diff --git a/test/630_proxy_dns_test.sh b/test/630_proxy_dns_test.sh
index 8276be6c..a0679e59 100755
--- a/test/630_proxy_dns_test.sh
+++ b/test/630_proxy_dns_test.sh
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ C1_NAME=c1.weave.local
 C2_NAME=seetwo.weave.local
 
 boot_containers() {
-  proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 -dt --name=c2 -h $C2_NAME $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
-  proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 -dt --name=c1             $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
+  proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 -dt --name=c2 -h $C2_NAME
+  proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 -dt --name=c1
 }
 
 kill_containers() {
diff --git a/test/635_proxy_dns_unqualified_test.sh b/test/635_proxy_dns_unqualified_test.sh
index f81cbb3f..2c2df7d2 100755
--- a/test/635_proxy_dns_unqualified_test.sh
+++ b/test/635_proxy_dns_unqualified_test.sh
@@ -9,18 +9,14 @@ C4=10.2.0.99
 DOMAIN=weave.local
 NAME=seeone.$DOMAIN
 
-start_container() {
-  proxy docker_on $HOST1 run "$@" -dt $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
-}
-
 start_suite "Resolve unqualified names"
 
 weave_on $HOST1 launch
 
-start_container -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 --name=c1 -h $NAME
-start_container -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 --name=c2 -h seetwo.$DOMAIN
-start_container -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C3/24 --name=c3 --dns-search=$DOMAIN
-container=$(start_container -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C4/24)
+proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 --name=c1 -h $NAME
+proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 --name=c2 -h seetwo.$DOMAIN
+proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C3/24 --name=c3 --dns-search=$DOMAIN
+container=$(proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C4/24)
 
 check() {
   assert "proxy exec_on $HOST1 $1 getent hosts seeone | tr -s ' '" "$C1 $NAME"
diff --git a/test/640_proxy_restart_reattaches_test.sh b/test/640_proxy_restart_reattaches_test.sh
index 1e468def..a2c04ebd 100755
--- a/test/640_proxy_restart_reattaches_test.sh
+++ b/test/640_proxy_restart_reattaches_test.sh
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ NAME=seetwo.weave.local
 start_suite "Proxy restart reattaches networking to containers"
 
 weave_on $HOST1 launch
-proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 -dt --name=c2 -h $NAME $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
-proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 -dt --name=c1          $DNS_IMAGE   /bin/sh
+proxy_start_container          $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 -dt --name=c2 -h $NAME
+proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 -dt --name=c1
 
 proxy docker_on $HOST1 restart c2
 assert_raises "proxy exec_on $HOST1 c2 $CHECK_ETHWE_UP"
diff --git a/test/660_proxy_ipam_2_test.sh b/test/660_proxy_ipam_2_test.sh
index 24c37679..b114d124 100755
--- a/test/660_proxy_ipam_2_test.sh
+++ b/test/660_proxy_ipam_2_test.sh
@@ -4,12 +4,6 @@
 
 UNIVERSE=10.2.2.0/24
 
-start() {
-  host=$1
-  shift
-  proxy docker_on "$host" run "$@" -dt $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
-}
-
 assert_no_ethwe() {
   assert_raises "container_ip $1 $2" 1
   assert_raises "proxy exec_on $1 $2 ip link show | grep -v ethwe"
@@ -22,13 +16,13 @@ weave_on $HOST2 launch-router --ipalloc-range $UNIVERSE $HOST1
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy
 weave_on $HOST2 launch-proxy --no-default-ipalloc
 
-start $HOST1 --name=auto
-start $HOST1 --name=none       -e WEAVE_CIDR=none
-start $HOST2 --name=zero       -e WEAVE_CIDR=
-start $HOST2 --name=no-default
-start $HOST1 --name=bridge     --net=bridge
-start $HOST1 --name=host       --net=host
-start $HOST1 --name=other      --net=container:auto
+proxy_start_container $HOST1 --name=auto
+proxy_start_container $HOST1 --name=none       -e WEAVE_CIDR=none
+proxy_start_container $HOST2 --name=zero       -e WEAVE_CIDR=
+proxy_start_container $HOST2 --name=no-default
+proxy_start_container $HOST1 --name=bridge     --net=bridge
+proxy_start_container $HOST1 --name=host       --net=host
+proxy_start_container $HOST1 --name=other      --net=container:auto
 
 AUTO=$(container_ip $HOST1 auto)
 ZERO=$(container_ip $HOST2 zero)
diff --git a/test/680_proxy_hostname_derivation_test.sh b/test/680_proxy_hostname_derivation_test.sh
index 2b6a7819..f3fa5f4f 100755
--- a/test/680_proxy_hostname_derivation_test.sh
+++ b/test/680_proxy_hostname_derivation_test.sh
@@ -12,18 +12,14 @@ NAME2=seetwo.weave.local
 CNAME3=doesnotmatchpattern
 NAME3=doesnotmatchpattern.weave.local
 
-start_container() {
-  proxy docker_on $HOST1 run "$@" -dt $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
-}
-
 start_suite "Hostname derivation through container name substitutions"
 
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-router
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy --hostname-match '^[^-]+-(?P<appname>[^-]*)-[^-]+$' --hostname-replacement '$appname'
 
-start_container -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 --name=$CNAME1
-start_container -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 --name=$CNAME2
-start_container -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C3/24 --name=$CNAME3
+proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C1/24 --name=$CNAME1
+proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C2/24 --name=$CNAME2
+proxy_start_container_with_dns $HOST1 -e WEAVE_CIDR=$C3/24 --name=$CNAME3
 
 assert_dns_a_record $HOST1 $CNAME1 $NAME2 $C2
 assert_dns_a_record $HOST1 $CNAME2 $NAME3 $C3
diff --git a/test/config.sh b/test/config.sh
index 0cb0b8a6..0189e62f 100644
--- a/test/config.sh
+++ b/test/config.sh
@@ -143,6 +143,18 @@ start_container_with_dns() {
     weave_on $host run --with-dns "$@" -t $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
 }
 
+proxy_start_container() {
+    host=$1
+    shift 1
+    proxy docker_on $host run "$@" -dt $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
+}
+
+proxy_start_container_with_dns() {
+    host=$1
+    shift 1
+    proxy docker_on $host run "$@" -dt $DNS_IMAGE /bin/sh
+}
+
 rm_containers() {
     host=$1
     shift