diff --git a/cgminer.c b/cgminer.c
index 7736cfdf..20c2b06d 100644
--- a/cgminer.c
+++ b/cgminer.c
@@ -6512,7 +6512,35 @@ char *curses_input(const char *query)
 }
 #endif
 
-void add_pool_details(struct pool *pool, bool live, char *url, char *user, char *pass)
+static bool pools_active = false;
+
+static void *test_pool_thread(void *arg)
+{
+	struct pool *pool = (struct pool *)arg;
+
+	if (pool_active(pool, false)) {
+		pool_tset(pool, &pool->lagging);
+		pool_tclear(pool, &pool->idle);
+
+		cg_wlock(&control_lock);
+		if (!pools_active) {
+			currentpool = pool;
+			if (pool->pool_no != 0)
+				applog(LOG_NOTICE, "Switching to pool %d %s - first alive pool", pool->pool_no, pool->rpc_url);
+			pools_active = true;
+		}
+		cg_wunlock(&control_lock);
+		pool_resus(pool);
+	} else
+		pool_died(pool);
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/* Always returns true that the pool details were added unless we are not
+ * live, implying this is the only pool being added, so if no pools are
+ * active it returns false. */
+bool add_pool_details(struct pool *pool, bool live, char *url, char *user, char *pass)
 {
 	url = get_proxy(url, pool);
 
@@ -6524,17 +6552,17 @@ void add_pool_details(struct pool *pool, bool live, char *url, char *user, char
 		quit(1, "Failed to malloc userpass");
 	sprintf(pool->rpc_userpass, "%s:%s", pool->rpc_user, pool->rpc_pass);
 
+	pool->testing = true;
+	pool->idle = true;
 	enable_pool(pool);
 
-	/* Prevent noise on startup */
-	pool->lagging = true;
-
-	/* Test the pool is not idle if we're live running, otherwise
-	 * it will be tested separately */
-	if (live && !pool_active(pool, false)) {
-		gettimeofday(&pool->tv_idle, NULL);
-		pool->idle = true;
+	pthread_create(&pool->test_thread, NULL, test_pool_thread, (void *)pool);
+	if (!live) {
+		pthread_join(pool->test_thread, NULL);
+		pool->testing = false;
+		return pools_active;
 	}
+	return true;
 }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CURSES
@@ -6574,8 +6602,7 @@ static bool input_pool(bool live)
 		url = httpinput;
 	}
 
-	add_pool_details(pool, live, url, user, pass);
-	ret = true;
+	ret = add_pool_details(pool, live, url, user, pass);
 out:
 	immedok(logwin, false);
 
@@ -6988,31 +7015,6 @@ static void *hotplug_thread(void __maybe_unused *userdata)
 }
 #endif
 
-static bool pools_active = false;
-
-static void *test_pool_thread(void *arg)
-{
-	struct pool *pool = (struct pool *)arg;
-
-	if (pool_active(pool, false)) {
-		pool_tset(pool, &pool->lagging);
-		pool_tclear(pool, &pool->idle);
-
-		cg_wlock(&control_lock);
-		if (!pools_active) {
-			currentpool = pool;
-			if (pool->pool_no != 0)
-				applog(LOG_NOTICE, "Switching to pool %d %s - first alive pool", pool->pool_no, pool->rpc_url);
-			pools_active = true;
-		}
-		cg_wunlock(&control_lock);
-		pool_resus(pool);
-	} else
-		pool_died(pool);
-
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 static void probe_pools(void)
 {
 	int i;
diff --git a/miner.h b/miner.h
index 5581316d..20ef31c0 100644
--- a/miner.h
+++ b/miner.h
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ extern int enabled_pools;
 extern bool detect_stratum(struct pool *pool, char *url);
 extern void print_summary(void);
 extern struct pool *add_pool(void);
-extern void add_pool_details(struct pool *pool, bool live, char *url, char *user, char *pass);
+extern bool add_pool_details(struct pool *pool, bool live, char *url, char *user, char *pass);
 
 #define MAX_GPUDEVICES 16
 
diff --git a/util.c b/util.c
index c4fb95ae..4428199f 100644
--- a/util.c
+++ b/util.c
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ bool auth_stratum(struct pool *pool)
 			ss = json_dumps(err_val, JSON_INDENT(3));
 		else
 			ss = strdup("(unknown reason)");
-		applog(LOG_WARNING, "JSON stratum auth failed: %s", ss);
+		applog(LOG_WARNING, "pool %d JSON stratum auth failed: %s", pool->pool_no, ss);
 		free(ss);
 
 		goto out;