diff --git a/bitbake/bin/toaster b/bitbake/bin/toaster
index e82df9b80b..34a4e8f6f7 100755
--- a/bitbake/bin/toaster
+++ b/bitbake/bin/toaster
@@ -133,6 +133,22 @@ stop_system()
     INSTOPSYSTEM=0
 }
 
+start_bitbake() {
+    unset BBSERVER
+    bitbake --read conf/toaster-pre.conf --postread conf/toaster.conf --server-only -t xmlrpc -B 0.0.0.0:0
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "Bitbake server start failed"
+        return 1
+    fi
+    export BBSERVER=0.0.0.0:-1
+    export DATABASE_URL=`$BBBASEDIR/lib/toaster/manage.py get-dburl`
+    if [ $NOTOASTERUI -eq 0 ]; then        # we start the TOASTERUI only if not inhibited
+        bitbake --observe-only -u toasterui --remote-server=$BBSERVER -t xmlrpc >>${BUILDDIR}/toaster_ui.log 2>&1 \
+            & echo $! >${BUILDDIR}/.toasterui.pid
+    fi
+    return 0
+}
+
 stop_bitbake() {
     BBSERVER=0.0.0.0:-1 bitbake -m
     unset BBSERVER
@@ -324,28 +340,15 @@ fi
 
 case $CMD in
     start )
-        start_success=1
         addtoConfiguration toaster.conf "INHERIT+=\"toaster buildhistory\"" $TOASTER_BRBE
         echo > ${BUILDDIR}/conf/toaster-pre.conf
         if [ $WEBSERVER -gt 0 ] && ! webserverStartAll; then
             echo "Failed ${CMD}."
             return 4
         fi
-        unset BBSERVER
-        bitbake --read conf/toaster-pre.conf --postread conf/toaster.conf --server-only -t xmlrpc -B 0.0.0.0:0
-        if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-            start_success=0
-            echo "Bitbake server start failed"
-        else
-            export BBSERVER=0.0.0.0:-1
-            export DATABASE_URL=`$BBBASEDIR/lib/toaster/manage.py get-dburl`
-            if [ $NOTOASTERUI -eq 0 ]; then        # we start the TOASTERUI only if not inhibited
-                bitbake --observe-only -u toasterui --remote-server=$BBSERVER -t xmlrpc >>${BUILDDIR}/toaster_ui.log 2>&1 \
-                    & echo $! >${BUILDDIR}/.toasterui.pid
-            fi
+        start_bitbake
+        if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
             python $BBBASEDIR/lib/toaster/manage.py runbuilds & echo $! >${BUILDDIR}/.runbuilds.pid
-        fi
-        if [ $start_success -eq 1 ]; then
             # set fail safe stop system on terminal exit
             trap stop_system SIGHUP
             echo "Successful ${CMD}."