diff --git a/libs/solvers/lib/operators/molecule/drivers/pyscf_driver.cpp b/libs/solvers/lib/operators/molecule/drivers/pyscf_driver.cpp
index 4204f2d7..f9a3fd0a 100644
--- a/libs/solvers/lib/operators/molecule/drivers/pyscf_driver.cpp
+++ b/libs/solvers/lib/operators/molecule/drivers/pyscf_driver.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@
 
 using namespace cudaqx;
 
+namespace {
+bool hasAvailableStatus(const nlohmann::json &metadata) {
+  return metadata.contains("status") && metadata["status"].is_string() &&
+         metadata["status"].get<std::string>() == "available";
+}
+} // namespace
+
 namespace cudaq::solvers {
 
 // Create a tear down service
@@ -50,13 +57,10 @@ class RESTPySCFDriver : public MoleculePackageDriver {
     std::map<std::string, std::string> headers;
     try {
       auto res = client.get("localhost:8000/", "status", headers);
-      if (res.contains("status") &&
-          res["status"].get<std::string>() == "available")
-        return true;
-    } catch (std::exception &e) {
+      return hasAvailableStatus(res);
+    } catch (const std::exception &) {
       return false;
     }
-    return true;
   }
 
   std::unique_ptr<tear_down>
@@ -70,7 +74,6 @@ class RESTPySCFDriver : public MoleculePackageDriver {
     auto argString = cudaqPySCFTool.string() + " --server-mode";
     if (!python_path.empty())
       argString = python_path + " " + argString;
-    int a0, a1;
     auto [ret, msg] = cudaqx::launchProcess(argString.c_str());
     if (ret == -1)
       return nullptr;
@@ -86,28 +89,26 @@ class RESTPySCFDriver : public MoleculePackageDriver {
 
     cudaq::RestClient client;
     using namespace std::chrono_literals;
+    static constexpr std::size_t timeoutMs = 5000;
+    static constexpr std::size_t pollIntervalMs = 100;
     std::size_t ticker = 0;
     std::map<std::string, std::string> headers{
         {"Content-Type", "application/json"}};
-    while (true) {
+    while (ticker < timeoutMs) {
       std::this_thread::sleep_for(100ms);
+      ticker += pollIntervalMs;
 
       nlohmann::json metadata;
       try {
         metadata = client.get("localhost:8000/", "status", headers);
-        if (metadata.count("status"))
-          break;
+        if (hasAvailableStatus(metadata))
+          return std::make_unique<PySCFTearDown>(ret);
       } catch (...) {
-        continue;
+        // Keep polling until the startup timeout expires.
       }
-
-      if (ticker > 5000)
-        return nullptr;
-
-      ticker += 100;
     }
 
-    return std::make_unique<PySCFTearDown>(ret);
+    return nullptr;
   }
 
   /// @brief Create the molecular hamiltonian