/core/testutils.go
index d447d98..b1c552c 100644
--- a/core/testutils.go
+++ b/core/testutils.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func SetupTestControllers(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, n int, routingFn fu
 	waitControllersConnected(n)
 
 	return controllers, msgRouters, valRouters, func() {
-		boot.Close()
+		go boot.Close() // closing bootstrapper in the background
 		for _, c := range controllers {
 			c.Close()
 		}
diff --git a/tests/don.go b/examples/don_simple/don.go
similarity index 92%
rename from tests/don.go
rename to examples/don_simple/don.go
index c93bc1d..9b6c4e9 100644
--- a/tests/don.go
+++ b/examples/don_simple/don.go
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-package tests
+package donsimple
 
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -41,6 +42,9 @@ func (d *mockedDon) run(interval time.Duration, subscribedDONs ...string) {
 			}
 			d.threadControl.Go(func(c context.Context) {
 				if err := node.subscribe(c, subscribedDONs...); err != nil {
+					if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "already tring to join") {
+						return
+					}
 					panic(err)
 				}
 			})
@@ -93,9 +97,10 @@ func (d *mockedDon) nextReport() *MockedSignedReport {
 
 func (d *mockedDon) broadcast(r *MockedSignedReport) {
 	for _, n := range d.nodes {
-		n.reports.addReport(d.id, *r)
+		node := n
+		node.reports.addReport(d.id, *r)
 		d.threadControl.Go(func(ctx context.Context) {
-			conn, err := n.connect(true)
+			conn, err := node.connect(false)
 			if err != nil {
 				return
 			}
diff --git a/tests/dons_test.go b/examples/don_simple/dons_test.go
similarity index 86%
rename from tests/dons_test.go
rename to examples/don_simple/dons_test.go
index 2d1084d..397e8dd 100644
--- a/tests/dons_test.go
+++ b/examples/don_simple/dons_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package tests
+package donsimple
 
 import (
 	"context"
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	grpcapi "github.com/amirylm/p2pmq/api/grpc"
-	"github.com/amirylm/p2pmq/commons/utils"
 	"github.com/amirylm/p2pmq/core"
 	logging "github.com/ipfs/go-log"
 	pubsub "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub"
@@ -49,8 +48,11 @@ func TestCrossDONCommunication(t *testing.T) {
 			reportsInterval: time.Second * 1,
 		},
 		"mercury": {
-			nodes:           4,
-			dons:            1,
+			nodes: 4,
+			dons:  1,
+			subscribed: []string{
+				"test",
+			},
 			reportsInterval: time.Second * 2,
 		},
 		"transmit": {
@@ -96,9 +98,6 @@ func TestCrossDONCommunication(t *testing.T) {
 		grpcServers[i] = grpcapi.NewGrpcServer(control, msgR, valR)
 	}
 
-	threadC := utils.NewThreadControl()
-	defer threadC.Close()
-
 	addrs := make([]string, n)
 	nodes := make([]*nodeClient, n)
 	for i, s := range grpcServers {
@@ -107,14 +106,20 @@ func TestCrossDONCommunication(t *testing.T) {
 			port := randPort()
 			addrs[i] = fmt.Sprintf(":%d", port)
 			nodes[i] = newNodeClient(fmt.Sprintf(":%d", port))
-			threadC.Go(func(ctx context.Context) {
+			go func() {
 				err := grpcapi.ListenGrpc(srv, port)
 				if ctx.Err() == nil {
 					require.NoError(t, err)
 				}
-			})
+			}()
 		}
 	}
+	defer func() {
+		for _, s := range grpcServers {
+			s.Stop()
+		}
+		t.Log("grpc servers stopped")
+	}()
 
 	<-time.After(time.Second * 5) // TODO: avoid timeout
 
@@ -149,30 +154,39 @@ func TestCrossDONCommunication(t *testing.T) {
 		"test":     int(testDuration) / int(donsCfg["test"].reportsInterval),
 	}
 
+checkLoop:
 	for ctx.Err() == nil {
-		<-time.After(time.Second * 5)
+		<-time.After(testDuration / 4)
 		for did, exp := range expectedReports {
 			instances := dons[did]
 			for _, don := range instances {
 				reportsCount := don.reportsCount()
-				for reportsCount < exp && ctx.Err() == nil {
+				for reportsCount+1 < exp && ctx.Err() == nil {
 					time.Sleep(time.Second)
 					reportsCount = don.reportsCount()
 				}
+				if ctx.Err() == nil {
+					t.Logf("DON %s reports count: %d", did, expectedReports[did])
+					// we have enough reports for this don
+					expectedReports[did] = 0
+				}
 			}
-			if ctx.Err() == nil {
-				t.Logf("DON %s reports count: %d", did, expectedReports[did])
-				// we have enough reports for this don
-				expectedReports[did] = 0
+		}
+		for _, exp := range expectedReports {
+			if exp != 0 {
+				continue checkLoop
 			}
 		}
+		break
 	}
 
-	// <-time.After(testDuration + testDuration/4)
+	<-time.After(testDuration / 4)
 
 	for did, exp := range expectedReports {
 		require.Equal(t, 0, exp, "DON %s reports count", did)
 	}
+	t.Log("done")
+	cancel()
 }
 
 func getRandomNodes(n int, items []*nodeClient) []*nodeClient {
diff --git a/tests/node.go b/examples/don_simple/node.go
similarity index 98%
rename from tests/node.go
rename to examples/don_simple/node.go
index 645c772..ef16d06 100644
--- a/tests/node.go
+++ b/examples/don_simple/node.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package tests
+package donsimple
 
 import (
 	"context"
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func newNodeClient(grpcAddr string) *nodeClient {
 }
 
 func (n *nodeClient) subscribe(ctx context.Context, dons ...string) error {
-	conn, err := n.connect(true)
+	conn, err := n.connect(false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/tests/reports.go b/examples/don_simple/reports.go
similarity index 96%
rename from tests/reports.go
rename to examples/don_simple/reports.go
index bfbfcc3..c1ffa2e 100644
--- a/tests/reports.go
+++ b/examples/don_simple/reports.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package tests
+package donsimple
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (rb *reportsBuffer) addReport(don string, sr MockedSignedReport) bool {
 	}
 	buf := rb.reports[don]
 	if len(buf) == 0 {
-		buf = make([]MockedSignedReport, 0, rb.bufferSize)
+		buf = make([]MockedSignedReport, rb.bufferSize)
 	}
 	i := sr.SeqNumber % int64(rb.bufferSize)
 	// update only if newer than existing report in buffer