diff --git a/octavia/tests/tempest/v1/scenario/base.py b/octavia/tests/tempest/v1/scenario/base.py
index 8e3c5d3c63..d950852cbe 100644
--- a/octavia/tests/tempest/v1/scenario/base.py
+++ b/octavia/tests/tempest/v1/scenario/base.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import shutil
 import socket
 import subprocess
 import tempfile
+import threading
 import time
 
 from oslo_log import log as logging
@@ -67,7 +68,6 @@ class BaseTestCase(manager.NetworkScenarioTest):
         self.port1 = 80
         self.port2 = 88
         self.num = 50
-        self.server_ips = {}
         self.server_fixed_ips = {}
 
         self._create_security_group_for_test()
@@ -264,9 +264,8 @@ class BaseTestCase(manager.NetworkScenarioTest):
                                        username, key.name)
 
             # Start httpd
-            start_server = ('sudo sh -c "ulimit -n 100000; nohup '
-                            '/dev/shm/httpd -id %(id)s '
-                            '-port %(port)s &"')
+            start_server = ('sudo sh -c "ulimit -n 100000; screen -d -m '
+                            '/dev/shm/httpd -id %(id)s -port %(port)s"')
             cmd = start_server % {'id': server_name[-1],
                                   'port': self.port1}
             ssh_client.exec_command(cmd)
@@ -586,16 +585,16 @@ class BaseTestCase(manager.NetworkScenarioTest):
         2. Check that the requests are shared between the two servers
         """
         LOG.info(_('Checking load balancing...'))
-        self._check_connection(self.vip_ip)
+        self._wait_for_http_service(self.vip_ip)
         LOG.info(_('Connection to {vip} is valid').format(vip=self.vip_ip))
-        counters = self._send_requests(self.vip_ip,
-                                       ["server1", "server2"])
+        counters = self._send_concurrent_requests(self.vip_ip,
+                                                  ["server1", "server2"])
         for member, counter in six.iteritems(counters):
             self.assertGreater(counter, 0,
                                'Member %s never balanced' % member)
         LOG.info(_('Done checking load balancing...'))
 
-    def _check_connection(self, check_ip, port=80):
+    def _wait_for_http_service(self, check_ip, port=80):
         def try_connect(check_ip, port):
             try:
                 LOG.info(('checking connection to ip: {0} port: {1}'.format(
@@ -619,11 +618,11 @@ class BaseTestCase(manager.NetworkScenarioTest):
                 message = "Timed out trying to connect to %s" % check_ip
                 raise exceptions.TimeoutException(message)
 
-    def _send_requests(self, vip_ip, servers):
+    def _send_requests(self, vip_ip, servers, path=''):
         counters = dict.fromkeys(servers, 0)
         for i in range(self.num):
             try:
-                server = urllib2.urlopen("http://{0}/".format(vip_ip),
+                server = urllib2.urlopen("http://{0}/{1}".format(vip_ip, path),
                                          None, 2).read()
                 counters[server] += 1
             # HTTP exception means fail of server, so don't increase counter
@@ -638,6 +637,49 @@ class BaseTestCase(manager.NetworkScenarioTest):
         self.assertGreater(counted, 1)
         return counters
 
+    def _send_concurrent_requests(self, vip_ip, servers, path='', clients=5,
+                                  timeout=None):
+        class ClientThread(threading.Thread):
+            def __init__(self, test_case, cid, vip_ip, servers, path=''):
+                super(ClientThread, self).__init__(
+                    name='ClientThread-{0}'.format(cid))
+                self.vip_ip = vip_ip
+                self.servers = servers
+                self.path = path
+                self.test_case = test_case
+                self.counters = dict.fromkeys(servers, 0)
+
+            def run(self):
+                # NOTE(dlundquist): _send_requests() does not mutate
+                # BaseTestCase so concurrent uses of _send_requests does not
+                # require a mutex.
+                self.counters = self.test_case._send_requests(self.vip_ip,
+                                                              self.servers,
+                                                              path=self.path)
+
+            def join(self, timeout=None):
+                start = time.time()
+                super(ClientThread, self).join(timeout)
+                return time.time() - start
+
+        client_threads = [ClientThread(self, i, vip_ip, servers, path=path)
+                          for i in range(clients)]
+        for ct in client_threads:
+            ct.start()
+        if timeout is None:
+            # timeout for all client threads defaults to 400ms per request
+            timeout = self.num * 0.4
+        total_counters = dict.fromkeys(servers, 0)
+        for ct in client_threads:
+            timeout -= ct.join(timeout)
+            if timeout <= 0:
+                LOG.error("Client thread {0} timed out".format(ct.name))
+                return dict.fromkeys(servers, 0)
+            for server in servers:
+                total_counters[server] += ct.counters[server]
+
+        return total_counters
+
     def _traffic_validation_after_stopping_server(self):
         """Check that the requests are sent to the only ACTIVE server."""
 
@@ -668,7 +710,7 @@ class BaseTestCase(manager.NetworkScenarioTest):
         that handled it the first time.
         """
         # Check that backends are reachable
-        self._check_connection(self.vip_ip)
+        self._wait_for_http_service(self.vip_ip)
 
         resp = []
         for count in range(10):