diff --git a/docker/pdo_ccf_base.dockerfile b/docker/pdo_ccf_base.dockerfile
index 2ad6469b..5eabdc31 100644
--- a/docker/pdo_ccf_base.dockerfile
+++ b/docker/pdo_ccf_base.dockerfile
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ ARG ADD_APT_PKGS=
 ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND "noninteractive"
 RUN apt-get update \
     && apt-get install -y -q \
+        lsof \
         python \
         python3-dev \
         python3-venv \
diff --git a/docker/tools/start_services.sh b/docker/tools/start_services.sh
index 0c333d8c..e815fd68 100755
--- a/docker/tools/start_services.sh
+++ b/docker/tools/start_services.sh
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ SCRIPT_NAME=$(basename ${BASH_SOURCE[-1]} )
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 # Process command line arguments
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
+F_COUNT=5
 F_LOGLEVEL=
 F_MODE=build
 F_REGISTER=no
@@ -36,8 +37,8 @@ F_LEDGER_URL=
 F_USAGE='-c|--count -i|--interface [hostname] -1|--ledger [url] "
 F_USAGE+="--loglevel [debug|info|warn] -m|--mode [build|copy|skip] -r|--register'
 
-SHORT_OPTS='i:l:m:r'
-LONG_OPTS='interface:,ledger:,loglevel:,mode:,register'
+SHORT_OPTS='c:i:l:m:r'
+LONG_OPTS='count:,interface:,ledger:,loglevel:,mode:,register'
 
 TEMP=$(getopt -o ${SHORT_OPTS} --long ${LONG_OPTS} -n "${SCRIPT_NAME}" -- "$@")
 if [ $? != 0 ] ; then echo "Usage: ${SCRIPT_NAME} ${F_USAGE}" >&2 ; exit 1 ; fi
@@ -73,10 +74,11 @@ export PDO_LEDGER_ADDRESS=$(force_to_ip ${PDO_HOSTNAME})
 export PDO_LEDGER_URL=${PDO_LEDGER_URL:-http://${PDO_LEDGER_ADDRESS}:6600}
 if [ ! -z "${F_LEDGER_URL}" ] ; then
     export PDO_LEDGER_URL=${F_LEDGER_URL}
+    export PDO_LEDGER_ADDRESS=$( echo $PDO_LEDGER_URL | awk -F[/:] '{print $4}' )
 fi
 
-export no_proxy=$PDO_HOSTNAME,$no_proxy
-export NO_PROXY=$PDO_HOSTNAME,$NO_PROXY
+export no_proxy=$PDO_HOSTNAME,$PDO_LEDGER_ADDRESS,$no_proxy
+export NO_PROXY=$PDO_HOSTNAME,$PDO_LEDGER_ADDRESS,$NO_PROXY
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 # Handle the configuration of the services
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@ export NO_PROXY=$PDO_HOSTNAME,$NO_PROXY
 if [ "${F_MODE,,}" == "build" ]; then
     yell configure services for host $PDO_HOSTNAME and ledger $PDO_LEDGER_URL
     try ${PDO_INSTALL_ROOT}/bin/pdo-configure-services -t ${PDO_SOURCE_ROOT}/build/template -o ${PDO_HOME}\
-        --count 5 5 5
+        --count ${F_COUNT} ${F_COUNT} ${F_COUNT}
 elif [ "${F_MODE,,}" == "copy" ]; then
     yell copy the configuration from xfer/services/etc and xfer/services/keys
     try mkdir -p ${PDO_HOME}/etc ${PDO_HOME}/keys
diff --git a/ledgers/ccf/Makefile b/ledgers/ccf/Makefile
index 8159cfa4..58d24203 100644
--- a/ledgers/ccf/Makefile
+++ b/ledgers/ccf/Makefile
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ $(PYTHON_DIR) :
 install : install-pdo-tp
 
 PDO_BASH_SCRIPTS=start_ccf_network.sh stop_cchost.sh
-PDO_PYTHON_SCRIPTS=configure_ccf_network.py generate_ledger_authority.py fetch_ledger_authority.py register_enclave_attestation_verification_policy.py utils.py
+PDO_PYTHON_SCRIPTS=configure_ccf_network.py generate_ledger_authority.py fetch_ledger_authority.py register_enclave_attestation_verification_policy.py
 
 install-pdo-tp : build-pdo-tp
 	@ cd $(BLDDIR) && $(NINJA) install
diff --git a/ledgers/ccf/README.md b/ledgers/ccf/README.md
index 6fc107af..1bd95af5 100644
--- a/ledgers/ccf/README.md
+++ b/ledgers/ccf/README.md
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ at the end of the test.
 
 ```bash
 source $PDO_HOME/ccf/bin/activate
-${PDO_SOURCE_ROOT}/ledgers/ccf/scripts/ping_test.py
+${PDO_SOURCE_ROOT}/ledgers/ccf/scripts/ping_test.py --url ${PDO_LEDGER_URL} --cert ${PDO_LEDGER_KEY_ROOT}/networkcert.pem
 ```
 
 While invoking the test from a remote machine, be sure to 1) copy the
diff --git a/ledgers/ccf/scripts/ping_test.py b/ledgers/ccf/scripts/ping_test.py
index 21ccdd08..7c4cbac8 100755
--- a/ledgers/ccf/scripts/ping_test.py
+++ b/ledgers/ccf/scripts/ping_test.py
@@ -19,20 +19,11 @@
 import os
 import sys
 import time
-import toml
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 from ccf.clients import CCFClient
-
-from utils import parse_ledger_url
-# pick up the logger used by the rest of CCF
 from loguru import logger as LOG
 
-## -----------------------------------------------------------------
-ContractHome = os.environ.get("PDO_HOME") or os.path.realpath("/opt/pdo")
-CCF_Etc = os.path.join(ContractHome, "ccf", "etc")
-CCF_Keys = os.environ.get("PDO_LEDGER_KEY_ROOT") or os.path.join(ContractHome, "ccf", "keys")
-
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 def ping_test(client, options):
     num_pings = options.num_pings
@@ -47,17 +38,20 @@ def ping_test(client, options):
     total_time = end_time - start_time
     txn_throuput = num_pings/total_time
 
-    LOG.info("Performed {0} pings. Average txn_throuput is {1} pings per second".format(num_pings, txn_throuput))
+    if options.verbose :
+        LOG.warning("Performed {0} pings. Average throughput is {1} pings per second".format(num_pings, txn_throuput))
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 def Main() :
-    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Script to enable the CCF network')
-
-    parser.add_argument('--logfile', help='Name of the log file, __screen__ for standard output', type=str)
-    parser.add_argument('--loglevel', help='Logging level', default='INFO', type=str)
-    parser.add_argument('--user-name', help="Name of the user being added", default = "userccf", type=str)
-    parser.add_argument("--num-pings", help="Number of ping operations to do", default = 100, type=int)
-
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Test the connection to a CCF server')
+
+    parser.add_argument('--loglevel', help='Logging level', default='WARNING', type=str)
+    parser.add_argument("--num-pings", help="Number of ping operations to do", default = 1, type=int)
+    parser.add_argument('--url', type=str, required=True)
+    parser.add_argument('--cert', type=str, required=True)
+    group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    group.add_argument('--verbose', action='store_true', default=True)
+    group.add_argument('--quiet', action='store_false', dest='verbose')
     options = parser.parse_args()
 
     # -----------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -65,20 +59,29 @@ def Main() :
     LOG.add(sys.stderr, level=options.loglevel)
 
     # -----------------------------------------------------------------
-    network_cert = os.path.join(CCF_Keys, "networkcert.pem")
-
-    host, port = parse_ledger_url()
+    try :
+        (host, port) = urlparse(options.url).netloc.split(':')
+    except Exception as e:
+        if options.verbose :
+            LOG.error('failed to parse ledger URL: {}'.format(str(e)))
+        sys.exit(-1)
 
     try :
-        user_client = CCFClient(
-            host,
-            port,
-            network_cert)
+        user_client = CCFClient(host, port, options.cert)
     except Exception as e:
-        LOG.error('failed to connect to CCF service: {}'.format(str(e)))
+        if options.verbose :
+            LOG.error('failed to connect to CCF service: {}'.format(str(e)))
         sys.exit(-1)
 
-    ping_test(user_client, options)
+    try :
+        ping_test(user_client, options)
+    except Exception as e:
+        # this just lets the script get back to the original error
+        # that caused the execption
+        if options.verbose :
+            while e.__context__ : e = e.__context__
+            LOG.error('ping test failed: {}', str(e))
+        sys.exit(-1)
 
     sys.exit(0)
 
diff --git a/ledgers/ccf/scripts/utils.py b/ledgers/ccf/scripts/utils.py
deleted file mode 100644
index c411bd38..00000000
--- a/ledgers/ccf/scripts/utils.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2023 Intel Corporation
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-
-"""
-utils.py -- common utility routines useful for deploying CCF based pdo ledger
-"""
-
-import os
-from urllib.parse import urlparse
-
-__all__ = [
-    'parse_ledger_url',
-]
-
-def parse_ledger_url(config = None):
-    """Parse Ledger URL into host & port"""
-
-    if config:
-        (host, port) = config["rpc-address"].split(':')
-        return host, port
-
-    if os.environ.get("PDO_LEDGER_URL") is not None:
-       url =  os.environ.get("PDO_LEDGER_URL")
-       (host, port) = urlparse(url).netloc.split(':')
-       return host, port
-
-    raise Exception("Insufficient info to parse ledger url")