diff --git a/py-json/LANforge/LFUtils.py b/py-json/LANforge/LFUtils.py
index ebf89c83..f950f2a9 100644
--- a/py-json/LANforge/LFUtils.py
+++ b/py-json/LANforge/LFUtils.py
@@ -666,13 +666,11 @@ def name_to_eid(eid_input, non_port=False):
 
 def wait_until_ports_appear(base_url="http://localhost:8080", port_list=(), debug=False, timeout=300):
     """
-    Use this method to pause until the LANforge system has caught up and implemented the
-    ports you have requested to create. This determines the presence of interfaces, it
-    does not inspect their state. It is appropriate to use when creating stations in
-    the admin-down state.
+    Wait until ports are found and non phantom, or if timeout expires.
+    Returns True if all are found and non phantom, returns False if timeout expires first.
     :param timeout:
     :param base_url:
-    :param port_list: list or str. Pass a list of multiple port EIDs. If you pass a single port EID a string, that is also valid.
+    :param port_list: list or str. Pass a list of multiple port EIDs, or a single EID string.
     :param debug:
     :return:
     """
@@ -722,6 +720,7 @@ def wait_until_ports_appear(base_url="http://localhost:8080", port_list=(), debu
     if debug:
         print("These stations appeared: " + ", ".join(found_stations))
         print("These stations did not appear: " + ",".join(set(port_list) - set(found_stations)))
+        # TODO: This probably needs some pprint logic
         print(LFRequest.LFRequest("%s/ports" % base_url))
     return False
 
diff --git a/py-json/station_profile.py b/py-json/station_profile.py
index fffc83f0..935d2589 100644
--- a/py-json/station_profile.py
+++ b/py-json/station_profile.py
@@ -391,7 +391,8 @@ class StationProfile:
                suppress_related_commands_=True,
                use_radius=False,
                hs20_enable=False,
-               sleep_time=0.02):
+               sleep_time=0.02,
+               timeout=300):
         if debug:
             print('Start station_profile.create')
             pprint('Current ports: %s' % LFRequest.LFRequest(self.lfclient_url + '/ports', debug_=debug))
@@ -561,25 +562,14 @@ class StationProfile:
         if debug:
             print('StationProfile.create debug: %s' % self.local_realm.json_get('/port/'))
             print("- ~3287 - waitUntilPortsAppear - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ")
-        LFUtils.wait_until_ports_appear(self.lfclient_url, my_sta_eids, debug=debug)
 
-        # query the LANforge for all available ports
-        port_list_1 = self.local_realm.json_get("/port/%s/%s" % (radio_shelf, radio_resource))
-        # Filter port_list to include only ports which are the stations we are creating
-        port_list = list()
-        for port in port_list_1['interfaces']:
-            if list(port.keys())[0] in my_sta_eids:
-                port_list.append(list(port.keys())[0])
-
-        # If a requested port doesn't appear on the LANforge, raise an error and print debug
-        if len(port_list) != len(my_sta_eids):
-            print('Desired stations: %s' % my_sta_eids)
-            print("Existing stations: %s" % port_list)
-            print('full port list')
-            pprint(port_list_1)
+        rv = LFUtils.wait_until_ports_appear(self.lfclient_url, my_sta_eids, debug=debug, timeout=timeout)
+        if not rv:
+            # port creation failed somehow.
+            print('ERROR: Failed to create all ports, Desired stations: %s' % my_sta_eids)
             print('events')
             pprint(self.local_realm.find_new_events(starting_event))
-            raise ValueError("Unable to find ports: %s" % (set(my_sta_eids) - set(port_list)))
+            return False;
 
         # and set ports up
         if dry_run:
@@ -594,6 +584,7 @@ class StationProfile:
         #     time.sleep(0.03)
         if self.debug:
             print("created %s stations" % num)
+        return True
 
     def modify(self, radio):
         for station in self.station_names:
diff --git a/py-scripts/create_l3_stations.py b/py-scripts/create_l3_stations.py
index e88c0e73..85b15ae0 100755
--- a/py-scripts/create_l3_stations.py
+++ b/py-scripts/create_l3_stations.py
@@ -107,9 +107,17 @@ class CreateL3(Realm):
         self.station_profile.set_command_param(
             "set_port", "report_timer", 1500)
         self.station_profile.set_command_flag("set_port", "rpt_timer", 1)
-        self.station_profile.create(radio=self.radio,
-                                    sta_names_=self.sta_list,
-                                    debug=self.debug)
+
+        sta_timeout=300
+        #sta_timeout=3 # expect this to fail
+        rv = self.station_profile.create(radio=self.radio,
+                                         sta_names_=self.sta_list,
+                                         debug=self.debug,
+                                         timeout=sta_timeout)
+        if not rv:
+            print("ERROR: create_l3_stations: could not create all ports, exiting with error.");
+            exit(1);
+
         self.cx_profile.create(endp_type="lf_udp",
                                side_a=self.station_profile.station_names,
                                side_b=self.upstream,