diff --git a/py/test/dsession/dsession.py b/py/test/dsession/dsession.py
index 225233637..c78d36777 100644
--- a/py/test/dsession/dsession.py
+++ b/py/test/dsession/dsession.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from py.__.test import event
 from py.__.test.runner import basic_run_report, basic_collect_report
 from py.__.test.session import Session
 from py.__.test import outcome 
-from py.__.test.dsession.nodemanage import NodeManager
+from py.__.test.dsession.nodemanage import NodeManager, getxspecs
 
 import Queue 
 
@@ -81,12 +81,9 @@ class DSession(Session):
             raise ValueError, "--exec together with --pdb not supported."
         if option.executable and not option.dist and not option.numprocesses:
             option.numprocesses = 1
-        config = self.config
-        if config.option.numprocesses:
-            return
         try:
-            config.getvalue('xspecs')
-        except KeyError:
+            getxspecs(self.config)
+        except self.config.Error:
             print "Please specify test environments for distribution of tests:"
             print "py.test --tx ssh=user@somehost --tx popen//python=python2.5"
             print "conftest.py: pytest_option_tx=['ssh=user@somehost','popen']"
diff --git a/py/test/dsession/nodemanage.py b/py/test/dsession/nodemanage.py
index 37eb679dc..ad583e056 100644
--- a/py/test/dsession/nodemanage.py
+++ b/py/test/dsession/nodemanage.py
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ class NodeManager(object):
             self.gwmanager.rsync(self.config.topdir, **options)
             # and cd into it 
             self.gwmanager.multi_chdir(self.config.topdir.basename, inplacelocal=False)
-        self.config.bus.notify("rsyncfinished")
 
     def trace(self, msg):
         self.config.bus.notify("trace", "nodemanage", msg)
@@ -100,7 +99,8 @@ def getxspecs(config):
         xspecs = config.option.xspecs
         if not xspecs:
             xspecs = config.getvalue("xspecs")
-    assert xspecs is not None
+    if xspecs is None:
+        raise config.Error("MISSING test execution (tx) nodes: please specify --tx")
     #print "option value for xspecs", xspecs
     return [py.execnet.XSpec(x) for x in xspecs]
 
diff --git a/py/test/dsession/testing/test_nodemanage.py b/py/test/dsession/testing/test_nodemanage.py
index 89f7a00a4..cb4fd0e24 100644
--- a/py/test/dsession/testing/test_nodemanage.py
+++ b/py/test/dsession/testing/test_nodemanage.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class TestNodeManager:
             assert dest.join("dir1").check()
             assert dest.join("dir1", "dir2").check()
             assert dest.join("dir1", "dir2", 'hello').check()
+            nodemanager.gwmanager.exit()
 
     def test_init_rsync_roots(self, source, dest):
         dir2 = source.ensure("dir1", "dir2", dir=1)
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
index 635bed0f2..be14cc010 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_terminal.py
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ class TerminalReporter:
 
     def pyevent_gwmanage_rsyncstart(self, source, gateways):
         targets = ", ".join([gw.id for gw in gateways])
-        self.write_line("rsyncstart: %s -> %s" %(source, targets))
+        msg = "rsyncstart: %s -> %s" %(source, targets)
+        if not self.config.option.verbose:
+            msg += " # use --verbose to see rsync progress"
+        self.write_line(msg)
 
     def pyevent_gwmanage_rsyncfinish(self, source, gateways):
         targets = ", ".join([gw.id for gw in gateways])