diff --git a/enterprise_gateway/services/kernels/remotemanager.py b/enterprise_gateway/services/kernels/remotemanager.py
index 29acf1caa..f29165f56 100644
--- a/enterprise_gateway/services/kernels/remotemanager.py
+++ b/enterprise_gateway/services/kernels/remotemanager.py
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         self.user_overrides = {}
         self.restarting = False  # need to track whether we're in a restart situation or not
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def start_kernel(self, **kwargs):
         """Starts a kernel in a separate process.
 
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ def start_kernel(self, **kwargs):
         process_proxy_class = import_item(process_proxy_class_name)
         self.process_proxy = process_proxy_class(kernel_manager=self, proxy_config=process_proxy.get('config'))
         self._capture_user_overrides(**kwargs)
-        super(RemoteKernelManager, self).start_kernel(**kwargs)
+        yield super(RemoteKernelManager, self).start_kernel(**kwargs)
 
     def _capture_user_overrides(self, **kwargs):
         """
@@ -286,6 +287,7 @@ def request_shutdown(self, restart=False):
         if isinstance(self.process_proxy, RemoteProcessProxy):
             self.process_proxy.shutdown_listener()
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def restart_kernel(self, now=False, **kwargs):
         """Restarts a kernel with the arguments that were used to launch it.
 
@@ -319,7 +321,7 @@ def restart_kernel(self, now=False, **kwargs):
                 # Use the parent mapping kernel manager so activity monitoring and culling is also shutdown
                 self.parent.shutdown_kernel(kernel_id, now=now)
                 return
-        super(RemoteKernelManager, self).restart_kernel(now, **kwargs)
+        yield gen.maybe_future(super(RemoteKernelManager, self).restart_kernel(now, **kwargs))
         if isinstance(self.process_proxy, RemoteProcessProxy):  # for remote kernels...
             # Re-establish activity watching...
             if self._activity_stream:
diff --git a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/conductor.py b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/conductor.py
index a97f1b7aa..a502d58a1 100644
--- a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/conductor.py
+++ b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/conductor.py
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 import socket
 import re
 
+from tornado import gen
+
 from jupyter_client import launch_kernel, localinterfaces
 
 from .processproxy import RemoteProcessProxy
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@ def __init__(self, kernel_manager, proxy_config):
         self.conductor_endpoint = proxy_config.get('conductor_endpoint',
                                                    kernel_manager.parent.parent.conductor_endpoint)
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         """Launches the specified process within a Conductor cluster environment."""
         super(ConductorClusterProcessProxy, self).launch_process(kernel_cmd, **kwargs)
@@ -55,9 +58,8 @@ def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         self.env = kwargs.get('env')
         self.log.debug("Conductor cluster kernel launched using Conductor endpoint: {}, pid: {}, Kernel ID: {}, "
                        "cmd: '{}'".format(self.conductor_endpoint, self.local_proc.pid, self.kernel_id, kernel_cmd))
-        self.confirm_remote_startup()
-
-        return self
+        yield self.confirm_remote_startup()
+        raise gen.Return(self)
 
     def _update_launch_info(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         """ Dynamically assemble the spark-submit configuration passed from NB2KG."""
@@ -114,6 +116,7 @@ def send_signal(self, signum):
         else:
             return super(ConductorClusterProcessProxy, self).send_signal(signum)
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def kill(self):
         """Kill a kernel.
         :return: None if the application existed and is not in RUNNING state, False otherwise. 
@@ -127,7 +130,7 @@ def kill(self):
             i = 1
             state = self._query_app_state_by_driver_id(self.driver_id)
             while state not in ConductorClusterProcessProxy.final_states and i <= max_poll_attempts:
-                time.sleep(poll_interval)
+                yield gen.sleep(poll_interval)
                 state = self._query_app_state_by_driver_id(self.driver_id)
                 i = i + 1
 
@@ -138,7 +141,7 @@ def kill(self):
 
         self.log.debug("ConductorClusterProcessProxy.kill, application ID: {}, kernel ID: {}, state: {}"
                        .format(self.application_id, self.kernel_id, state))
-        return result
+        raise gen.Return(result)
 
     def cleanup(self):
         # we might have a defunct process (if using waitAppCompletion = false) - so poll, kill, wait when we have
@@ -173,6 +176,7 @@ def _parse_driver_submission_id(self, submission_response):
                     self.driver_id = driver_id[0]
                     self.log.debug("Driver ID: {}".format(driver_id[0]))
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def confirm_remote_startup(self):
         """ Confirms the application is in a started state before returning.  Should post-RUNNING states be
             unexpectedly encountered ('FINISHED', 'KILLED', 'RECLAIMED') then we must throw, otherwise the rest
@@ -187,7 +191,7 @@ def confirm_remote_startup(self):
                 output = self.local_proc.stderr.read().decode("utf-8")
                 self._parse_driver_submission_id(output)
             i += 1
-            self.handle_timeout()
+            yield self.handle_timeout()
 
             if self._get_application_id(True):
                 # Once we have an application ID, start monitoring state, obtain assigned host and get connection info
@@ -223,9 +227,10 @@ def _get_application_state(self):
                     self.assigned_ip = socket.gethostbyname(self.assigned_host)
         return app_state
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def handle_timeout(self):
         """Checks to see if the kernel launch timeout has been exceeded while awaiting connection info."""
-        time.sleep(poll_interval)
+        yield gen.sleep(poll_interval)
         time_interval = RemoteProcessProxy.get_time_diff(self.start_time, RemoteProcessProxy.get_current_time())
 
         if time_interval > self.kernel_launch_timeout:
diff --git a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/container.py b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/container.py
index b01bd61b9..f4415b343 100644
--- a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/container.py
+++ b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/container.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 import urllib3  # docker ends up using this and it causes lots of noise, so turn off warnings
 
+from tornado import gen
+
 from jupyter_client import launch_kernel, localinterfaces
 
 from .processproxy import RemoteProcessProxy
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ def _determine_kernel_images(self, proxy_config):
             self.kernel_executor_image = proxy_config.get('executor_image_name')
         self.kernel_executor_image = os.environ.get('KERNEL_EXECUTOR_IMAGE', self.kernel_executor_image)
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         """Launches the specified process within the container environment."""
         # Set env before superclass call so we see these in the debug output
@@ -73,9 +76,8 @@ def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         self.log.info("{}: kernel launched. Kernel image: {}, KernelID: {}, cmd: '{}'"
                       .format(self.__class__.__name__, self.kernel_image, self.kernel_id, kernel_cmd))
 
-        self.confirm_remote_startup()
-
-        return self
+        yield self.confirm_remote_startup()
+        raise gen.Return(self)
 
     def _enforce_uid_gid_blacklists(self, **kwargs):
         """Determine UID and GID with which to launch container and ensure they do not appear in blacklist."""
@@ -153,6 +155,7 @@ def cleanup(self):
         self.kill()
         super(ContainerProcessProxy, self).cleanup()
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def confirm_remote_startup(self):
         """Confirms the container has started and returned necessary connection information."""
         self.start_time = RemoteProcessProxy.get_current_time()
@@ -160,7 +163,7 @@ def confirm_remote_startup(self):
         ready_to_connect = False  # we're ready to connect when we have a connection file to use
         while not ready_to_connect:
             i += 1
-            self.handle_timeout()
+            yield self.handle_timeout()
 
             container_status = self.get_container_status(str(i))
             if container_status:
diff --git a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/distributed.py b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/distributed.py
index 77a5053e1..d310aef85 100644
--- a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/distributed.py
+++ b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/distributed.py
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 import os
 import json
-import time
 
+from tornado import gen
 from subprocess import STDOUT
 from socket import gethostbyname
 
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ def __init__(self, kernel_manager, proxy_config):
         else:
             self.hosts = kernel_manager.parent.parent.remote_hosts  # from command line or env
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         """Launches a kernel process on a selected host."""
         super(DistributedProcessProxy, self).launch_process(kernel_cmd, **kwargs)
@@ -48,9 +49,8 @@ def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         self.log.info("Kernel launched on '{}', pid: {}, ID: {}, Log file: {}:{}, Command: '{}'.  ".
                       format(self.assigned_host, self.pid, self.kernel_id, self.assigned_host,
                              self.kernel_log, kernel_cmd))
-        self.confirm_remote_startup()
-
-        return self
+        yield self.confirm_remote_startup()
+        raise gen.Return(self)
 
     def _launch_remote_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         """
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ def _determine_next_host(self):
         DistributedProcessProxy.host_index += 1
         return next_host
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def confirm_remote_startup(self):
         """ Confirms the remote kernel has started by obtaining connection information from the remote host."""
         self.start_time = RemoteProcessProxy.get_current_time()
@@ -128,23 +129,10 @@ def confirm_remote_startup(self):
         ready_to_connect = False  # we're ready to connect when we have a connection file to use
         while not ready_to_connect:
             i += 1
-            self.handle_timeout()
+            yield self.handle_timeout()
 
             self.log.debug("{}: Waiting to connect.  Host: '{}', KernelID: '{}'".
                            format(i, self.assigned_host, self.kernel_id))
 
             if self.assigned_host != '':
                 ready_to_connect = self.receive_connection_info()
-
-    def handle_timeout(self):
-        """Checks to see if the kernel launch timeout has been exceeded while awaiting connection info."""
-        time.sleep(poll_interval)
-        time_interval = RemoteProcessProxy.get_time_diff(self.start_time, RemoteProcessProxy.get_current_time())
-
-        if time_interval > self.kernel_launch_timeout:
-            reason = "Waited too long ({}s) to get connection file.  Check Enterprise Gateway log and kernel " \
-                     "log ({}:{}) for more information.".\
-                format(self.kernel_launch_timeout, self.assigned_host, self.kernel_log)
-            timeout_message = "KernelID: '{}' launch timeout due to: {}".format(self.kernel_id, reason)
-            self.kill()
-            self.log_and_raise(http_status_code=500, reason=timeout_message)
diff --git a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/processproxy.py b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/processproxy.py
index 10e93956b..e07658136 100644
--- a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/processproxy.py
+++ b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/processproxy.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 import random
 
 from socket import timeout, socket, gethostbyname, gethostname, AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, SHUT_RDWR, SHUT_WR
-from tornado import web
+from tornado import web, gen
 from calendar import timegm
 from ipython_genutils.py3compat import with_metaclass
 from jupyter_client import launch_kernel, localinterfaces
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ def __init__(self, kernel_manager, proxy_config):
         self.pgid = 0
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
+    @gen.coroutine
     def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         """Provides basic implementation for launching the process corresponding to the process proxy.
 
@@ -208,17 +209,18 @@ def poll(self):
 
         return self.send_signal(0)
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def wait(self):
         """Wait for the process to become inactive."""
         # If we have a local_proc, call its wait method.  This will cleanup any defunct processes when the kernel
         # is shutdown (when using waitAppCompletion = false).  Otherwise (if no local_proc) we'll use polling to
         # determine if a (remote or revived) process is still active.
         if self.local_proc:
-            return self.local_proc.wait()
+            raise gen.Return(self.local_proc.wait())
 
         for i in range(max_poll_attempts):
             if self.poll():
-                time.sleep(poll_interval)
+                yield gen.sleep(poll_interval)
             else:
                 break
         else:
@@ -252,6 +254,7 @@ def send_signal(self, signum):
                     result = self.remote_signal(signum)
         return result
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def kill(self):
         """Terminate the process proxy process.
 
@@ -263,7 +266,7 @@ def kill(self):
         result = self.terminate()  # Send -15 signal first
         i = 1
         while self.poll() is None and i <= max_poll_attempts:
-            time.sleep(poll_interval)
+            yield gen.sleep(poll_interval)
             i = i + 1
         if i > max_poll_attempts:  # Send -9 signal if process is still alive
             if self.local_proc:
@@ -276,7 +279,7 @@ def kill(self):
                     else:
                         result = self.remote_signal(signal.SIGKILL)
                     self.log.debug("SIGKILL signal sent to pid: {}".format(self.pid))
-        return result
+        raise gen.Return(result)
 
     def terminate(self):
         """Gracefully terminate the process proxy process.
@@ -632,11 +635,12 @@ def __init__(self, kernel_manager, proxy_config):
         super(LocalProcessProxy, self).__init__(kernel_manager, proxy_config)
         kernel_manager.ip = localinterfaces.LOCALHOST
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         super(LocalProcessProxy, self).launch_process(kernel_cmd, **kwargs)
 
         # launch the local run.sh
-        self.local_proc = launch_kernel(kernel_cmd, **kwargs)
+        self.local_proc = yield gen.maybe_future(launch_kernel(kernel_cmd, **kwargs))
         self.pid = self.local_proc.pid
         if hasattr(os, "getpgid"):
             try:
@@ -646,7 +650,7 @@ def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         self.ip = local_ip
         self.log.info("Local kernel launched on '{}', pid: {}, pgid: {}, KernelID: {}, cmd: '{}'"
                       .format(self.ip, self.pid, self.pgid, self.kernel_id, kernel_cmd))
-        return self
+        raise gen.Return(self)
 
 
 class RemoteProcessProxy(with_metaclass(abc.ABCMeta, BaseProcessProxyABC)):
@@ -664,6 +668,7 @@ def __init__(self, kernel_manager, proxy_config):
         self.tunnel_processes = {}
         self._prepare_response_socket()
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         # Pass along port-range info to kernels...
         kwargs['env']['EG_MIN_PORT_RANGE_SIZE'] = str(min_port_range_size)
@@ -968,9 +973,10 @@ def _extract_pid_info(self, connect_info):
             self.ip = self.assigned_ip
             self.local_proc = None
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def handle_timeout(self):
         """Checks to see if the kernel launch timeout has been exceeded while awaiting connection info."""
-        time.sleep(poll_interval)
+        yield gen.sleep(poll_interval)
         time_interval = RemoteProcessProxy.get_time_diff(self.start_time, RemoteProcessProxy.get_current_time())
 
         if time_interval > self.kernel_launch_timeout:
diff --git a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/yarn.py b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/yarn.py
index c458f83a0..70f564715 100644
--- a/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/yarn.py
+++ b/enterprise_gateway/services/processproxies/yarn.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import errno
 import socket
 
+from tornado import gen
 from jupyter_client import launch_kernel, localinterfaces
 from yarn_api_client.resource_manager import ResourceManager
 
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ def __init__(self, kernel_manager, proxy_config):
         else:
             self.resource_mgr = ResourceManager(address=yarn_master)
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
         """Launches the specified process within a YARN cluster environment."""
         super(YarnClusterProcessProxy, self).launch_process(kernel_cmd, **kwargs)
@@ -60,9 +62,8 @@ def launch_process(self, kernel_cmd, **kwargs):
 
         self.log.debug("Yarn cluster kernel launched using YARN endpoint: {}, pid: {}, Kernel ID: {}, cmd: '{}'"
                        .format(self.yarn_endpoint, self.local_proc.pid, self.kernel_id, kernel_cmd))
-        self.confirm_remote_startup()
-
-        return self
+        yield self.confirm_remote_startup()
+        raise gen.Return(self)
 
     def poll(self):
         """Submitting a new kernel/app to YARN will take a while to be ACCEPTED.
@@ -105,7 +106,6 @@ def kill(self):
         :return: None if the application existed and is not in RUNNING state, False otherwise. 
         """
         state = None
-        result = False
         if self._get_application_id():
             resp = self._kill_app_by_id(self.application_id)
             self.log.debug(
@@ -119,10 +119,10 @@ def kill(self):
                 state = self._query_app_state_by_id(self.application_id)
                 i = i + 1
 
-            if state in YarnClusterProcessProxy.final_states:
-                result = None
-
-        super(YarnClusterProcessProxy, self).kill()
+        if state in YarnClusterProcessProxy.final_states:
+            result = None
+        else:
+            result = super(YarnClusterProcessProxy, self).kill()
 
         self.log.debug("YarnClusterProcessProxy.kill, application ID: {}, kernel ID: {}, state: {}"
                        .format(self.application_id, self.kernel_id, state))
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ def cleanup(self):
         # for cleanup, we should call the superclass last
         super(YarnClusterProcessProxy, self).cleanup()
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def confirm_remote_startup(self):
         """ Confirms the yarn application is in a started state before returning.  Should post-RUNNING states be
             unexpectedly encountered (FINISHED, KILLED) then we must throw, otherwise the rest of the gateway will
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ def confirm_remote_startup(self):
         ready_to_connect = False  # we're ready to connect when we have a connection file to use
         while not ready_to_connect:
             i += 1
-            self.handle_timeout()
+            yield self.handle_timeout()
 
             if self._get_application_id(True):
                 # Once we have an application ID, start monitoring state, obtain assigned host and get connection info
@@ -191,9 +192,10 @@ def _get_application_state(self):
                 self.assigned_ip = socket.gethostbyname(self.assigned_host)
         return app_state
 
+    @gen.coroutine
     def handle_timeout(self):
         """Checks to see if the kernel launch timeout has been exceeded while awaiting connection info."""
-        time.sleep(poll_interval)
+        yield gen.sleep(poll_interval)
         time_interval = RemoteProcessProxy.get_time_diff(self.start_time, RemoteProcessProxy.get_current_time())
 
         if time_interval > self.kernel_launch_timeout: