diff --git a/zephyr/lib/queue.py b/zephyr/lib/queue.py
index 6c448a2204..e14750cebc 100644
--- a/zephyr/lib/queue.py
+++ b/zephyr/lib/queue.py
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ class TornadoQueueClient(SimpleQueueClient):
 
     def _connect(self, on_open_cb = None):
         self.log.info("Beginning TornadoQueueClient connection")
-        self._on_open_cb = on_open_cb
+        self._on_open_cbs = []
+        if on_open_cb:
+            self._on_open_cbs.append(on_open_cb)
         self.connection = pika.adapters.TornadoConnection(
             self._get_parameters(),
             on_open_callback = self._on_open,
@@ -122,8 +124,9 @@ class TornadoQueueClient(SimpleQueueClient):
 
     def _on_channel_open(self, channel):
         self.channel = channel
-        if self._on_open_cb:
-            self._on_open_cb()
+        for callback in self._on_open_cbs:
+            callback()
+        self._on_open_cbs = []
         self.log.info('TornadoQueueClient connected')
 
     def _on_connection_closed(self, method_frame):
@@ -151,3 +154,17 @@ class TornadoQueueClient(SimpleQueueClient):
                 callback=finish)
         else:
             callback()
+
+    def register_consumer(self, queue_name, consumer):
+        def wrapped_consumer(ch, method, properties, body):
+            consumer(ch, method, properties, body)
+            ch.basic_ack(delivery_tag=method.delivery_tag)
+
+        if not self.ready():
+            self._on_open_cbs.append(lambda: self.register_consumer(queue_name, consumer))
+            return
+
+        self.consumers[queue_name].add(wrapped_consumer)
+        self.ensure_queue(queue_name,
+            lambda: self.channel.basic_consume(wrapped_consumer, queue=queue_name,
+                consumer_tag=self._generate_ctag(queue_name)))
diff --git a/zephyr/management/commands/runtornado.py b/zephyr/management/commands/runtornado.py
index 8f100a824f..070e492b8c 100644
--- a/zephyr/management/commands/runtornado.py
+++ b/zephyr/management/commands/runtornado.py
@@ -66,12 +66,6 @@ class InstrumentedPoll(object):
 
 ioloop._poll = InstrumentedPoll
 
-def step_tornado_ioloop():
-    """Run the Tornado ioloop for a short time and return."""
-    loop = ioloop.IOLoop.instance()
-    loop.add_timeout(time.time() + 0.1, loop.stop)
-    loop.start()
-
 class Command(BaseCommand):
     option_list = BaseCommand.option_list + (
         make_option('--nokeepalive', action='store_true',
@@ -127,9 +121,6 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             if settings.USING_RABBITMQ:
                 # Process notifications received via RabbitMQ
                 queue_client = TornadoQueueClient()
-                while not queue_client.ready():
-                    step_tornado_ioloop()
-
                 def process_notification(chan, method, props, data):
                     tornado_callbacks.process_notification(data)
                 queue_client.register_json_consumer('notify_tornado', process_notification)