diff --git a/lib/cli.js b/lib/cli.js
index 802abba..33e0250 100644
--- a/lib/cli.js
+++ b/lib/cli.js
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ CLI.prototype.do_create = require('./do_create');
 CLI.prototype.do_instance = require('./do_instance');
 CLI.prototype.do_instances = require('./do_instances');
 CLI.prototype.do_instance_audit = require('./do_instance_audit');
-CLI.prototype.do_stop_instance = require('./do_stop_instance');
-CLI.prototype.do_start_instance = require('./do_start_instance');
-CLI.prototype.do_reboot_instance = require('./do_reboot_instance');
+CLI.prototype.do_stop_instance = require('./do_startstop_instance')('stop');
+CLI.prototype.do_start_instance = require('./do_startstop_instance')('start');
+CLI.prototype.do_reboot_instance = require('./do_startstop_instance')('reboot');
 
 // Packages
 CLI.prototype.do_packages = require('./do_packages');
diff --git a/lib/cloudapi2.js b/lib/cloudapi2.js
index 7d5a8ff..1018697 100644
--- a/lib/cloudapi2.js
+++ b/lib/cloudapi2.js
@@ -407,6 +407,7 @@ CloudAPI.prototype.rebootMachine = function rebootMachine(uuid, callback) {
  */
 CloudAPI.prototype._doMachine = function _doMachine(action, uuid, callback) {
     var self = this;
+    assert.string(action, 'action');
     assert.string(uuid, 'uuid');
     assert.func(callback, 'callback');
 
@@ -422,6 +423,40 @@ CloudAPI.prototype._doMachine = function _doMachine(action, uuid, callback) {
     });
 };
 
+/**
+ * wait for a specfic state for a machine
+ *
+ * @param {Object} options
+ *      - {String} id - machine UUID
+ *      - {String} state - desired state
+ *      - {Number} interval (optional) - time in ms to poll
+ * @param {Function} callback - called when state is reached or on error
+ */
+CloudAPI.prototype.waitForMachineState = function waitForMachineState(opts, callback) {
+    var self = this;
+    assert.object(opts, 'opts');
+    assert.string(opts.id, 'opts.id');
+    assert.string(opts.state, 'opts.state');
+    assert.optionalNumber(opts.interval, 'opts.interval');
+    assert.func(callback, 'callback');
+    var interval = (opts.interval === undefined ? 1000 : opts.interval);
+
+    poll();
+
+    function poll() {
+        self.getMachine(opts.id, function (err, machine) {
+            if (err) {
+                callback(err);
+                return;
+            }
+            if (machine.state === opts.state) {
+                callback(null, machine);
+                return;
+            }
+            setTimeout(poll, interval);
+        });
+    }
+};
 
 /**
  * List the user's machines.
diff --git a/lib/do_reboot_instance.js b/lib/do_reboot_instance.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 16a4d40..0000000
--- a/lib/do_reboot_instance.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,67 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2015 Joyent Inc.
- *
- * `triton reboot-instance ...`
- */
-
-var common = require('./common');
-
-function do_reboot_instance(subcmd, opts, args, callback) {
-    var self = this;
-    if (opts.help) {
-        this.do_help('help', {}, [subcmd], callback);
-        return;
-    } else if (args.length !== 1) {
-        callback(new Error('invalid args: ' + args));
-        return;
-    }
-
-    var arg = args[0];
-    var uuid;
-
-    if (common.isUUID(arg)) {
-        uuid = arg;
-        go1();
-    } else {
-        self.triton.getMachineByAlias(arg, function (err, machine) {
-            if (err) {
-                callback(err);
-                return;
-            }
-            uuid = machine.id;
-            go1();
-        });
-    }
-
-    function go1() {
-        // called when "uuid" is set
-        self.triton.cloudapi.rebootMachine(uuid, function (err, body, res) {
-            if (err) {
-                callback(err);
-                return;
-            }
-            callback();
-        });
-
-    }
-}
-
-do_reboot_instance.options = [
-    {
-        names: ['help', 'h'],
-        type: 'bool',
-        help: 'Show this help.'
-    },
-];
-do_reboot_instance.help = (
-    'Stop a single instance.\n'
-    + '\n'
-    + 'Usage:\n'
-    + '     {{name}} reboot <alias|id>\n'
-    + '\n'
-    + '{{options}}'
-);
-
-do_reboot_instance.aliases = ['reboot'];
-
-module.exports = do_reboot_instance;
diff --git a/lib/do_start_instance.js b/lib/do_start_instance.js
deleted file mode 100644
index ed11cc6..0000000
--- a/lib/do_start_instance.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,67 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2015 Joyent Inc.
- *
- * `triton start-instance ...`
- */
-
-var common = require('./common');
-
-function do_start_instance(subcmd, opts, args, callback) {
-    var self = this;
-    if (opts.help) {
-        this.do_help('help', {}, [subcmd], callback);
-        return;
-    } else if (args.length !== 1) {
-        callback(new Error('invalid args: ' + args));
-        return;
-    }
-
-    var arg = args[0];
-    var uuid;
-
-    if (common.isUUID(arg)) {
-        uuid = arg;
-        go1();
-    } else {
-        self.triton.getMachineByAlias(arg, function (err, machine) {
-            if (err) {
-                callback(err);
-                return;
-            }
-            uuid = machine.id;
-            go1();
-        });
-    }
-
-    function go1() {
-        // called when "uuid" is set
-        self.triton.cloudapi.startMachine(uuid, function (err, body, res) {
-            if (err) {
-                callback(err);
-                return;
-            }
-            callback();
-        });
-
-    }
-}
-
-do_start_instance.options = [
-    {
-        names: ['help', 'h'],
-        type: 'bool',
-        help: 'Show this help.'
-    },
-];
-do_start_instance.help = (
-    'Stop a single instance.\n'
-    + '\n'
-    + 'Usage:\n'
-    + '     {{name}} start <alias|id>\n'
-    + '\n'
-    + '{{options}}'
-);
-
-do_start_instance.aliases = ['start'];
-
-module.exports = do_start_instance;
diff --git a/lib/do_startstop_instance.js b/lib/do_startstop_instance.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9495e5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/do_startstop_instance.js
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015 Joyent Inc.
+ *
+ * `triton stop-instance ...`
+ */
+
+var f = require('util').format;
+var assert = require('assert-plus');
+var common = require('./common');
+
+function do_startstop_instance(action) {
+    assert.ok(['start', 'stop', 'reboot'].indexOf(action) >= 0,
+        'invalid action');
+
+    function _do_startstop_instance(subcmd, opts, args, callback) {
+        return _do_instance.call(this, action, subcmd, opts, args, callback);
+    }
+
+    _do_startstop_instance.aliases = [action];
+    _do_startstop_instance.help = [
+        f('%s a single instance.', action),
+        f(''),
+        f('Usage:'),
+        f('       {{name}} %s <alias|id>', action),
+        f(''),
+        f('{{options}}')
+    ];
+    _do_startstop_instance.options = [
+    {
+        names: ['help', 'h'],
+        type: 'bool',
+        help: 'Show this help.'
+    },
+    {
+        names: ['wait', 'w'],
+        type: 'bool',
+        help: 'Block until desired state is reached.'
+    },
+    ];
+
+    return _do_startstop_instance;
+}
+
+function _do_instance(action, subcmd, opts, args, callback) {
+    var self = this;
+
+    var command, state;
+    switch (action) {
+        case 'start':
+            command = 'startMachine';
+            state = 'running';
+            break;
+        case 'stop':
+            command = 'stopMachine';
+            state = 'stopped';
+            break;
+        case 'reboot':
+            command = 'rebootMachine';
+            state = 'running';
+            break;
+    }
+
+    if (opts.help) {
+        this.do_help('help', {}, [subcmd], callback);
+        return;
+    } else if (args.length !== 1) {
+        callback(new Error('invalid args: ' + args));
+        return;
+    }
+
+    var arg = args[0];
+    var uuid;
+
+    if (common.isUUID(arg)) {
+        uuid = arg;
+        go1();
+    } else {
+        self.triton.getMachineByAlias(arg, function (err, machine) {
+            if (err) {
+                callback(err);
+                return;
+            }
+            uuid = machine.id;
+            go1();
+        });
+    }
+
+    function go1() {
+        // called when "uuid" is set
+        self.triton.cloudapi[command](uuid, function (err, body, res) {
+            if (err) {
+                callback(err);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            if (!opts.wait) {
+                callback();
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var waitOpts = {
+                state: state,
+                id: uuid
+            };
+            self.triton.cloudapi.waitForMachineState(waitOpts, function (err, machine) {
+                if (err) {
+                    callback(err);
+                    return;
+                }
+                callback();
+            });
+        });
+    }
+}
+
+module.exports = do_startstop_instance;
diff --git a/lib/do_stop_instance.js b/lib/do_stop_instance.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 46306e8..0000000
--- a/lib/do_stop_instance.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,67 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2015 Joyent Inc.
- *
- * `triton stop-instance ...`
- */
-
-var common = require('./common');
-
-function do_stop_instance(subcmd, opts, args, callback) {
-    var self = this;
-    if (opts.help) {
-        this.do_help('help', {}, [subcmd], callback);
-        return;
-    } else if (args.length !== 1) {
-        callback(new Error('invalid args: ' + args));
-        return;
-    }
-
-    var arg = args[0];
-    var uuid;
-
-    if (common.isUUID(arg)) {
-        uuid = arg;
-        go1();
-    } else {
-        self.triton.getMachineByAlias(arg, function (err, machine) {
-            if (err) {
-                callback(err);
-                return;
-            }
-            uuid = machine.id;
-            go1();
-        });
-    }
-
-    function go1() {
-        // called when "uuid" is set
-        self.triton.cloudapi.stopMachine(uuid, function (err, body, res) {
-            if (err) {
-                callback(err);
-                return;
-            }
-            callback();
-        });
-
-    }
-}
-
-do_stop_instance.options = [
-    {
-        names: ['help', 'h'],
-        type: 'bool',
-        help: 'Show this help.'
-    },
-];
-do_stop_instance.help = (
-    'Stop a single instance.\n'
-    + '\n'
-    + 'Usage:\n'
-    + '     {{name}} stop <alias|id>\n'
-    + '\n'
-    + '{{options}}'
-);
-
-do_stop_instance.aliases = ['stop'];
-
-module.exports = do_stop_instance;