diff --git a/test/nodejs/announce_test.go b/test/nodejs/announce_test.go
index b43a3e0..94c7597 100644
--- a/test/nodejs/announce_test.go
+++ b/test/nodejs/announce_test.go
@@ -18,45 +18,21 @@ func TestJSClient(t *testing.T) {
 	// defer leakcheck.Check(t)
 	// r := require.New(t)
 
-	// ts := newRandomSession(t)
-	ts := newSession(t, nil)
+	ts := newRandomSession(t)
+	// ts := newSession(t, nil)
 
-	ts.startGoServer()
-	s := ts.gobot
+	srv := ts.startGoServer()
 
-	alice := ts.startJSBot(`
-	sbot.on('rpc:connect', rpc => {
-		var ret = rpc.tunnel.announce()
-		t.comment('announced')
-		console.warn(ret)
-		pull(
-			rpc.tunnel.endpoints(),
-			pull.drain(el => {
-				console.warn("from roomsrv:",el)
-			})
-		)
+	alice := ts.startJSBot("./testscripts/simple_client.js",
+		srv.Network.GetListenAddr(),
+		srv.Whoami(),
+	)
 
-		setTimeout(() => {
-			ret = rpc.tunnel.leave()
-			t.comment('left')	
-			console.warn(ret)
-		}, 2500)
-
-		setTimeout(() => {
-			t.comment('shutting down')
-			exit()
-		}, 5000)
-	})
-	run()`, ``)
-
-	s.Allow(alice, true)
+	srv.Allow(alice, true)
 
 	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 
 	ts.wait()
-
-	// TODO: check wantManager for this connection is stopped when the jsbot exited
-
 }
 
 func TestJSServer(t *testing.T) {
@@ -66,17 +42,17 @@ func TestJSServer(t *testing.T) {
 
 	os.RemoveAll("testrun")
 
-	// ts := newRandomSession(t)
-	ts := newSession(t, nil)
+	ts := newRandomSession(t)
+	// ts := newSession(t, nil)
 
-	ts.startGoServer()
-	client := ts.gobot
+	client := ts.startGoServer()
 
 	// alice is the server now
 	alice, port := ts.startJSBotAsServer("alice", "./testscripts/server.js")
 
 	client.Allow(*alice, true)
 
+	// connect to alice
 	wrappedAddr := netwrap.WrapAddr(&net.TCPAddr{
 		IP:   net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1"),
 		Port: port,
diff --git a/test/nodejs/sbot_client.js b/test/nodejs/sbot_client.js
index 7e0fff9..7e32808 100644
--- a/test/nodejs/sbot_client.js
+++ b/test/nodejs/sbot_client.js
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 const Path = require('path')
-const { readFileSync } = require('fs')
 const { loadOrCreateSync } = require('ssb-keys')
-const pull = require('pull-stream') // used in eval scripts
 const tape = require('tape')
-const parallel = require('run-parallel') // used in eval scripts
 const theStack = require('secret-stack')
 const ssbCaps = require('ssb-caps')
 
@@ -14,7 +11,6 @@ if (testSHSappKey !== false) {
   testAppkey = testSHSappKey
 }
 
-
 const createSbot = theStack({caps: {shs: testAppkey } })
   .use(require('ssb-db'))
   .use(require('ssb-gossip'))
@@ -23,11 +19,12 @@ const createSbot = theStack({caps: {shs: testAppkey } })
   .use(require('ssb-room/tunnel/client'))
 
 const testName = process.env.TEST_NAME
-const testBob = process.env.TEST_BOB
-const testAddr = process.env.TEST_GOADDR
 
-const scriptBefore = readFileSync(process.env.TEST_BEFORE).toString()
-const scriptAfter = readFileSync(process.env.TEST_AFTER).toString()
+// the other peer we are talking to
+const testPeerAddr = process.env.TEST_PEERADDR
+const testPeerRef = process.env.TEST_PEERREF
+
+const testSession = require(process.env['TEST_SESSIONSCRIPT'])
 
 function bufFromEnv(evname) {
   const has = process.env[evname]
@@ -39,20 +36,19 @@ function bufFromEnv(evname) {
 
 tape.createStream().pipe(process.stderr)
 tape(testName, function (t) {
-  
   let timeoutLength = 15000
   var tapeTimeout = null
-  function run() { // needs to be called by the before block when it's done
+  function ready() { // needs to be called by the before block when it's done
     t.timeoutAfter(timeoutLength) // doesn't exit the process
     tapeTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
       t.comment('test timeout')
       process.exit(1)
     }, timeoutLength*1.25)
-    const to = `net:${testAddr}~shs:${testBob.substr(1).replace('.ed25519', '')}`
+    const to = `net:${testPeerAddr}~shs:${testPeerRef.substr(1).replace('.ed25519', '')}`
     t.comment('dialing:' + to)
     sbot.connect(to, (err) => {
       t.error(err, 'connected')
-      eval(scriptAfter)
+      testSession.after(sbot, exit)
     })
   }
 
@@ -82,5 +78,5 @@ tape(testName, function (t) {
 
   t.comment('sbot spawned, running before')
   console.log(alice.id) // tell go process who's incoming
-  eval(scriptBefore)
+  testSession.before(sbot, ready)
 })
diff --git a/test/nodejs/sbot_serv.js b/test/nodejs/sbot_serv.js
index 9f07ed8..0038d09 100644
--- a/test/nodejs/sbot_serv.js
+++ b/test/nodejs/sbot_serv.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 const Path = require('path')
 const tape = require('tape')
-const { readFileSync } = require('fs')
 const { loadOrCreateSync } = require('ssb-keys')
 const theStack = require('secret-stack')
 const ssbCaps = require('ssb-caps')
@@ -12,8 +11,8 @@ if (testSHSappKey !== false) {
   testAppkey = testSHSappKey
 }
 
-stackOpts = {appKey: require('ssb-caps').shs}
-// stackOpts = {caps: {shs: testAppkey } }
+// stackOpts = {appKey: require('ssb-caps').shs}
+stackOpts = {caps: {shs: testAppkey } }
 const createSbot = theStack(stackOpts)
   .use(require('ssb-db'))  
   .use(require('ssb-master'))
@@ -23,10 +22,7 @@ const createSbot = theStack(stackOpts)
 
 const testName = process.env['TEST_NAME']
 const testPort = process.env['TEST_PORT']
-
-const testSession = require(process.env['TEST_BEFORE'])
-// const scriptBefore = readFileSync(
-// const scriptAfter = readFileSync(process.env['TEST_AFTER']).toString()
+const testSession = require(process.env['TEST_SESSIONSCRIPT'])
 
 tape.createStream().pipe(process.stderr);
 tape(testName, function (t) {
diff --git a/test/nodejs/setup_test.go b/test/nodejs/setup_test.go
index 099e383..0644e24 100644
--- a/test/nodejs/setup_test.go
+++ b/test/nodejs/setup_test.go
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/base64"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	mrand "math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"os"
@@ -38,17 +38,6 @@ func init() {
 	}
 }
 
-func writeFile(t *testing.T, data string) string {
-	r := require.New(t)
-	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("testrun/"+t.Name(), "*.js")
-	r.NoError(err)
-	_, err = fmt.Fprintf(f, "%s", data)
-	r.NoError(err)
-	err = f.Close()
-	r.NoError(err)
-	return f.Name()
-}
-
 type testSession struct {
 	t *testing.T
 
@@ -58,9 +47,6 @@ type testSession struct {
 
 	keySHS []byte
 
-	// TODO: multiple by name?!
-	gobot *roomsrv.Server
-
 	done errgroup.Group
 
 	ctx    context.Context
@@ -121,15 +107,15 @@ func (ts *testSession) startGoServer(opts ...roomsrv.Option) *roomsrv.Server {
 
 	srv, err := roomsrv.New(opts...)
 	r.NoError(err, "failed to init tees a server")
-	ts.t.Logf("go server: %s", srv.Whoami())
+	ts.t.Logf("go server: %s", srv.Whoami().Ref())
 	ts.t.Cleanup(func() {
-		srv.Close()
+		ts.t.Log("bot close:", srv.Close())
 	})
-	ts.gobot = srv
+
 	ts.done.Go(func() error {
 		err := srv.Network.Serve(ts.ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			err = fmt.Errorf("node serve exited: %w", err)
+		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("go server exited: %w", err)
 			ts.t.Log(err)
 			return err
 		}
@@ -141,12 +127,12 @@ func (ts *testSession) startGoServer(opts ...roomsrv.Option) *roomsrv.Server {
 
 var jsBotCnt = 0
 
-func (ts *testSession) startJSBot(jsbefore, jsafter string) refs.FeedRef {
-	return ts.startJSBotWithName("", jsbefore, jsafter)
+func (ts *testSession) startJSBot(testScript string, peerAddr net.Addr, peerRef refs.FeedRef) refs.FeedRef {
+	return ts.startJSBotWithName("", testScript, peerAddr, peerRef)
 }
 
 // returns the jsbots pubkey
-func (ts *testSession) startJSBotWithName(name, jsbefore, jsafter string) refs.FeedRef {
+func (ts *testSession) startJSBotWithName(name, testScript string, peerAddr net.Addr, peerRef refs.FeedRef) refs.FeedRef {
 	ts.t.Log("starting client", name)
 	r := require.New(ts.t)
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ts.ctx, "node", "./sbot_client.js")
@@ -160,14 +146,14 @@ func (ts *testSession) startJSBotWithName(name, jsbefore, jsafter string) refs.F
 	}
 	jsBotCnt++
 
-	// TODO: pass goref's via function?
-	// TODO or nickname solution
+	// ts.gobot.Network.GetListenAddr()
+	// ts.gobot.Whoami()
+
 	env := []string{
 		"TEST_NAME=" + name,
-		"TEST_BOB=" + ts.gobot.Whoami().Ref(),
-		"TEST_GOADDR=" + netwrap.GetAddr(ts.gobot.Network.GetListenAddr(), "tcp").String(),
-		"TEST_BEFORE=" + writeFile(ts.t, jsbefore),
-		"TEST_AFTER=" + writeFile(ts.t, jsafter),
+		"TEST_PEERADDR=" + netwrap.GetAddr(peerAddr, "tcp").String(),
+		"TEST_PEERREF=" + peerRef.Ref(),
+		"TEST_SESSIONSCRIPT=" + testScript,
 	}
 
 	if ts.keySHS != nil {
@@ -213,13 +199,10 @@ func (ts *testSession) startJSBotAsServer(name, testScriptFileName string) (*ref
 
 	var port = 1024 + mrand.Intn(23000)
 
-	// TODO: pass goref's via function?
-	// TODO or nickname solution
 	env := []string{
 		"TEST_NAME=" + filepath.Join(ts.t.Name(), "jsbot-"+name),
-		"TEST_BOB=" + ts.gobot.Whoami().Ref(),
 		fmt.Sprintf("TEST_PORT=%d", port),
-		"TEST_BEFORE=" + testScriptFileName,
+		"TEST_SESSIONSCRIPT=" + testScriptFileName,
 	}
 	if ts.keySHS != nil {
 		env = append(env, "TEST_APPKEY="+base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(ts.keySHS))
@@ -249,8 +232,6 @@ func (ts *testSession) startJSBotAsServer(name, testScriptFileName string) (*ref
 }
 
 func (ts *testSession) wait() {
-	ts.gobot.Shutdown()
-	assert.NoError(ts.t, ts.gobot.Close())
 	ts.cancel()
 
 	assert.NoError(ts.t, ts.done.Wait())
diff --git a/test/nodejs/testscripts/simple_client.js b/test/nodejs/testscripts/simple_client.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66297fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/nodejs/testscripts/simple_client.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+const pull = require('pull-stream')
+
+module.exports = {
+    before: (sbot, ready) => {
+        sbot.on('rpc:connect', rpc => {
+            var ret = rpc.tunnel.announce()
+            console.warn('announced')
+            console.warn(ret)
+            pull(
+                rpc.tunnel.endpoints(),
+                pull.drain(el => {
+                    console.warn("from roomsrv:",el)
+                })
+            )
+
+            setTimeout(() => {
+                ret = rpc.tunnel.leave()
+                console.warn('left')
+                console.warn(ret)
+            }, 2500)
+        })
+        ready()
+    },
+
+    after: (sbot, exit) => {
+        console.warn('after connect...')
+
+        setTimeout(exit, 5000)
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/nodejs/testscripts/template.js b/test/nodejs/testscripts/template.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f7e747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/nodejs/testscripts/template.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+const pull = require('pull-stream')
+
+module.exports = {
+    before: (sbot, ready) => {
+        console.warn('before connect...')
+        setTimeout(ready, 1000)
+    },
+
+    after: (sbot, exit) => {
+        console.warn('after connect...')
+
+        setTimeout(exit, 5000)
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file