diff --git a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/Application.java b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/Application.java
index 49d96b0..5392432 100644
--- a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/Application.java
+++ b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/Application.java
@@ -89,8 +89,7 @@
    * manual shutdown. A shutdown hook is automatically installed that calls
    * {@code stop()}.
    */
-  public synchronized void start() throws IOException, InterruptedException,
-      StartupException {
+  public synchronized void start() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
     synchronized (this) {
       daemonInit();
 
@@ -100,7 +99,16 @@
       Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(shutdownHook);
     }
 
-    daemonStart();
+    boolean success = false;
+    try {
+      daemonStart();
+      success = true;
+    } finally {
+      if (!success) {
+        // Call daemonDestroy() and remove shutdown hook.
+        stop(0, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -112,21 +120,41 @@
     if (primaryServer != null) {
       throw new IllegalStateException("Already started");
     }
-    primaryServer = createHttpServer(config);
-    dashboardServer = createDashboardHttpServer(config);
-    // Because once stopped the server can't be reused, we can't reuse its
-    // bind()ed socket if we stop it. So although ideally we would start/stop in
-    // daemonStart/daemonStop, we instead must do it in
-    // daemonInit/daemonDestroy.
-    primaryServer.start();
-    dashboardServer.start();
+    boolean success = false;
+    try {
+      primaryServer = createHttpServer(config);
+      dashboardServer = createDashboardHttpServer(config);
+      // Because once stopped the server can't be reused, we can't reuse its
+      // bind()ed socket if we stop it. So although ideally we would start/stop
+      // in daemonStart/daemonStop, we instead must do it in
+      // daemonInit/daemonDestroy.
+      primaryServer.start();
+      dashboardServer.start();
+      success = true;
+    } finally {
+      if (!success) {
+        daemonDestroy(0, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   /**
    * Really start. This must be called after a successful {@link #daemonInit}.
    */
-  synchronized void daemonStart() throws IOException, InterruptedException,
-      StartupException {
+  synchronized void daemonStart() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+    boolean success = false;
+    try {
+      realDaemonStart();
+      success = true;
+    } finally {
+      if (!success) {
+        daemonStop(0, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  private synchronized void realDaemonStart() throws IOException,
+        InterruptedException {
     AdaptorContext context = gsa.setup(primaryServer, dashboardServer, null);
 
     long sleepDurationMillis = 8000;
@@ -150,8 +178,7 @@
       } catch (InterruptedException ex) {
         throw ex;
       } catch (StartupException ex) {        
-        log.log(Level.WARNING, "Failed to initialize adaptor", ex);
-        throw ex;
+        throw new RuntimeException("Failed to initialize adaptor", ex);
       } catch (Exception ex) {
         log.log(Level.WARNING, "Failed to initialize adaptor", ex);
         if (shutdownSemaphore.tryAcquire(sleepDurationMillis,
@@ -483,34 +510,13 @@
 
     // Setup providing content.
     try {
-      try {
-        app.start();
-        log.info("doc content serving started");
-      } catch (StartupException e) {
-        throw new RuntimeException("could not start serving", e);
-      } catch (IOException e) {
-        throw new RuntimeException("could not start serving", e);
-      }
+      app.start();
+      log.info("doc content serving started");
     } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-      // Do not call stop - it has already been called.
+      Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
       throw new RuntimeException("could not start serving", e);
-    } catch (Throwable t) {
-      // Abnormal termination. Make sure any services that may have been
-      // started are shut down.
-      try {
-        app.stop(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
-      } catch (Throwable ignored) {
-        // It was a noble try. Just get out.
-      }
-      // Now rethrow.
-      if (t instanceof RuntimeException) {
-        throw (RuntimeException) t;
-      } else if (t instanceof Error) {
-        throw (Error) t;
-      } else {
-        // Very unlikely to happen.
-        throw new RuntimeException(t);
-      }
+    } catch (IOException e) {
+      throw new RuntimeException("could not start serving", e);
     }
     return app;
   }
diff --git a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/GsaCommunicationHandler.java b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/GsaCommunicationHandler.java
index f5168a7..dcd785e 100644
--- a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/GsaCommunicationHandler.java
+++ b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/GsaCommunicationHandler.java
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
-import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLException;
@@ -121,12 +120,6 @@
   private KeyPair keyPair;
   private AclTransform aclTransform;
 
-  /**
-   * Used to stop startup prematurely. When greater than 0, start() should abort
-   * immediately because stop() is currently processing. This allows cancelling
-   * new start() calls before stop() is done processing.
-   */
-  private final AtomicInteger shutdownCount = new AtomicInteger();
   private ShutdownWaiter waiter;
   private final List<Filter> commonFilters = Arrays.asList(new Filter[] {
     new AbortImmediatelyFilter(),
diff --git a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/InvalidConfigurationException.java b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/InvalidConfigurationException.java
index c66798c..bccdf3e 100644
--- a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/InvalidConfigurationException.java
+++ b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/InvalidConfigurationException.java
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  */
 public class InvalidConfigurationException extends StartupException {
   /**
-   * Constructs a new InvalidConfigurationException with no message and no root
+   * Constructs a new InvalidConfigurationException with no message and no
    * cause.
    */
   public InvalidConfigurationException() {
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Constructs a InvalidConfigurationException with a supplied message
-   * but no root cause.
+   * Constructs a InvalidConfigurationException with a supplied message but no
+   * cause.
    *
    * @param message the message. Can be retrieved by the {@link #getMessage()}
    *        method.
@@ -40,13 +40,25 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Constructs a InvalidConfigurationException with message and root cause.
+   * Constructs a InvalidConfigurationException with message and cause.
    *
    * @param message the message. Can be retrieved by the {@link #getMessage()}
    *        method.
-   * @param rootCause root failure cause
+   * @param cause failure cause
    */
-  public InvalidConfigurationException(String message, Throwable rootCause) {
-    super(message, rootCause);
+  public InvalidConfigurationException(String message, Throwable cause) {
+    super(message, cause);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs a InvalidConfigurationException with specified cause, copying
+   * its message if cause is non-{@code null}.
+   *
+   * @param message the message. Can be retrieved by the {@link #getMessage()}
+   *        method.
+   * @param cause failure cause
+   */
+  public InvalidConfigurationException(Throwable cause) {
+    super(cause);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/StartupException.java b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/StartupException.java
index c8b5d3a..9464c46 100644
--- a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/StartupException.java
+++ b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/StartupException.java
@@ -17,21 +17,19 @@
 /**
  * Thrown for unrecoverable startup errors, such as fatal configuration
  * errors or running on the wrong platform.  StartupExceptions will bypass
- * the retry with back-off recovery logic and immediately terminate the
- * adaptor.
+ * the retry with back-off recovery logic of {@link Application} and immediately
+ * terminate the adaptor.
  */
 public class StartupException extends RuntimeException {
   /**
-   * Constructs a new StartupException with no message and no root
-   * cause.
+   * Constructs a new StartupException with no message and no cause.
    */
   public StartupException() {
     super();
   }
 
   /**
-   * Constructs a StartupException with a supplied message but no root
-   * cause.
+   * Constructs a StartupException with a supplied message but no cause.
    *
    * @param message the message. Can be retrieved by the {@link #getMessage()}
    *        method.
@@ -41,13 +39,23 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Constructs a StartupException with message and root cause.
+   * Constructs a StartupException with message and cause.
    *
    * @param message the message. Can be retrieved by the {@link #getMessage()}
    *        method.
-   * @param rootCause root failure cause
+   * @param cause failure cause
    */
-  public StartupException(String message, Throwable rootCause) {
-    super(message, rootCause);
+  public StartupException(String message, Throwable cause) {
+    super(message, cause);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs a StartupException with specified cause, copying its message if
+   * cause is non-{@code null}.
+   *
+   * @param cause failure cause
+   */
+  public StartupException(Throwable cause) {
+    super(cause);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/UnsupportedPlatformException.java b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/UnsupportedPlatformException.java
index c004f36..3cd86d3 100644
--- a/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/UnsupportedPlatformException.java
+++ b/src/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/UnsupportedPlatformException.java
@@ -19,11 +19,10 @@
  */
 public class UnsupportedPlatformException extends StartupException {
   /**
-   * Constructs a new UnsupportedPlatformException with a default message.
+   * Constructs a new UnsupportedPlatformException with no message.
    */
   public UnsupportedPlatformException() {
-    this(System.getProperty("os.name")
-        + " is not a supported platform for this adaptor.");
+    super();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -35,4 +34,26 @@
   public UnsupportedPlatformException(String message) {
     super(message);
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs a UnsupportedPlatformException with a supplied message and
+   * cause.
+   *
+   * @param message the message. Can be retrieved by the {@link #getMessage()}
+   *        method.
+   * @param cause failure cause
+   */
+  public UnsupportedPlatformException(String message, Throwable cause) {
+    super(message, cause);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs a UnsupportedPlatformException with specified cause, copying its
+   * message if cause is non-{@code null}.
+   *
+   * @param cause failure cause
+   */
+  public UnsupportedPlatformException(Throwable cause) {
+    super(cause);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/ApplicationTest.java b/test/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/ApplicationTest.java
index 12a9b8f..bce3236 100644
--- a/test/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/ApplicationTest.java
+++ b/test/com/google/enterprise/adaptor/ApplicationTest.java
@@ -276,10 +276,12 @@
 
   @Test
   public void testFailWithStartupException() throws Exception {
+    final StartupException startupException
+        = new StartupException("Unrecoverable error.");
     class FailStartupAdaptor extends NullAdaptor {
       @Override
       public void init(AdaptorContext context) throws Exception {
-        throw new StartupException("Unrecoverable error.");
+        throw startupException;
       }
     }
     FailStartupAdaptor adaptor = new FailStartupAdaptor();
@@ -289,12 +291,13 @@
     long startTime = System.nanoTime();
     try {
       app.start();
-      fail("Expected a StartupException, but got none.");
-    } catch (StartupException expected) {
+      fail("Expected a RuntimeException, but got none.");
+    } catch (RuntimeException expected) {
+      assertEquals(startupException, expected.getCause());
       long duration = System.nanoTime() - startTime;
       final long nanosInAMilli = 1000 * 1000;
       if (duration > 1000 * nanosInAMilli) {
-        fail("StartupException took a long time: " + duration);
+        fail("RuntimeException took a long time: " + duration);
       }
     }
   }