diff --git a/src/bin/bootstrap/src/main.rs b/src/bin/bootstrap/src/main.rs
index 82c60df8e..a05548d1c 100644
--- a/src/bin/bootstrap/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/bin/bootstrap/src/main.rs
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ fn start_runtime(_runtime_monitor: ObjID, _runtime_library: ObjID) -> ! {
         .add_compartment("monitor", NewCompartmentFlags::EXPORT_GATES)
         .unwrap();
 
-    info!("==> {}", monitor_comp_id);
     let monitor_id = ctx
         .load_library_in_compartment(monitor_comp_id, unlib, true)
         .unwrap()[0]
diff --git a/src/runtime/README.md b/src/runtime/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f3da661f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# runtime subdirectory
+
+This subdirectory contains all the crates for the core runtime:
+
+  - dynlink: the dynamic linker code
+  - minruntime: the minimal (no_std, static linking available) runtime
+  - monitor: the monitor implementation
+  - monitor-api: the API crate for interaction with the monitor from runtime or user programs
+  - rt: reference runtime wrapper crate
+  - rt-impl: the reference runtime implementation. Users should link against the wrapper crate (rt), not this one.
+  - secgate: secure gate types and utility functions
diff --git a/src/runtime/monitor-api/src/lib.rs b/src/runtime/monitor-api/src/lib.rs
index 6deeeb0a3..02587076e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/monitor-api/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/monitor-api/src/lib.rs
@@ -475,6 +475,14 @@ impl CompartmentHandle {
     pub fn libs(&self) -> LibraryIter<'_> {
         LibraryIter::new(self)
     }
+
+    pub fn wait(&self, flags: CompartmentFlags) -> CompartmentFlags {
+        CompartmentFlags::from_bits_truncate(
+            gates::monitor_rt_compartment_wait(self.desc(), flags.bits())
+                .ok()
+                .unwrap_or(0),
+        )
+    }
 }
 
 /// An iterator over libraries in a compartment.
@@ -534,10 +542,18 @@ bitflags::bitflags! {
     /// Compartment state flags.
     #[derive(Clone, Debug, Copy, PartialEq, PartialOrd, Ord, Eq, Hash)]
     pub struct CompartmentFlags : u64 {
-        /// Compartment is ready (libraries relocated and constructors run).
+        /// Compartment is ready (loaded, reloacated, runtime started and ctors run).
         const READY = 0x1;
-        /// The main thread has exited.
-        const EXITED = 0x2;
+        /// Compartment is a binary, not a library.
+        const IS_BINARY = 0x2;
+        /// Compartment runtime thread may exit.
+        const THREAD_CAN_EXIT = 0x4;
+        /// Compartment thread has been started once.
+        const STARTED = 0x8;
+        /// Compartment destructors have run.
+        const DESTRUCTED = 0x10;
+        /// Compartment thread has exited.
+        const EXITED = 0x20;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/monitor/secapi/gates.rs b/src/runtime/monitor/secapi/gates.rs
index 888116e0e..04da16522 100644
--- a/src/runtime/monitor/secapi/gates.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/monitor/secapi/gates.rs
@@ -190,6 +190,21 @@ impl Display for LoadCompartmentError {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "secgate-impl", secgate::secure_gate(options(info)))]
+#[cfg_attr(
+    not(feature = "secgate-impl"),
+    secgate::secure_gate(options(info, api))
+)]
+pub fn monitor_rt_compartment_wait(
+    info: &secgate::GateCallInfo,
+    desc: Option<Descriptor>,
+    flags: u64,
+) -> u64 {
+    let monitor = crate::mon::get_monitor();
+    let caller = info.source_context().unwrap_or(MONITOR_INSTANCE_ID);
+    monitor.compartment_wait(caller, desc, flags)
+}
+
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "secgate-impl", secgate::secure_gate(options(info)))]
 #[cfg_attr(
     not(feature = "secgate-impl"),
diff --git a/src/runtime/monitor/src/main.rs b/src/runtime/monitor/src/main.rs
index 148f1d0a9..4ebccf105 100644
--- a/src/runtime/monitor/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/monitor/src/main.rs
@@ -75,53 +75,46 @@ pub fn main() {
 }
 
 fn monitor_init() -> miette::Result<()> {
+    // If we have monitor tests to run, do so.
     if let Some(ki_name) = dlengine::get_kernel_init_info()
         .names()
         .iter()
         .find(|iname| iname.name() == "monitor_test_info")
     {
         info!("starting monitor tests [{}]", ki_name.name());
+        // Read the monitor test binary name.
+        const MAX_NAMELEN: usize = 0x1000;
         let info =
             twizzler_rt_abi::object::twz_rt_map_object(ki_name.id(), MapFlags::READ).unwrap();
         let test_name_slice =
-            unsafe { core::slice::from_raw_parts(info.start().add(NULLPAGE_SIZE), 0x1000) };
+            unsafe { core::slice::from_raw_parts(info.start().add(NULLPAGE_SIZE), MAX_NAMELEN) };
         let first_null = test_name_slice
             .iter()
             .position(|x| *x == 0)
-            .unwrap_or(0x1000 - 1);
+            .unwrap_or(MAX_NAMELEN - 1);
         let test_name = String::from_utf8_lossy(&test_name_slice[0..first_null]);
-        info!("monitor test binary: {}", test_name);
+        debug!("monitor test binary: {}", test_name);
         if let Some(_ki_name) = dlengine::get_kernel_init_info()
             .names()
             .iter()
             .find(|iname| iname.name() == test_name)
         {
+            // Load and wait for tests to complete
             let comp: CompartmentHandle =
                 CompartmentLoader::new("montest", test_name, NewCompartmentFlags::empty())
                     .args(&["montest"])
                     .load()
                     .into_diagnostic()?;
-            let mut eb = 0;
-            let delay_exp_backoff = |state: &mut u64| {
-                let val = *state;
-                if val < 1000 {
-                    if val == 0 {
-                        *state = 1;
-                    } else {
-                        *state *= 2;
-                    }
-                }
-                tracing::info!("sleep: {}", val);
-                std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(val));
-            };
-            while !comp.info().flags.contains(CompartmentFlags::EXITED) {
-                delay_exp_backoff(&mut eb);
+            let mut flags = comp.info().flags;
+            while !flags.contains(CompartmentFlags::EXITED) {
+                flags = comp.wait(flags);
             }
         } else {
             tracing::error!("failed to start monitor tests: {}", ki_name.name());
         }
     }
     info!("monitor early init completed, starting init");
+    // TODO: start init...
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment.rs b/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment.rs
index f9c33b6e1..bdba49860 100644
--- a/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment.rs
@@ -245,6 +245,20 @@ impl super::Monitor {
         )
     }
 
+    pub fn compartment_wait(&self, caller: ObjID, desc: Option<Descriptor>, flags: u64) -> u64 {
+        let Some(instance) = ({
+            let comphandles = self._compartment_handles.write(ThreadKey::get().unwrap());
+            let comp_id = desc
+                .map(|comp| comphandles.lookup(caller, comp).map(|ch| ch.instance))
+                .unwrap_or(Some(caller));
+            comp_id
+        }) else {
+            return 0;
+        };
+        self.wait_for_compartment_state_change(instance, flags);
+        self.load_compartment_flags(instance)
+    }
+
     /// Open a handle to the n'th dependency compartment of a given compartment.
     pub fn get_compartment_deps(
         &self,
@@ -287,7 +301,6 @@ impl super::Monitor {
         let compname = split.next().ok_or(LoadCompartmentError::Unknown)?;
         let libname = split.next().ok_or(LoadCompartmentError::Unknown)?;
         let root = UnloadedLibrary::new(libname);
-        tracing::info!("A");
 
         // parse args
         let args_bytes = arg_bytes.split_inclusive(|b| *b == 0);
diff --git a/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment/loader.rs b/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment/loader.rs
index f9c38a885..0c1746d7d 100644
--- a/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment/loader.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment/loader.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::{borrow::Cow, collections::HashSet, ffi::CStr, ptr::null_mut};
+use std::{collections::HashSet, ffi::CStr, ptr::null_mut};
 
 use dynlink::{
     compartment::CompartmentId,
diff --git a/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment/runcomp.rs b/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment/runcomp.rs
index 4bb26896a..39d590b5e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment/runcomp.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/compartment/runcomp.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use std::{
     alloc::Layout,
-    borrow::Cow,
     collections::HashMap,
     ffi::{CStr, CString},
     ptr::NonNull,
@@ -8,7 +7,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use dynlink::{compartment::CompartmentId, context::Context};
-use monitor_api::{RuntimeThreadControl, SharedCompConfig, TlsTemplateInfo};
+use monitor_api::{CompartmentFlags, RuntimeThreadControl, SharedCompConfig, TlsTemplateInfo};
 use secgate::util::SimpleBuffer;
 use talc::{ErrOnOom, Talc};
 use twizzler_abi::syscall::{
@@ -26,17 +25,17 @@ use crate::mon::{
 };
 
 /// Compartment is ready (loaded, reloacated, runtime started and ctors run).
-pub const COMP_READY: u64 = 0x1;
+pub const COMP_READY: u64 = CompartmentFlags::READY.bits();
 /// Compartment is a binary, not a library.
-pub const COMP_IS_BINARY: u64 = 0x2;
+pub const COMP_IS_BINARY: u64 = CompartmentFlags::IS_BINARY.bits();
 /// Compartment runtime thread may exit.
-pub const COMP_THREAD_CAN_EXIT: u64 = 0x4;
+pub const COMP_THREAD_CAN_EXIT: u64 = CompartmentFlags::THREAD_CAN_EXIT.bits();
 /// Compartment thread has been started once.
-pub const COMP_STARTED: u64 = 0x8;
+pub const COMP_STARTED: u64 = CompartmentFlags::STARTED.bits();
 /// Compartment destructors have run.
-pub const COMP_DESTRUCTED: u64 = 0x10;
+pub const COMP_DESTRUCTED: u64 = CompartmentFlags::DESTRUCTED.bits();
 /// Compartment thread has exited.
-pub const COMP_EXITED: u64 = 0x20;
+pub const COMP_EXITED: u64 = CompartmentFlags::EXITED.bits();
 
 /// A runnable or running compartment.
 pub struct RunComp {
diff --git a/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/mod.rs b/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/mod.rs
index 84312f1a4..a20946cc6 100644
--- a/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/mod.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/monitor/src/mon/mod.rs
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ impl Monitor {
         cmd: MonitorCompControlCmd,
     ) -> Option<i32> {
         let src = info.source_context()?;
-        tracing::trace!(
+        tracing::debug!(
             "compartment ctrl from: {:?}, thread = {:?}: {:?}",
             src,
             info.thread_id(),
diff --git a/src/runtime/monitor/tests/montest/src/main.rs b/src/runtime/monitor/tests/montest/src/main.rs
index 19dd8d932..27c3018c1 100644
--- a/src/runtime/monitor/tests/montest/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/monitor/tests/montest/src/main.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ extern crate twizzler_runtime;
 mod montest_lib {
     #[link(name = "montest_lib")]
     extern "C" {}
-    use secgate::GateCallInfo;
     #[secgate::secure_gate(options(info, api))]
     pub fn test_was_ctor_run(info: &GateCallInfo) -> bool {}
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/rt-impl/src/runtime/thread/internal.rs b/src/runtime/rt-impl/src/runtime/thread/internal.rs
index 065408ea6..2f92dfaae 100644
--- a/src/runtime/rt-impl/src/runtime/thread/internal.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/rt-impl/src/runtime/thread/internal.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ impl Drop for InternalThread {
             // Args is allocated by a box.
             let _args = Box::from_raw(self.args_box as *mut ThreadSpawnArgs);
             drop(_args);
-            tracing::warn!("TODO: drop TLS");
+            tracing::debug!("TODO: drop TLS");
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tools/xtask/src/build.rs b/tools/xtask/src/build.rs
index 09d832275..e16e37e99 100644
--- a/tools/xtask/src/build.rs
+++ b/tools/xtask/src/build.rs
@@ -313,6 +313,8 @@ fn maybe_build_tests_static<'a>(
     Ok(Some(cargo::ops::compile(workspace, &options)?))
 }
 
+// Once we merge the runtimes fully and switch to using the dynamic runtime as default,
+// we can merge a lot of this test infrastructure.
 fn maybe_build_tests_dynamic<'a>(
     workspace: &'a Workspace,
     build_config: &crate::BuildConfig,
diff --git a/tools/xtask/src/image.rs b/tools/xtask/src/image.rs
index 30e3898d4..b4f3fcafb 100644
--- a/tools/xtask/src/image.rs
+++ b/tools/xtask/src/image.rs
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ fn build_initrd(cli: &ImageOptions, comp: &TwizzlerCompilation) -> anyhow::Resul
             }
         }
 
+        // all the tests for init to run.
         if let Some(ref test_comp) = comp.borrow_static_test_compilation() {
             let mut testlist = String::new();
             for bin in test_comp.tests.iter() {
@@ -206,6 +207,8 @@ fn build_initrd(cli: &ImageOptions, comp: &TwizzlerCompilation) -> anyhow::Resul
             assert!(!cli.tests && !cli.benches);
         }
 
+        // all the tests for the monitor to run. Eventually this and the above will merge into
+        // one thing, but that will have to wait until the dynamic runtime is default.
         if let Some(ref test_comp) = comp.borrow_user_test_compilation() {
             let mut testlist = String::new();
             for bin in test_comp.tests.iter() {
diff --git a/tools/xtask/src/toolchain.rs b/tools/xtask/src/toolchain.rs
index 3936cabd9..0ac05987a 100644
--- a/tools/xtask/src/toolchain.rs
+++ b/tools/xtask/src/toolchain.rs
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ pub(crate) fn do_bootstrap(cli: BootstrapOptions) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 pub fn set_dynamic() {
     std::env::set_var(
         "RUSTFLAGS",
-        "-C prefer-dynamic=y -Z staticlib-prefer-dynamic=y -C link-arg=--allow-shlib-undefined -Z macro-backtrace",
+        "-C prefer-dynamic=y -Z staticlib-prefer-dynamic=y -C link-arg=--allow-shlib-undefined",
     );
     std::env::set_var("CARGO_TARGET_DIR", "target/dynamic");
 }