diff --git a/pkg/services/servicetest/run.go b/pkg/services/servicetest/run.go
index f09f58965a..c1a20e82bd 100644
--- a/pkg/services/servicetest/run.go
+++ b/pkg/services/servicetest/run.go
@@ -27,11 +27,7 @@ type TestingT interface {
 // Run fails tb if the service fails to start or close.
 func Run[R Runnable](tb TestingT, r R) R {
 	tb.Helper()
-	require.NoError(tb, r.Start(tests.Context(tb)), "service failed to start: %T", r)
-	tb.Cleanup(func() {
-		tb.Helper()
-		assert.NoError(tb, r.Close(), "error closing service: %T", r)
-	})
+	RunCfg{}.run(tb, r)
 	return r
 }
 
@@ -40,7 +36,79 @@ func Run[R Runnable](tb TestingT, r R) R {
 //   - if ever ready, then health will be checked at least once, before closing
 func RunHealthy[S services.Service](tb TestingT, s S) S {
 	tb.Helper()
-	Run(tb, s)
+	RunCfg{Healthy: true}.Run(tb, s)
+	return s
+}
+
+// RunCfg specifies a test configuration for running a service.
+// By default, health checks are not enforced, but Start/Close timeout are.
+type RunCfg struct {
+	// Healthy includes extra checks for whether the service is never ready, or is ever unhealthy (based on periodic checks).
+	//   - after starting, readiness will always be checked at least once, before closing
+	//   - if ever ready, then health will be checked at least once, before closing
+	Healthy bool
+	// WaitForReady blocks returning until after Ready() returns nil, after calling Start().
+	WaitForReady bool
+	// StartTimeout sets a limit for Start which results in an error if exceeded.
+	StartTimeout time.Duration
+	// StartTimeout sets a limit for Close which results in an error if exceeded.
+	CloseTimeout time.Duration
+}
+
+func (cfg RunCfg) Run(tb TestingT, s services.Service) {
+	tb.Helper()
+
+	cfg.run(tb, s)
+
+	if cfg.WaitForReady {
+		ctx := tests.Context(tb)
+		cfg.waitForReady(tb, s, ctx.Done())
+	}
+
+	if cfg.Healthy {
+		cfg.healthCheck(tb, s)
+	}
+}
+
+func (cfg RunCfg) run(tb TestingT, s Runnable) {
+	tb.Helper()
+	//TODO remove....set from built-ins? or disallow unbounded, so exceptions must be explicit?
+	if cfg.StartTimeout == 0 {
+		cfg.StartTimeout = time.Second
+	}
+	if cfg.CloseTimeout == 0 {
+		cfg.CloseTimeout = time.Second
+	}
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	require.NoError(tb, s.Start(tests.Context(tb)), "service failed to start: %T", s)
+	if elapsed := time.Since(start); cfg.StartTimeout > 0 && elapsed > cfg.StartTimeout {
+		tb.Errorf("slow service start: %T.Start() took %s", s, elapsed)
+	}
+
+	tb.Cleanup(func() {
+		tb.Helper()
+		start := time.Now()
+		assert.NoError(tb, s.Close(), "error closing service: %T", s)
+		if elapsed := time.Since(start); cfg.CloseTimeout > 0 && elapsed > cfg.CloseTimeout {
+			tb.Errorf("slow service close: %T.Close() took %s", s, elapsed)
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+func (cfg RunCfg) waitForReady(tb TestingT, s services.Service, done <-chan struct{}) {
+	for err := s.Ready(); err != nil; err = s.Ready() {
+		select {
+		case <-done:
+			assert.NoError(tb, err, "service never ready")
+			return
+		case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (cfg RunCfg) healthCheck(tb TestingT, s services.Service) {
+	tb.Helper()
 
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 	tb.Cleanup(func() {
@@ -57,15 +125,9 @@ func RunHealthy[S services.Service](tb TestingT, s S) S {
 			}
 			return
 		}
-		for s.Ready() != nil {
-			select {
-			case <-done:
-				if assert.NoError(tb, s.Ready(), "service never ready") {
-					assert.NoError(tb, hp(), "service unhealthy")
-				}
-				return
-			case <-time.After(time.Second):
-			}
+		if !cfg.WaitForReady {
+			cfg.waitForReady(tb, s, done)
+			assert.NoError(tb, hp(), "service unhealthy")
 		}
 		for {
 			select {
@@ -77,5 +139,4 @@ func RunHealthy[S services.Service](tb TestingT, s S) S {
 			}
 		}
 	}()
-	return s
 }