diff --git a/e2core/backend/satbackend/exec/exec.go b/e2core/backend/satbackend/exec/exec.go
index c34fd0a4..a303d2c1 100644
--- a/e2core/backend/satbackend/exec/exec.go
+++ b/e2core/backend/satbackend/exec/exec.go
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+type WaitFunc func() error
+
 // Run runs a command, outputting to terminal and returning the full output and/or error
 // a channel is returned which, when sent on, will terminate the process that was started
-func Run(cmd []string, env ...string) (string, context.CancelCauseFunc, error) {
+func Run(cmd []string, env ...string) (string, context.CancelCauseFunc, WaitFunc, error) {
 	procUUID := uuid.New().String()
 	uuidEnv := fmt.Sprintf("%s_UUID=%s", strings.ToUpper(cmd[0]), procUUID)
 	env = append(env, uuidEnv)
@@ -31,10 +33,10 @@ func Run(cmd []string, env ...string) (string, context.CancelCauseFunc, error) {
 
 	err := command.Start()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", nil, errors.Wrap(err, "command.Start()")
+		return "", nil, nil, errors.Wrap(err, "command.Start()")
 	}
 
-	return procUUID, cxl, nil
+	return procUUID, cxl, command.Wait, nil
 }
 
 // this is unused but we may want to do logging-to-speficig-directory some time in the
diff --git a/e2core/backend/satbackend/orchestrator.go b/e2core/backend/satbackend/orchestrator.go
index ddfc5eac..938c95e8 100644
--- a/e2core/backend/satbackend/orchestrator.go
+++ b/e2core/backend/satbackend/orchestrator.go
@@ -126,18 +126,25 @@ func (o *Orchestrator) reconcileConstellation(syncer *syncer.Syncer) {
 
 			satWatcher := o.sats[module.FQMN]
 
-			launch := func() {
-				ll.Debug().Str("moduleFQMN", module.FQMN).Msg("launching sat")
+			satWatcher.deadListLock.Lock()
+			for deadPort := range satWatcher.deadList {
+				_ = satWatcher.terminateInstance(deadPort)
+			}
+			satWatcher.deadList = make(map[string]struct{})
+			satWatcher.deadListLock.Unlock()
 
+			launch := func() {
 				cmd, port := modStartCommand(module)
 
+				ll.Debug().Str("moduleFQMN", module.FQMN).Str("port", port).Msg("launching sat")
+
 				connectionsEnv := ""
 				if module.Namespace == "default" {
 					connectionsEnv = string(defaultConnectionsJSON)
 				}
 
 				// repeat forever in case the command does error out
-				processUUID, cxl, err := exec.Run(
+				processUUID, cxl, wait, err := exec.Run(
 					cmd,
 					"SAT_HTTP_PORT="+port,
 					"SAT_CONTROL_PLANE="+o.opts.ControlPlane,
@@ -148,6 +155,20 @@ func (o *Orchestrator) reconcileConstellation(syncer *syncer.Syncer) {
 					return
 				}
 
+				go func() {
+					err := wait()
+					if err != nil {
+						ll.Err(err).Str("moduleFQMN", module.FQMN).Str("port", port).Msg("calling waitfunc for the module failed")
+					}
+
+					err = satWatcher.addToDead(port)
+					if err != nil {
+						ll.Err(err).Str("moduleFQMN", module.FQMN).Str("port", port).Msg("adding the port to the dead list")
+					}
+
+					ll.Info().Str("moduleFQMN", module.FQMN).Str("port", port).Msg("added port to dead list")
+				}()
+
 				satWatcher.add(module.FQMN, port, processUUID, cxl)
 
 				ll.Debug().Str("moduleFQMN", module.FQMN).Str("port", port).Msg("successfully started sat")
diff --git a/e2core/backend/satbackend/watcher.go b/e2core/backend/satbackend/watcher.go
index ac6dc991..10293ebb 100644
--- a/e2core/backend/satbackend/watcher.go
+++ b/e2core/backend/satbackend/watcher.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -28,9 +29,12 @@ type MetricsResponse struct {
 
 // watcher watches a "replicaSet" of Sats for a single FQMN
 type watcher struct {
-	fqmn      string
-	instances map[string]*instance
-	log       zerolog.Logger
+	fqmn             string
+	instances        map[string]*instance
+	log              zerolog.Logger
+	deadList         map[string]struct{}
+	deadListLock     sync.RWMutex
+	instancesRunning sync.WaitGroup
 }
 
 type instance struct {
@@ -49,14 +53,38 @@ type watcherReport struct {
 // newWatcher creates a new watcher instance for the given fqmn
 func newWatcher(fqmn string, log zerolog.Logger) *watcher {
 	return &watcher{
-		fqmn:      fqmn,
-		instances: map[string]*instance{},
-		log:       log.With().Str("module", "watcher").Logger(),
+		fqmn:             fqmn,
+		instances:        map[string]*instance{},
+		log:              log.With().Str("module", "watcher").Logger(),
+		deadList:         make(map[string]struct{}),
+		deadListLock:     sync.RWMutex{},
+		instancesRunning: sync.WaitGroup{},
 	}
 }
 
+func (w *watcher) addToDead(port string) error {
+	w.deadListLock.Lock()
+	defer w.deadListLock.Unlock()
+
+	_, ok := w.deadList[port]
+	if ok {
+		return errors.New("port is already in the dead list")
+	}
+
+	w.deadList[port] = struct{}{}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // add inserts a new instance to the watched pool.
 func (w *watcher) add(fqmn, port, uuid string, cxl context.CancelCauseFunc) {
+	w.log.Info().Str("port", port).Str("fqmn", fqmn).Msg("adding one to the waitgroup port")
+	w.instancesRunning.Add(1)
+
+	i, ok := w.instances[port]
+	if ok {
+		w.log.Error().Str("port", port).Str("fqmn", fqmn).Str("uuid", uuid).Any("existing", i).Msg("omething already exists on this port")
+	}
+
 	w.instances[port] = &instance{
 		fqmn: fqmn,
 		uuid: uuid,
@@ -73,6 +101,9 @@ func (w *watcher) scaleDown() {
 		ll.Debug().Str("fqmn", w.instances[p].fqmn).Str("port", p).Msg("scaling down, terminating instance")
 
 		w.instances[p].cxl(errScaleDown)
+		delete(w.instances, p)
+		// same as wg.Done()
+		w.instancesRunning.Add(-1)
 
 		break
 	}
@@ -86,7 +117,10 @@ func (w *watcher) terminate() {
 		instance.cxl(errTerminateAll)
 
 		delete(w.instances, p)
+		w.instancesRunning.Add(-1)
 	}
+
+	w.instancesRunning.Wait()
 }
 
 // terminateInstance terminates the instance from the given port
@@ -99,6 +133,8 @@ func (w *watcher) terminateInstance(p string) error {
 	inst.cxl(errTerminateOne)
 
 	delete(w.instances, p)
+	w.log.Info().Str("port", p).Msg("removing one delta from the wait group")
+	w.instancesRunning.Add(-1)
 
 	return nil
 }