diff --git a/app/vmmd.ml b/app/vmmd.ml
index 7f6bd57..7dd01ca 100644
--- a/app/vmmd.ml
+++ b/app/vmmd.ml
@@ -25,26 +25,34 @@ let version = `AV3
 let state = ref (Vmm_vmmd.init version)
 
 let create process cont =
-  let await, wakeme = Lwt.wait () in
-  match cont !state await with
+  match cont !state with
   | Error (`Msg msg) ->
     Logs.err (fun m -> m "create continuation failed %s" msg) ;
     Lwt.return_unit
-  | Ok (state'', out, name, vm) ->
-    state := state'' ;
+  | Ok (state', out, name, vm) ->
+    state := state' ;
     s := { !s with vm_created = succ !s.vm_created } ;
     Lwt.async (fun () ->
         Vmm_lwt.wait_and_clear vm.Unikernel.pid >>= fun r ->
         let state', out' = Vmm_vmmd.handle_shutdown !state name vm r in
-        s := { !s with vm_destroyed = succ !s.vm_destroyed } ;
         state := state' ;
-        (process "handle_shutdown" out' >|= fun _ -> ()) >|= fun () ->
-        Lwt.wakeup wakeme ()) ;
+        s := { !s with vm_destroyed = succ !s.vm_destroyed } ;
+        (process "handle shutdown" out' >|= fun _ -> ()) >|= fun () ->
+        let state', waiter_opt = Vmm_vmmd.waiter !state name in
+        state := state' ;
+        (match waiter_opt with
+         | None -> ()
+         | Some wakeme -> Lwt.wakeup wakeme ())) ;
     (process "setting up console" out >|= fun _ -> ()) >>= fun () ->
     let state', out = Vmm_vmmd.setup_stats !state name vm in
     state := state' ;
     process "setting up statistics" [ out ] >|= fun _ -> ()
 
+let register who header =
+  match Vmm_vmmd.register !state who Lwt.task with
+  | None -> Error (`Data (header, `Failure "task already registered"))
+  | Some (state', task) -> state := state' ; Ok task
+
 let handle out fd addr =
   Logs.debug (fun m -> m "connection from %a" Vmm_lwt.pp_sockaddr addr) ;
   (* now we need to read a packet and handle it
@@ -90,17 +98,23 @@ let handle out fd addr =
         | `Loop -> loop ()
         | `End -> Lwt.return_unit
         | `Create cont -> create process cont
-        | `Wait (task, out) ->
-          task >>= fun () ->
-          process "wait" [ out ] >|= ignore
-        | `Wait_and_create (task, next) ->
-          task >>= fun () ->
-          let state', data, n = next !state in
-          state := state' ;
-          process "wait and create" data >>= fun _ ->
-          match n with
-          | `End -> Lwt.return_unit
-          | `Create cont -> create process cont >|= ignore
+        | `Wait (who, out) ->
+          (match register who (fst wire) with
+           | Error out' -> process "wait" [ out' ] >|= ignore
+           | Ok task ->
+             task >>= fun () ->
+             process "wait" [ out ] >|= ignore)
+        | `Wait_and_create (who, next) ->
+          (match register who (fst wire) with
+           | Error out' -> process "wait and create" [ out' ] >|= ignore
+           | Ok task ->
+             task >>= fun () ->
+             let state', data, n = next !state in
+             state := state' ;
+             process "wait and create" data >>= fun _ ->
+             match n with
+             | `End -> Lwt.return_unit
+             | `Create cont -> create process cont >|= ignore)
   in
   loop () >>= fun () ->
   Vmm_lwt.safe_close fd
diff --git a/src/vmm_vmmd.ml b/src/vmm_vmmd.ml
index 22d54a6..08338fa 100644
--- a/src/vmm_vmmd.ml
+++ b/src/vmm_vmmd.ml
@@ -13,13 +13,29 @@ type 'a t = {
   stats_counter : int64 ;
   log_counter : int64 ;
   resources : Vmm_resources.t ;
-  tasks : 'a String.Map.t ;
+  waiters : 'a String.Map.t ;
 }
 
 let kill t =
   List.iter Vmm_unix.destroy
     (List.map snd (Vmm_trie.all t.resources.Vmm_resources.unikernels))
 
+let waiter t id =
+  let name = Name.to_string id in
+  match String.Map.find name t.waiters with
+  | None -> t, None
+  | Some waiter ->
+    let waiters = String.Map.remove name t.waiters in
+    { t with waiters }, Some waiter
+
+let register t id create =
+  let name = Name.to_string id in
+  match String.Map.find name t.waiters with
+  | None ->
+    let task, waiter = create () in
+    Some ({ t with waiters = String.Map.add name waiter t.waiters }, task)
+  | Some _ -> None
+
 let init wire_version =
   let t = {
     wire_version ;
@@ -27,7 +43,7 @@ let init wire_version =
     stats_counter = 1L ;
     log_counter = 1L ;
     resources = Vmm_resources.empty ;
-    tasks = String.Map.empty ;
+    waiters = String.Map.empty ;
   } in
   match Vmm_unix.find_block_devices () with
   | Error (`Msg msg) ->
@@ -75,7 +91,7 @@ let handle_create t reply name vm_config =
   in
   Ok ({ t with console_counter = Int64.succ t.console_counter },
       [ `Cons cons_out ],
-      `Create (fun t task ->
+      `Create (fun t ->
           (* actually execute the vm *)
           let block_device = match vm_config.Unikernel.block_device with
             | None -> None
@@ -84,8 +100,7 @@ let handle_create t reply name vm_config =
           Vmm_unix.exec name vm_config taps block_device >>= fun vm ->
           Logs.debug (fun m -> m "exec()ed vm") ;
           Vmm_resources.insert_vm t.resources name vm >>= fun resources ->
-          let tasks = String.Map.add (Name.to_string name) task t.tasks in
-          let t = { t with resources ; tasks } in
+          let t = { t with resources } in
           let t, out = log t name (`Unikernel_start (name, vm.Unikernel.pid, vm.Unikernel.taps, None)) in
           Ok (t, [ reply (`String "created VM") ; out ], name, vm)))
 
@@ -112,8 +127,7 @@ let handle_shutdown t name vm r =
     | Ok resources -> resources
   in
   let header = Vmm_commands.{ version = t.wire_version ; sequence = t.stats_counter ; name } in
-  let tasks = String.Map.remove (Name.to_string name) t.tasks in
-  let t = { t with stats_counter = Int64.succ t.stats_counter ; resources ; tasks } in
+  let t = { t with stats_counter = Int64.succ t.stats_counter ; resources } in
   let t, logout = log t name (`Unikernel_stop (name, vm.Unikernel.pid, r))
   in
   (t, [ `Stat (header, `Command (`Stats_cmd `Stats_remove)) ; logout ])
@@ -176,28 +190,15 @@ let handle_unikernel_cmd t reply id msg_to_err = function
       | None -> handle_create t reply id vm_config
       | Some vm ->
         Vmm_unix.destroy vm ;
-        let id_str = Name.to_string id in
-        match String.Map.find_opt id_str t.tasks with
-        | None -> handle_create t reply id vm_config
-        | Some task ->
-          let tasks = String.Map.remove id_str t.tasks in
-          let t = { t with tasks } in
-          Ok (t, [], `Wait_and_create
-                (task, fun t -> msg_to_err @@ handle_create t reply id vm_config))
+        Ok (t, [], `Wait_and_create
+              (id, fun t -> msg_to_err @@ handle_create t reply id vm_config))
     end
   | `Unikernel_destroy ->
     match Vmm_resources.find_vm t.resources id with
     | Some vm ->
       Vmm_unix.destroy vm ;
-      let id_str = Name.to_string id in
-      let out, next =
-        let s = reply (`String "destroyed unikernel") in
-        match String.Map.find_opt id_str t.tasks with
-        | None -> [ s ], `End
-        | Some t -> [], `Wait (t, s)
-      in
-      let tasks = String.Map.remove id_str t.tasks in
-      Ok ({ t with tasks }, out, next)
+      let s = reply (`String "destroyed unikernel") in
+      Ok (t, [], `Wait (id, s))
     | None -> Error (`Msg "destroy: not found")
 
 let handle_block_cmd t reply id = function
diff --git a/src/vmm_vmmd.mli b/src/vmm_vmmd.mli
index f14d9cb..ef67772 100644
--- a/src/vmm_vmmd.mli
+++ b/src/vmm_vmmd.mli
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ type 'a t
 
 val init : Vmm_commands.version -> 'a t
 
+val waiter : 'a t -> Name.t -> 'a t * 'a option
+
+val register : 'a t -> Name.t -> (unit -> 'b * 'a) -> ('a t * 'b) option
+
 type service_out = [
   | `Stat of Vmm_commands.wire
   | `Log of Vmm_commands.wire
@@ -19,12 +23,12 @@ val handle_shutdown : 'a t -> Name.t -> Unikernel.t ->
 
 val handle_command : 'a t -> Vmm_commands.wire ->
   'a t * out list *
-  [ `Create of 'c t -> 'c -> ('c t * out list * Name.t * Unikernel.t, [> `Msg of string ]) result
+  [ `Create of 'a t -> ('a t * out list * Name.t * Unikernel.t, [> `Msg of string ]) result
   | `Loop
   | `End
-  | `Wait of 'a * out
-  | `Wait_and_create of 'a * ('a t -> 'a t * out list *
-                                      [ `Create of 'd t -> 'd -> ('d t * out list * Name.t * Unikernel.t, [> Rresult.R.msg ]) result
+  | `Wait of Name.t * out
+  | `Wait_and_create of Name.t * ('a t -> 'a t * out list *
+                                      [ `Create of 'a t -> ('a t * out list * Name.t * Unikernel.t, [> Rresult.R.msg ]) result
                                       | `End ]) ]
 
 val setup_stats : 'a t -> Name.t -> Unikernel.t -> 'a t * out