diff --git a/python/ray/tests/conftest.py b/python/ray/tests/conftest.py
index f7c93fd50..031b41111 100644
--- a/python/ray/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/python/ray/tests/conftest.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import subprocess
 
 import ray
 from ray.tests.cluster_utils import Cluster
-from ray.tests.utils import run_and_get_output
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -155,7 +154,8 @@ def ray_start_object_store_memory(request):
 def call_ray_start(request):
     parameter = getattr(request, "param", "ray start --head --num-cpus=1")
     command_args = parameter.split(" ")
-    out = run_and_get_output(command_args)
+    out = ray.utils.decode(
+        subprocess.check_output(command_args, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT))
     # Get the redis address from the output.
     redis_substring_prefix = "redis_address=\""
     redis_address_location = (
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def call_ray_start(request):
     # Disconnect from the Ray cluster.
     ray.shutdown()
     # Kill the Ray cluster.
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
 
 @pytest.fixture()
diff --git a/python/ray/tests/test_monitors.py b/python/ray/tests/test_monitors.py
index 9eebe7e45..f80eb5e57 100644
--- a/python/ray/tests/test_monitors.py
+++ b/python/ray/tests/test_monitors.py
@@ -10,18 +10,19 @@ import time
 
 import ray
 
-from ray.tests.utils import run_and_get_output
-
 
 def _test_cleanup_on_driver_exit(num_redis_shards):
-    stdout = run_and_get_output([
-        "ray",
-        "start",
-        "--head",
-        "--num-redis-shards",
-        str(num_redis_shards),
-    ])
-    lines = [m.strip() for m in stdout.split("\n")]
+    output = ray.utils.decode(
+        subprocess.check_output(
+            [
+                "ray",
+                "start",
+                "--head",
+                "--num-redis-shards",
+                str(num_redis_shards),
+            ],
+            stderr=subprocess.STDOUT))
+    lines = [m.strip() for m in output.split("\n")]
     init_cmd = [m for m in lines if m.startswith("ray.init")]
     assert 1 == len(init_cmd)
     redis_address = init_cmd[0].split("redis_address=\"")[-1][:-2]
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ def _test_cleanup_on_driver_exit(num_redis_shards):
     assert (0, 1) == StateSummary()
 
     ray.shutdown()
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
diff --git a/python/ray/tests/test_multi_node.py b/python/ray/tests/test_multi_node.py
index 50eac65ab..446c34d80 100644
--- a/python/ray/tests/test_multi_node.py
+++ b/python/ray/tests/test_multi_node.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import time
 
 import ray
 from ray.utils import _random_string
-from ray.tests.utils import (run_and_get_output, run_string_as_driver,
+from ray.tests.utils import (run_string_as_driver,
                              run_string_as_driver_nonblocking)
 
 
@@ -272,60 +272,60 @@ def test_calling_start_ray_head():
     # should also test the non-head node code path.
 
     # Test starting Ray with no arguments.
-    run_and_get_output(["ray", "start", "--head"])
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "start", "--head"])
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     # Test starting Ray with a redis port specified.
-    run_and_get_output(["ray", "start", "--head", "--redis-port", "6379"])
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "start", "--head", "--redis-port", "6379"])
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     # Test starting Ray with a node IP address specified.
-    run_and_get_output(
+    subprocess.check_output(
         ["ray", "start", "--head", "--node-ip-address", "127.0.0.1"])
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     # Test starting Ray with the object manager and node manager ports
     # specified.
-    run_and_get_output([
+    subprocess.check_output([
         "ray", "start", "--head", "--object-manager-port", "12345",
         "--node-manager-port", "54321"
     ])
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     # Test starting Ray with the number of CPUs specified.
-    run_and_get_output(["ray", "start", "--head", "--num-cpus", "2"])
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "start", "--head", "--num-cpus", "2"])
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     # Test starting Ray with the number of GPUs specified.
-    run_and_get_output(["ray", "start", "--head", "--num-gpus", "100"])
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "start", "--head", "--num-gpus", "100"])
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     # Test starting Ray with the max redis clients specified.
-    run_and_get_output(
+    subprocess.check_output(
         ["ray", "start", "--head", "--redis-max-clients", "100"])
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     if "RAY_USE_NEW_GCS" not in os.environ:
         # Test starting Ray with redis shard ports specified.
-        run_and_get_output([
+        subprocess.check_output([
             "ray", "start", "--head", "--redis-shard-ports", "6380,6381,6382"
         ])
-        subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+        subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
         # Test starting Ray with all arguments specified.
-        run_and_get_output([
+        subprocess.check_output([
             "ray", "start", "--head", "--redis-port", "6379",
             "--redis-shard-ports", "6380,6381,6382", "--object-manager-port",
             "12345", "--num-cpus", "2", "--num-gpus", "0",
             "--redis-max-clients", "100", "--resources", "{\"Custom\": 1}"
         ])
-        subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+        subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     # Test starting Ray with invalid arguments.
-    with pytest.raises(Exception):
-        run_and_get_output(
+    with pytest.raises(subprocess.CalledProcessError):
+        subprocess.check_output(
             ["ray", "start", "--head", "--redis-address", "127.0.0.1:6379"])
-    subprocess.Popen(["ray", "stop"]).wait()
+    subprocess.check_output(["ray", "stop"])
 
     # Test --block. Killing any child process should cause the command to exit.
     blocked = subprocess.Popen(["ray", "start", "--head", "--block"])
diff --git a/python/ray/tests/utils.py b/python/ray/tests/utils.py
index f01b22fe9..e7dff2639 100644
--- a/python/ray/tests/utils.py
+++ b/python/ray/tests/utils.py
@@ -37,16 +37,6 @@ def wait_for_pid_to_exit(pid, timeout=20):
     raise Exception("Timed out while waiting for process to exit.")
 
 
-def run_and_get_output(command):
-    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as tmp:
-        p = subprocess.Popen(command, stdout=tmp, stderr=tmp)
-        if p.wait() != 0:
-            raise RuntimeError("ray start did not terminate properly")
-        with open(tmp.name, "r") as f:
-            result = f.readlines()
-            return "\n".join(result)
-
-
 def run_string_as_driver(driver_script):
     """Run a driver as a separate process.
 
@@ -61,7 +51,8 @@ def run_string_as_driver(driver_script):
         f.write(driver_script.encode("ascii"))
         f.flush()
         out = ray.utils.decode(
-            subprocess.check_output([sys.executable, f.name]))
+            subprocess.check_output(
+                [sys.executable, f.name], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT))
     return out