diff --git a/pelican/tools/templates/develop_server.sh.in b/pelican/tools/templates/develop_server.sh.in
index 1eda47c4..ab81a298 100755
--- a/pelican/tools/templates/develop_server.sh.in
+++ b/pelican/tools/templates/develop_server.sh.in
@@ -26,11 +26,14 @@ function usage(){
   exit 3
 }
 
+function alive() {
+  kill -0 $$1 >/dev/null 2>&1
+}
+
 function shut_down(){
-  if [[ -f $$SRV_PID ]]; then
-    PID=$$(cat $$SRV_PID)
-    PROCESS=$$(ps -p $$PID | tail -n 1 | awk '{print $$4}')
-    if [[ $$PROCESS != "" ]]; then
+  PID=$$(cat $$SRV_PID)
+  if [[ $$? -eq 0 ]]; then
+    if alive $PID; then
       echo "Killing pelican.server"
       kill $$PID
     else
@@ -41,10 +44,9 @@ function shut_down(){
     echo "pelican.server PIDFile not found"
   fi
 
-  if [[ -f $$PELICAN_PID ]]; then
-    PID=$$(cat $$PELICAN_PID)
-    PROCESS=$$(ps -p $$PID | tail -n 1 | awk '{print $$4}')
-    if [[ $$PROCESS != "" ]]; then
+  PID=$$(cat $$PELICAN_PID)
+  if [[ $$? -eq 0 ]]; then
+    if alive $$PID; then
       echo "Killing Pelican"
       kill $$PID
     else
@@ -60,12 +62,22 @@ function start_up(){
   echo "Starting up Pelican and pelican.server"
   shift
   $$PELICAN --debug --autoreload -r $$INPUTDIR -o $$OUTPUTDIR -s $$CONFFILE $$PELICANOPTS &
-  echo $$! > $$PELICAN_PID
+  pelican_pid=$$!
+  echo $$pelican_pid > $$PELICAN_PID
   cd $$OUTPUTDIR
   python -m pelican.server &
-  echo $$! > $$SRV_PID
+  srv_pid=$$!
+  echo $$srv_pid > $$SRV_PID
   cd $$BASEDIR
-  sleep 1 && echo 'Pelican and pelican.server processes now running in background.'
+  sleep 1
+  if ! alive $$pelican_pid ; then
+    echo "Pelican didn't start. Is the pelican package installed?"
+    return 1
+  elif ! alive $$srv_pid ; then
+    echo "pelican.server didn't start. Is the pelican package installed?"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  echo 'Pelican and pelican.server processes now running in background.'
 }
 
 ###
@@ -78,7 +90,9 @@ elif [[ $$1 == "restart" ]]; then
   shut_down
   start_up
 elif [[ $$1 == "start" ]]; then
-  start_up
+  if ! start_up; then
+    shut_down
+  fi
 else
   usage
 fi