diff --git a/quickstart/docker/image/ziti-cli-functions.sh b/quickstart/docker/image/ziti-cli-functions.sh
index cbdfed621..ebdf3e67c 100755
--- a/quickstart/docker/image/ziti-cli-functions.sh
+++ b/quickstart/docker/image/ziti-cli-functions.sh
@@ -67,13 +67,21 @@ function startZitiController {
   ("${ZITI_BIN_DIR-}/ziti-controller" run "${ZITI_HOME_OS_SPECIFIC}/${ZITI_EDGE_CONTROLLER_RAWNAME}.yaml" > "${log_file}" 2>&1 &)
   pid=$!
   echo -e "ziti-controller started as process id: $pid. log located at: $(BLUE "${log_file}")"
-  return $pid
+  echo $pid  # for capture by caller
 }
 
 function stopZitiController {
-  pkill ziti-controller
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2181
-  if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then echo "Controller stopped."; fi
+  if (( ${#} )); then
+    kill "$1"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2181
+    if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then 
+      echo "Controller stopped."
+      return 0
+    fi
+  else
+    echo "ERROR: need controller PID to kill" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
 }
 
 function startExpressEdgeRouter {
@@ -81,13 +89,40 @@ function startExpressEdgeRouter {
   "${ZITI_BIN_DIR}/ziti-router" run "${ZITI_HOME_OS_SPECIFIC}/${ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_RAWNAME}.yaml" > "${log_file}" 2>&1 &
   pid=$!
   echo -e "Express Edge Router started as process id: $pid. log located at: $(BLUE "${log_file}")"
-  return $pid
+  ZITI_EXPRESS_EDGE_ROUTER_PID="$pid"
 }
 
 function stopAllEdgeRouters {
-  pkill ziti-router
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2181
-  if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then echo "Router(s) stopped."; fi
+  if [[ -n ${ZITI_EXPRESS_EDGE_ROUTER_PID:-} ]]; then
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2015
+    kill "${ZITI_EXPRESS_EDGE_ROUTER_PID}" && {
+      echo "INFO: stopped router"
+    } || {
+      echo "ERROR: something went wrong with stopping the router(s)" >&2
+      return 1
+    }
+  else
+    if which pkill &>/dev/null; then
+      # shellcheck disable=SC2015
+      pkill ziti-router && {
+        echo "Router(s) stopped."
+      } || {
+        echo "ERROR: something went wrong with stopping the router(s)" >&2
+        return 1
+      }
+    elif which killall &>/dev/null; then
+      # shellcheck disable=SC2015
+      killall ziti-router && {
+        echo "Router(s) stopped."
+      } || {
+        echo "ERROR: something went wrong with stopping the router(s)" >&2
+        return 1
+      }
+    else
+      echo "ERROR: need 'pkill' or 'killall' command to kill routers that were not started with startExpressEdgeRouter" >&2
+      return 1
+    fi
+  fi
 }
 
 function checkHostsFile {
@@ -484,7 +519,7 @@ function ziti_expressConfiguration {
   createControllerConfig
   #createControllerSystemdFile
   initializeController
-  startZitiController
+  ZITI_EXPRESS_CONTROLLER_PID=$(startZitiController)
   echo "waiting for the controller to come online to allow the edge router to enroll"
 
   waitForController
@@ -518,7 +553,7 @@ function ziti_expressConfiguration {
   "${ZITI_BIN_DIR-}/ziti-router" enroll "${ZITI_HOME_OS_SPECIFIC}/${ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_RAWNAME}.yaml" --jwt "${ZITI_HOME_OS_SPECIFIC}/${ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_RAWNAME}.jwt" &> "${ZITI_HOME_OS_SPECIFIC}/${ZITI_EDGE_ROUTER_RAWNAME}.enrollment.log"
   echo ""
 
-  stopZitiController
+  [[ -n ${ZITI_EXPRESS_CONTROLLER_PID:-} ]] && stopZitiController "${ZITI_EXPRESS_CONTROLLER_PID}"
   echo "Edge Router enrolled. Controller stopped."
 
   echo ""