diff --git a/runtime/bin/process.cc b/runtime/bin/process.cc
index 3c345b7..9e3e14e 100644
--- a/runtime/bin/process.cc
+++ b/runtime/bin/process.cc
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 // Global flag that is used to indicate that the VM should do a clean
 // shutdown.
-bool do_vm_shutdown = true;
+bool do_vm_shutdown = false;
 
 static const int kProcessIdNativeField = 0;
 
diff --git a/runtime/vm/dart.cc b/runtime/vm/dart.cc
index 89d9fc5..8d2a7da 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/dart.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/dart.cc
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 DECLARE_FLAG(bool, trace_time_all);
 DEFINE_FLAG(bool, keep_code, false,
             "Keep deoptimized code for profiling.");
-DEFINE_FLAG(bool, shutdown, true, "Do a clean shutdown of the VM");
+DEFINE_FLAG(bool, shutdown, false, "Do a clean shutdown of the VM");
 
 Isolate* Dart::vm_isolate_ = NULL;
 ThreadPool* Dart::thread_pool_ = NULL;
@@ -268,7 +268,6 @@
                              const Dart_IsolateFlags& api_flags) {
   // Create a new isolate.
   Isolate* isolate = Isolate::Init(name_prefix, api_flags);
-  ASSERT(isolate != NULL);
   return isolate;
 }
 
diff --git a/runtime/vm/os_thread_win.cc b/runtime/vm/os_thread_win.cc
index 7af1ce4..8fd13c9 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/os_thread_win.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/os_thread_win.cc
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@
   // Second OSThread could be refactored to no longer be AllStatic. Then the
   // handle could be cached in the object by the Start method.
   if (handle == NULL) {
-    ASSERT(GetLastError() == ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER);
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/runtime/vm/service_isolate.cc b/runtime/vm/service_isolate.cc
index 29a71ce..39e457c 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/service_isolate.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/service_isolate.cc
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 
 namespace dart {
 
+DECLARE_FLAG(bool, shutdown);
+
 #define Z (T->zone())
 
 
@@ -763,6 +765,9 @@
 
 
 void ServiceIsolate::KillServiceIsolate() {
+  if (!FLAG_shutdown) {
+    return;
+  }
   {
     MonitorLocker ml(monitor_);
     shutting_down_ = true;
diff --git a/tools/VERSION b/tools/VERSION
index 593aeba..19d22f0 100644
--- a/tools/VERSION
+++ b/tools/VERSION
@@ -28,4 +28,4 @@
 MINOR 13
 PATCH 0
 PRERELEASE 3
-PRERELEASE_PATCH 0
+PRERELEASE_PATCH 1