diff --git a/jupyterhub/objects.py b/jupyterhub/objects.py
index 75a8391d..c76e4ace 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/objects.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/objects.py
@@ -111,13 +111,12 @@ class Server(HasTraits):
             return self.url.replace(self._connect_ip, self.ip or '*', 1)
         return self.url
 
-    @gen.coroutine
     def wait_up(self, timeout=10, http=False):
         """Wait for this server to come up"""
         if http:
-            yield wait_for_http_server(self.url, timeout=timeout)
+            return wait_for_http_server(self.url, timeout=timeout)
         else:
-            yield wait_for_server(self._connect_ip, self.port, timeout=timeout)
+            return wait_for_server(self._connect_ip, self.port, timeout=timeout)
 
     def is_up(self):
         """Is the server accepting connections?"""
diff --git a/jupyterhub/utils.py b/jupyterhub/utils.py
index 869cc0d1..1ac76a2e 100644
--- a/jupyterhub/utils.py
+++ b/jupyterhub/utils.py
@@ -89,13 +89,13 @@ def wait_for_http_server(url, timeout=10):
                 yield gen.sleep(0.1)
             else:
                 app_log.debug("Server at %s responded with %s", url, e.code)
-                return
+                return e.response
         except (OSError, socket.error) as e:
             if e.errno not in {errno.ECONNABORTED, errno.ECONNREFUSED, errno.ECONNRESET}:
                 app_log.warning("Failed to connect to %s (%s)", url, e)
             yield gen.sleep(0.1)
         else:
-            return
+            return r
 
     raise TimeoutError(
         "Server at {url} didn't respond in {timeout} seconds".format(**locals())