diff --git a/src/everest/detached/jobs/everest_server_api.py b/src/everest/detached/jobs/everest_server_api.py
index 40a28a46e6c..384570cfb39 100644
--- a/src/everest/detached/jobs/everest_server_api.py
+++ b/src/everest/detached/jobs/everest_server_api.py
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@
 from everest.config import EverestConfig, ServerConfig
 from everest.detached import get_opt_status
 from everest.strings import (
+    EXIT_CODE_ENDPOINT,
+    OPT_PROGRESS_ENDPOINT,
+    SHARED_DATA_ENDPOINT,
     SIM_PROGRESS_ENDPOINT,
+    START_ENDPOINT,
     STOP_ENDPOINT,
 )
 from everest.util import makedirs_if_needed
@@ -237,16 +241,22 @@ def __init__(self, everest_config: EverestConfig):
 
         self.router = APIRouter()
         self.router.add_api_route("/", self.get_status, methods=["GET"])
-        self.router.add_api_route("/stop", self.stop, methods=["POST"])
+        self.router.add_api_route("/" + STOP_ENDPOINT, self.stop, methods=["POST"])
         self.router.add_api_route(
-            "/sim_progress", self.get_sim_progress, methods=["GET"]
+            "/" + SIM_PROGRESS_ENDPOINT, self.get_sim_progress, methods=["GET"]
         )
         self.router.add_api_route(
-            "/opt_progress", self.get_opt_progress, methods=["GET"]
+            "/" + OPT_PROGRESS_ENDPOINT, self.get_opt_progress, methods=["GET"]
+        )
+        self.router.add_api_route(
+            "/" + START_ENDPOINT, self.start_experiment, methods=["POST"]
+        )
+        self.router.add_api_route(
+            "/" + EXIT_CODE_ENDPOINT, self.get_exit_code, methods=["GET"]
+        )
+        self.router.add_api_route(
+            "/" + SHARED_DATA_ENDPOINT, self.get_state, methods=["GET"]
         )
-        self.router.add_api_route("/start", self.start_experiment, methods=["POST"])
-        self.router.add_api_route("/exit_code", self.get_exit_code, methods=["GET"])
-        self.router.add_api_route("/state", self.get_state, methods=["GET"])
 
         self.app.include_router(self.router)
 
@@ -326,7 +336,6 @@ def get_exit_code(
     ) -> JSONResponse:
         self._log(request)
         self._check_user(credentials)
-
         return JSONResponse(
             jsonable_encoder(
                 self.runner.get_exit_code() if self.runner.get_exit_code() else {}
@@ -345,14 +354,14 @@ def start_experiment(
         self,
         request: Request,
         credentials: HTTPBasicCredentials = Depends(security),
-    ) -> JSONResponse:
+    ) -> Response:
         self._log(request)
         self._check_user(credentials)
 
         self.runner = ExperimentRunner(self.everest_config, self.state)
         self.runner.start()
 
-        return JSONResponse("ok")
+        return Response("Everest experiment started", 200)
 
     def get_state(
         self, request: Request, credentials: HTTPBasicCredentials = Depends(security)
diff --git a/src/everest/detached/jobs/everserver.py b/src/everest/detached/jobs/everserver.py
index 5625cad3ddd..11c518e4d24 100755
--- a/src/everest/detached/jobs/everserver.py
+++ b/src/everest/detached/jobs/everserver.py
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@
 from everest.simulator import JOB_FAILURE
 from everest.strings import (
     EVEREST,
+    EXIT_CODE_ENDPOINT,
     OPT_FAILURE_REALIZATIONS,
+    SHARED_DATA_ENDPOINT,
     SIM_PROGRESS_ENDPOINT,
+    START_ENDPOINT,
     STOP_ENDPOINT,
 )
 from everest.util import configure_logger, version_info
@@ -156,24 +159,24 @@ def main():
         while not is_running:
             try:
                 requests.get(url + "/", verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY)
-                # check return value
                 is_running = True
             except:
                 time.sleep(1)
 
         update_everserver_status(status_path, ServerStatus.running)
 
-        # start
-        response = requests.post(url + "/start", verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY)
+        response = requests.post(
+            url + "/" + START_ENDPOINT, verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY
+        )
 
-        is_running = True
-        while is_running:
+        is_done = False
+        while not is_done:
             response = requests.get(
-                url + "/exit_code", verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY
+                url + "/" + EXIT_CODE_ENDPOINT, verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY
             )
             exit_code = ExitCode.model_validate_json(response.text)
             if exit_code.exit_code or exit_code.message:
-                is_running = False
+                is_done = True
             else:
                 time.sleep(1)
 
@@ -185,7 +188,9 @@ def main():
             )
             return
 
-        response = requests.get(url + "/state", verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY)
+        response = requests.get(
+            url + "/" + SHARED_DATA_ENDPOINT, verify=cert, auth=auth, proxies=PROXY
+        )
         if json_body := json.loads(response.text):
             shared_data = json_body
 
diff --git a/src/everest/strings.py b/src/everest/strings.py
index 50be1da326b..791eca51ae6 100644
--- a/src/everest/strings.py
+++ b/src/everest/strings.py
@@ -29,5 +29,9 @@
 SIMULATOR_END = "end"
 SIM_PROGRESS_ENDPOINT = "sim_progress"
 SIM_PROGRESS_ID = "simulation_progress"
+START_ENDPOINT = "start"
 STOP_ENDPOINT = "stop"
 STORAGE_DIR = "simulation_results"
+STATUS_ENDPOINT = "status"
+SHARED_DATA_ENDPOINT = "shared_data"
+EXIT_CODE_ENDPOINT = "exit_code"