diff --git a/metropolis/node/core/consensus/consensus.go b/metropolis/node/core/consensus/consensus.go
index fff95b0..c000bb0 100644
--- a/metropolis/node/core/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/metropolis/node/core/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@
 	"crypto/x509/pkix"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
+	"net"
+	"net/url"
 	"time"
 
 	clientv3 "go.etcd.io/etcd/client/v3"
@@ -168,18 +170,31 @@
 	//
 	// TODO(q3k): add support for streaming to a sub-logger in the tree to get
 	// cleaner logs.
-	converter := unraw.Converter{
-		Parser:            parseEtcdLogEntry,
-		MaximumLineLength: 8192,
-		LeveledLogger:     supervisor.Logger(ctx),
-	}
+
 	fifoPath := s.config.Ephemeral.ServerLogsFIFO.FullPath()
-	pipe, err := converter.NamedPipeReader(fifoPath)
+
+	// This is not where etcd will run, but where its log ingestion machinery lives.
+	// This ensures that the (annoying verbose) etcd logs are contained into just
+	// .etcd.
+	err := supervisor.Run(ctx, "etcd", func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		converter := unraw.Converter{
+			Parser:            parseEtcdLogEntry,
+			MaximumLineLength: 8192,
+			LeveledLogger:     supervisor.Logger(ctx),
+		}
+		pipe, err := converter.NamedPipeReader(fifoPath)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("when creating pipe reader: %w", err)
+		}
+		if err := supervisor.Run(ctx, "piper", pipe); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("when starting log piper: %w", err)
+		}
+		supervisor.Signal(ctx, supervisor.SignalHealthy)
+		<-ctx.Done()
+		return ctx.Err()
+	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("when creating pipe reader: %w", err)
-	}
-	if err := supervisor.Run(ctx, "piper", pipe); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("when starting log piper: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("when starting etcd logger: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Create autopromoter, which will automatically promote all learners to full
@@ -228,7 +243,45 @@
 		}
 	}
 
+	// If we're joining a cluster, make sure that our peers are actually DNS
+	// resolvable. This prevents us from immediately failing due to transient DNS
+	// issues.
+	if jc := s.config.JoinCluster; jc != nil {
+		supervisor.Logger(ctx).Infof("Waiting for initial peers to be DNS resolvable...")
+		startLogging := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second)
+		for {
+			allOkay := true
+			shouldLog := time.Now().After(startLogging)
+			for _, node := range jc.ExistingNodes {
+				u, _ := url.Parse(node.URL)
+				if err != nil {
+					// Just pretend this node is up. If the URL is really bad, etcd will complain
+					// more clearly than us. This shouldn't happen, anyway.
+				}
+				host := u.Hostname()
+				_, err := net.LookupIP(host)
+				if err == nil {
+					continue
+				}
+				if shouldLog {
+					supervisor.Logger(ctx).Errorf("Still can't resolve peer %s (%s): %v", node.Name, host, err)
+				}
+				allOkay = false
+			}
+			if allOkay {
+				supervisor.Logger(ctx).Infof("All peers resolvable, continuing startup.")
+				break
+			}
+
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			if shouldLog {
+				startLogging = time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Start etcd ...
+	supervisor.Logger(ctx).Infof("Starting etcd...")
 	cfg := s.config.build(true)
 	server, err := embed.StartEtcd(cfg)
 	if err != nil {