diff --git a/playbooks/vhost-reboot.yml b/playbooks/vhost-reboot.yml
index 9963f1140b..0c4747f78a 100644
--- a/playbooks/vhost-reboot.yml
+++ b/playbooks/vhost-reboot.yml
@@ -30,9 +30,13 @@
   tasks:
   - name: echo-y
     action: command echo "I would run halt -p"
+    ignore_errors: true
+    # if one of them is down we don't care
+
+  - name: wait for them to die
+    local_action: wait_for port=23 delay=30 timeout=300 state=stopped host=$item
+    with_items: ${vmlist.list_vms}
 
-  - name: pause for 30s to let them die
-    local_action: pause seconds=30
 
 - name: reboot vhost
   hosts: $vhost
@@ -40,4 +44,15 @@
 
   tasks:
   - name: echo what I would do
-    action: command echo 'I would run halt -r"
\ No newline at end of file
+    action: command echo 'I would run halt -r'
+
+  - name: wait for vhost to be back
+    local_action: wait_for host=$vhost port=22 delay=120 timeout=420
+
+  - name: check out vms again
+    action: virt command=list_vms
+    register: newvmlist
+
+  - name: should match
+    action: fail msg="Not all vms listed on system returned to the same state" rc=100
+    only_if: "$vmlist' != '$newvmlist'