diff --git a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb
index 12ec1d1b6..db2cd7476 100644
--- a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb
@@ -300,6 +300,10 @@ class LogStash::Agent
     @pipelines_registry.loading_pipelines
    end
 
+  def loaded_pipelines
+    @pipelines_registry.loaded_pipelines
+  end
+
   def non_running_pipelines
     @pipelines_registry.non_running_pipelines
   end
diff --git a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/api/commands/node.rb b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/api/commands/node.rb
index cc540699e..fd2850db2 100644
--- a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/api/commands/node.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/api/commands/node.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ module LogStash
         def pipelines(options={})
           pipeline_ids = service.get_shallow(:stats, :pipelines).keys
           pipeline_ids.each_with_object({}) do |pipeline_id, result|
-            result[pipeline_id] = pipeline(pipeline_id, options)
+            pipeline_node = pipeline(pipeline_id, options)
+            result[pipeline_id] = pipeline_node unless pipeline_node.empty?
           end
         rescue Instrument::MetricStore::MetricNotFound
           {}
@@ -62,8 +63,8 @@ module LogStash
             metrics.merge!(extended_stats)
           end
           metrics
-        rescue
-          {}
+        rescue LogStash::Instrument::MetricStore::MetricNotFound
+          {} # empty
         end
 
         def os
diff --git a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/api/modules/node.rb b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/api/modules/node.rb
index a607726f3..039d16f24 100644
--- a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/api/modules/node.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/api/modules/node.rb
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ module LogStash
           opts = {:graph => as_boolean(params.fetch("graph", false)),
                   :vertices => as_boolean(params.fetch("vertices", false))}
           payload = node.pipelines(opts)
-          halt(404) if payload.empty?
           respond_with(:pipelines => payload )
         end
 
diff --git a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/pipelines_registry.rb b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/pipelines_registry.rb
index 7d63d4e97..6032387ce 100644
--- a/logstash-core/lib/logstash/pipelines_registry.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/lib/logstash/pipelines_registry.rb
@@ -279,6 +279,10 @@ module LogStash
       select_pipelines { |state| state.loading? }
     end
 
+    def loaded_pipelines
+      select_pipelines { |state| !state.loading? }
+    end
+
     # @return [Hash{String=>Pipeline}]
     def non_running_pipelines
       select_pipelines { |state| state.terminated? }
diff --git a/logstash-core/spec/logstash/api/commands/node_spec.rb b/logstash-core/spec/logstash/api/commands/node_spec.rb
index 4e0f6c865..5e7d81ed6 100644
--- a/logstash-core/spec/logstash/api/commands/node_spec.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/spec/logstash/api/commands/node_spec.rb
@@ -37,8 +37,9 @@ describe LogStash::Api::Commands::Node do
                        :explicit_id=>false,
                        :type=>"plugin"}
                   }
+  let(:api_service) { LogStash::Api::Service.new(@agent) }
   subject(:report) do
-    factory = ::LogStash::Api::CommandFactory.new(LogStash::Api::Service.new(@agent))
+    factory = ::LogStash::Api::CommandFactory.new(api_service)
     if report_method == :pipelines
       factory.build(:node).send(report_method, opts)
     elsif report_method == :pipeline
@@ -64,6 +65,25 @@ describe LogStash::Api::Commands::Node do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#pipelines" do
+    let(:report_method) { :pipelines }
+    it "contains the running pipelines" do
+      expect(report).to include(:main, :secondary)
+    end
+    context 'when the `main` pipeline throws a MetricNotFound exception' do
+      before(:each) do
+        allow(api_service).to receive(:extract_metrics).and_call_original
+        expect(api_service).to receive(:extract_metrics)
+                                .with([:stats, :pipelines, :main, :config], any_args)
+                                .and_raise(LogStash::Instrument::MetricStore::MetricNotFound)
+      end
+
+      it 'does not contain the partially-constructed pipeline' do
+        expect(report).to include(:secondary)
+        expect(report).to_not include(:main)
+      end
+    end
+  end
 
   describe "#pipeline" do
     let(:report_method) { :pipeline }
diff --git a/logstash-core/spec/support/helpers.rb b/logstash-core/spec/support/helpers.rb
index 52f67964d..66dc3364c 100644
--- a/logstash-core/spec/support/helpers.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/spec/support/helpers.rb
@@ -48,14 +48,65 @@ def mock_settings(settings_values={})
   settings
 end
 
-def make_test_agent(settings=mock_settings)
+def make_test_agent(settings=mock_settings, config_source=nil)
     sl = LogStash::Config::SourceLoader.new
-    sl.add_source(LogStash::Config::Source::Local.new(settings))
+    sl.add_source(config_source || LogStash::Config::Source::Local.new(settings))
     sl
 
     ::LogStash::Agent.new(settings, sl)
 end
 
+def make_config_source(settings=mock_settings)
+  TestPipelineConfigSource.new(settings)
+end
+
+##
+# This TestPipelineConfigSource can be added to a LogStash::Config::SourceLoader
+# to provide pipeline config strings directly for testing purposes.
+class TestPipelineConfigSource
+  include LogStash::Util::Loggable
+
+  def initialize(settings)
+    @settings = settings
+    @pipelines = {}
+  end
+
+  def add_pipeline(pipeline_id, config_string, settings_overrides={})
+    logger.debug("adding pipeline `#{pipeline_id}` from string `#{config_string}` with additional settings `#{settings_overrides}`")
+    @pipelines[pipeline_id.to_sym] = compose_pipeline_config(pipeline_id, config_string, settings_overrides)
+  end
+
+  def remove_pipeline(pipeline_id)
+    logger.debug("removing pipeline `#{pipeline_id}`")
+    !!@pipelines.delete(pipeline_id.to_sym)
+  end
+
+  def pipeline_configs
+    @pipelines.values
+  end
+
+  def match?
+    true
+  end
+
+  def config_conflict?
+    false
+  end
+
+  private
+  def compose_pipeline_config(pipeline_id, config_string, pipeline_settings)
+    config_parts = [org.logstash.common.SourceWithMetadata.new("string", pipeline_id.to_s, config_string)]
+
+    merged_pipeline_settings = @settings.clone.tap do |s|
+      s.merge_pipeline_settings('pipeline.id'   => pipeline_id)
+      s.merge_pipeline_settings('config.string' => config_string.dup.freeze)
+      s.merge_pipeline_settings(pipeline_settings)
+    end
+
+    org.logstash.config.ir.PipelineConfig.new(self.class, pipeline_id.to_sym, config_parts, merged_pipeline_settings)
+  end
+end
+
 def mock_pipeline(pipeline_id, reloadable = true, config_hash = nil)
   config_string = "input { stdin { id => '#{pipeline_id}' }}"
   settings = mock_settings("pipeline.id" => pipeline_id.to_s,
diff --git a/logstash-core/spec/support/shared_contexts.rb b/logstash-core/spec/support/shared_contexts.rb
index 042869df5..5eb3f16a5 100644
--- a/logstash-core/spec/support/shared_contexts.rb
+++ b/logstash-core/spec/support/shared_contexts.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
+require 'time'
+
 shared_context "execution_context" do
   let(:pipeline) { double("pipeline") }
   let(:pipeline_id) { :main }
@@ -34,28 +36,42 @@ shared_context "execution_context" do
 end
 
 shared_context "api setup" do
+
+  ##
+  # blocks until the condition returns true, or the limit has passed
+  # @return [true] if the condition was met
+  # @return [false] if the condition was NOT met
+  def block_until(limit_seconds, &condition)
+    deadline = Time.now + limit_seconds
+    loop.with_index do |_,try|
+      break if Time.now >= deadline
+      return true if condition.call
+
+      next_sleep = [(2.0**(try))/10, 2, deadline - Time.now].min
+      Kernel::sleep(next_sleep) unless next_sleep <= 0
+    end
+    # one last try
+    condition.call
+  end
+
   before :all do
     clear_data_dir
-    settings = mock_settings
-    config_string = "input { generator {id => 'api-generator-pipeline' count => 100 } } output { dummyoutput {} }"
-    settings.set("config.string", config_string)
-    settings.set("config.reload.automatic", false)
-    @agent = make_test_agent(settings)
-    @agent.execute
-    @pipelines_registry = LogStash::PipelinesRegistry.new
-    pipeline_config = mock_pipeline_config(:main, "input { generator { id => '123' } } output { null {} }")
-    pipeline_creator =  LogStash::PipelineAction::Create.new(pipeline_config, @agent.metric)
-    expect(pipeline_creator.execute(@agent, @pipelines_registry)).to be_truthy
-    pipeline_config = mock_pipeline_config(:secondary, "input { generator { id => '123' } } output { null {} }")
-    pipeline_creator =  LogStash::PipelineAction::Create.new(pipeline_config, @agent.metric)
-    expect(pipeline_creator.execute(@agent, @pipelines_registry)).to be_truthy
+    settings = mock_settings("config.reload.automatic" => true)
+    config_source = make_config_source(settings)
+    config_source.add_pipeline('main', "input { generator {id => 'api-generator-pipeline' count => 100 } } output { dummyoutput {} }")
+
+    @agent = make_test_agent(settings, config_source)
+    @agent_execution_task = Stud::Task.new { @agent.execute }
+    block_until(30) { @agent.loaded_pipelines.keys.include?(:main) } or fail('main pipeline did not come up')
+
+    config_source.add_pipeline('main', "input { generator { id => '123' } } output { null {} }")
+    config_source.add_pipeline('secondary', "input { generator { id => '123' } } output { null {} }")
+    block_until(30) { ([:main, :secondary] - @agent.running_pipelines.keys).empty? } or fail('pipelines did not come up')
   end
 
   after :all do
-    @pipelines_registry.running_pipelines.each do |_, pipeline|
-      pipeline.shutdown
-      pipeline.thread.join
-    end
+    @agent_execution_task.stop!
+    @agent_execution_task.wait
     @agent.shutdown
   end