diff --git a/_release/bat/base_bat/base_bat_test.go b/_release/bat/base_bat/base_bat_test.go
index 0afa51c47..248f3f351 100644
--- a/_release/bat/base_bat/base_bat_test.go
+++ b/_release/bat/base_bat/base_bat_test.go
@@ -266,6 +266,8 @@ func TestGetAllInstances(t *testing.T) {
 // The instance should be started and scheduled, the DeleteAllInstances command should
 // succeed and GetAllInstances command should return 0 instances.
 func TestDeleteAllInstances(t *testing.T) {
+	const retryCount = 5
+
 	ctx, cancelFunc := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), standardTimeout)
 	defer cancelFunc()
 
@@ -284,13 +286,28 @@ func TestDeleteAllInstances(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to delete all instances: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	instanceDetails, err := bat.GetAllInstances(ctx, "")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to retrieve instances: %v", err)
+	// TODO:  The correct thing to do here is to wait for the Delete Events
+	// But these aren't correctly reported yet, see
+	// https://github.com/01org/ciao/issues/792
+
+	var i int
+	var instancesFound int
+	for ; i < retryCount; i++ {
+		instanceDetails, err := bat.GetAllInstances(ctx, "")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to retrieve instances: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		instancesFound = len(instanceDetails)
+		if instancesFound == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+
+		time.Sleep(time.Second)
 	}
 
-	if len(instanceDetails) != 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("0 instances expected.  Found %d", len(instanceDetails))
+	if instancesFound != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("0 instances expected.  Found %d", instancesFound)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ciao-launcher/docker.go b/ciao-launcher/docker.go
index 148aaa4b0..cea47b795 100644
--- a/ciao-launcher/docker.go
+++ b/ciao-launcher/docker.go
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ type docker struct {
 	prevSampleTime time.Time
 	storageDriver  storage.BlockDriver
 	mount          mounter
+	cli            *client.Client
 }
 
 type mounter interface {
@@ -74,25 +75,13 @@ type mounter interface {
 	Unmount(path string, flags int) error
 }
 
-// It's not entirely clear that it's safe to call a client.Client object from
-// multiple go routines simulataneously.  The code looks like it is re-entrant
-// but this doesn't seem to be documented anywhere.  Need to check this.
-
-// There's no real way to return an error from init at the moment, so we'll
-// try to retrieve the client object at each new invocation of the virtualizer.
-
 // BUG(markus): We shouldn't report ssh ports for docker instances
 
 func getDockerClient() (cli *client.Client, err error) {
-	dockerClient.Lock()
-	if dockerClient.cli == nil {
-		defaultHeaders := map[string]string{"User-Agent": "ciao-1.0"}
-		dockerClient.cli, err = client.NewClient("unix:///var/run/docker.sock",
-			"v1.22", nil, defaultHeaders)
-	}
-	cli = dockerClient.cli
-	dockerClient.Unlock()
-	return cli, err
+	return client.NewClient("unix:///var/run/docker.sock", "v1.22", nil,
+		map[string]string{
+			"User-Agent": "ciao-1.0",
+		})
 }
 
 func (d *docker) init(cfg *vmConfig, instanceDir string) {
@@ -101,18 +90,31 @@ func (d *docker) init(cfg *vmConfig, instanceDir string) {
 	if d.mount == nil {
 		d.mount = dockerMounter{}
 	}
+	_ = d.initDockerClient()
+}
+
+func (d *docker) initDockerClient() error {
+	if d.cli != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	cli, err := getDockerClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to init docker client: %v", err)
+	}
+	d.cli = cli
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (d *docker) checkBackingImage() error {
 	glog.Infof("Checking backing docker image %s", d.cfg.Image)
 
-	cli, err := getDockerClient()
+	err := d.initDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	args := filters.NewArgs()
-	images, err := cli.ImageList(context.Background(),
+	images, err := d.cli.ImageList(context.Background(),
 		types.ImageListOptions{
 			MatchName: d.cfg.Image,
 			All:       false,
@@ -137,12 +139,12 @@ func (d *docker) checkBackingImage() error {
 func (d *docker) downloadBackingImage() error {
 	glog.Infof("Downloading backing docker image %s", d.cfg.Image)
 
-	cli, err := getDockerClient()
+	err := d.initDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	prog, err := cli.ImagePull(context.Background(), types.ImagePullOptions{ImageID: d.cfg.Image}, nil)
+	prog, err := d.cli.ImagePull(context.Background(), types.ImagePullOptions{ImageID: d.cfg.Image}, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Errorf("Unable to download image %s: %v\n", d.cfg.Image, err)
 		return err
@@ -300,7 +302,7 @@ func (d *docker) prepareVolumes() ([]string, error) {
 }
 
 func (d *docker) createImage(bridge string, userData, metaData []byte) error {
-	cli, err := getDockerClient()
+	err := d.initDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -313,7 +315,7 @@ func (d *docker) createImage(bridge string, userData, metaData []byte) error {
 
 	config, hostConfig, networkConfig := d.createConfigs(bridge, userData, metaData, volumes)
 
-	resp, err := cli.ContainerCreate(context.Background(), config, hostConfig, networkConfig,
+	resp, err := d.cli.ContainerCreate(context.Background(), config, hostConfig, networkConfig,
 		d.cfg.Instance)
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Errorf("Unable to create container %v", err)
@@ -341,12 +343,12 @@ func (d *docker) deleteImage() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	cli, err := getDockerClient()
+	err := d.initDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err = cli.ContainerRemove(context.Background(),
+	err = d.cli.ContainerRemove(context.Background(),
 		types.ContainerRemoveOptions{
 			ContainerID: d.dockerID,
 			Force:       true})
@@ -360,7 +362,7 @@ func (d *docker) deleteImage() error {
 }
 
 func (d *docker) startVM(vnicName, ipAddress, cephID string) error {
-	cli, err := getDockerClient()
+	err := d.initDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -371,7 +373,7 @@ func (d *docker) startVM(vnicName, ipAddress, cephID string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err = cli.ContainerStart(context.Background(), d.dockerID)
+	err = d.cli.ContainerStart(context.Background(), d.dockerID)
 	if err != nil {
 		d.umountVolumes(d.cfg.Volumes)
 		d.unmapVolumes()
@@ -482,12 +484,12 @@ func (d *docker) computeInstanceDiskspace() int {
 		return -1
 	}
 
-	cli, err := getDockerClient()
+	err := d.initDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1
 	}
 
-	con, _, err := cli.ContainerInspectWithRaw(context.Background(), d.dockerID, true)
+	con, _, err := d.cli.ContainerInspectWithRaw(context.Background(), d.dockerID, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Errorf("Unable to determine status of instance %s:%s: %v", d.cfg.Instance,
 			d.dockerID, err)
@@ -510,13 +512,15 @@ func (d *docker) stats() (disk, memory, cpu int) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	cli, err := getDockerClient()
+	err := d.initDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Errorf("Unable to get docker client: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
 
-	resp, err := cli.ContainerStats(context.Background(), d.dockerID, false)
+	ctx, cancelFunc := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+	resp, err := d.cli.ContainerStats(ctx, d.dockerID, false)
+	cancelFunc()
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.Errorf("Unable to get stats from container: %s:%s %v", d.cfg.Instance, d.dockerID, err)
 		return
diff --git a/ciao-launcher/instance.go b/ciao-launcher/instance.go
index aac728ab0..35b4638ac 100644
--- a/ciao-launcher/instance.go
+++ b/ciao-launcher/instance.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
+
 	storage "github.com/01org/ciao/ciao-storage"
 	"github.com/01org/ciao/payloads"
 	"github.com/01org/ciao/ssntp"
@@ -192,6 +194,24 @@ func (id *instanceData) stopCommand(cmd *insStopCmd) {
 	id.monitorCh <- virtualizerStopCmd{}
 }
 
+func (id *instanceData) sendInstanceDeletedEvent() {
+	var event payloads.EventInstanceDeleted
+
+	event.InstanceDeleted.InstanceUUID = id.instance
+
+	payload, err := yaml.Marshal(&event)
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Errorf("Unable to Marshall STATS %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	_, err = id.ac.conn.SendEvent(ssntp.InstanceDeleted, payload)
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Errorf("Failed to send event command %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+}
+
 func (id *instanceData) deleteCommand(cmd *insDeleteCmd) bool {
 	if id.shuttingDown && !cmd.suicide {
 		deleteErr := &deleteError{nil, payloads.DeleteNoInstance}
@@ -211,6 +231,7 @@ func (id *instanceData) deleteCommand(cmd *insDeleteCmd) bool {
 	id.unmapVolumes()
 
 	if !cmd.suicide {
+		id.sendInstanceDeletedEvent()
 		id.ovsCh <- &ovsStatusCmd{}
 	}
 	return true
diff --git a/ciao-launcher/main.go b/ciao-launcher/main.go
index d229f8ca7..7787fa8ad 100644
--- a/ciao-launcher/main.go
+++ b/ciao-launcher/main.go
@@ -362,7 +362,6 @@ func processCommand(conn serverConn, cmd *cmdWrapper, ovsCh chan<- interface{})
 		errCh := make(chan error)
 		ovsCh <- &ovsRemoveCmd{
 			cmd.instance,
-			delCmd.suicide,
 			errCh}
 		<-errCh
 	}
diff --git a/ciao-launcher/overseer.go b/ciao-launcher/overseer.go
index 2b26d21e3..e0d2427fb 100644
--- a/ciao-launcher/overseer.go
+++ b/ciao-launcher/overseer.go
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ type ovsGetCmd struct {
 
 type ovsRemoveCmd struct {
 	instance string
-	suicide  bool
 	errCh    chan<- error
 }
 
@@ -494,24 +493,6 @@ func getStats(instancesDir string) *cnStats {
 	return &s
 }
 
-func (ovs *overseer) sendInstanceDeletedEvent(instance string) {
-	var event payloads.EventInstanceDeleted
-
-	event.InstanceDeleted.InstanceUUID = instance
-
-	payload, err := yaml.Marshal(&event)
-	if err != nil {
-		glog.Errorf("Unable to Marshall STATS %v", err)
-		return
-	}
-
-	_, err = ovs.ac.conn.SendEvent(ssntp.InstanceDeleted, payload)
-	if err != nil {
-		glog.Errorf("Failed to send event command %v", err)
-		return
-	}
-}
-
 func (ovs *overseer) processGetCommand(cmd *ovsGetCmd) {
 	glog.Infof("Overseer: looking for instance %s", cmd.instance)
 	var insState ovsGetResult
@@ -579,9 +560,6 @@ func (ovs *overseer) processRemoveCommand(cmd *ovsRemoveCmd) {
 	}
 
 	delete(ovs.instances, cmd.instance)
-	if !cmd.suicide {
-		ovs.sendInstanceDeletedEvent(cmd.instance)
-	}
 	cmd.errCh <- nil
 }