diff --git a/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index d7dd472f..2b3b479f 100644
--- a/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -114,7 +114,18 @@ func (k *kubernetes) getService(labels map[string]string) ([]*runtime.Service, e
 
 			// parse out deployment status and inject into service metadata
 			if len(kdep.Status.Conditions) > 0 {
-				status := kdep.Status.Conditions[0].Type
+				var status string
+				switch kdep.Status.Conditions[0].Type {
+				case "Available":
+					status = "running"
+					delete(svc.Metadata, "error")
+				case "Progressing":
+					status = "starting"
+					delete(svc.Metadata, "error")
+				default:
+					status = "error"
+					svc.Metadata["error"] = kdep.Status.Conditions[0].Message
+				}
 				// pick the last known condition type and mark the service status with it
 				log.Debugf("Runtime setting %s service deployment status: %v", name, status)
 				svc.Metadata["status"] = status
diff --git a/runtime/kubernetes/service.go b/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
index b74eb7f2..f939b924 100644
--- a/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
+++ b/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
@@ -89,14 +89,18 @@ func (s *service) Start(k client.Client) error {
 	// create deployment first; if we fail, we dont create service
 	if err := k.Create(deploymentResource(s.kdeploy)); err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("Runtime failed to create deployment: %v", err)
+		s.Status("error", err)
 		return err
 	}
 	// create service now that the deployment has been created
 	if err := k.Create(serviceResource(s.kservice)); err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("Runtime failed to create service: %v", err)
+		s.Status("error", err)
 		return err
 	}
 
+	s.Status("started", nil)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -104,20 +108,25 @@ func (s *service) Stop(k client.Client) error {
 	// first attempt to delete service
 	if err := k.Delete(serviceResource(s.kservice)); err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("Runtime failed to delete service: %v", err)
+		s.Status("error", err)
 		return err
 	}
 	// delete deployment once the service has been deleted
 	if err := k.Delete(deploymentResource(s.kdeploy)); err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("Runtime failed to delete deployment: %v", err)
+		s.Status("error", err)
 		return err
 	}
 
+	s.Status("stopped", nil)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (s *service) Update(k client.Client) error {
 	if err := k.Update(deploymentResource(s.kdeploy)); err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("Runtime failed to update deployment: %v", err)
+		s.Status("error", err)
 		return err
 	}
 	if err := k.Update(serviceResource(s.kservice)); err != nil {
@@ -127,3 +136,12 @@ func (s *service) Update(k client.Client) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (s *service) Status(status string, err error) {
+	if err == nil {
+		s.Metadata["status"] = status
+		return
+	}
+	s.Metadata["status"] = "error"
+	s.Metadata["error"] = err.Error()
+}
diff --git a/runtime/service.go b/runtime/service.go
index 75e96fbf..c2b89394 100644
--- a/runtime/service.go
+++ b/runtime/service.go
@@ -86,10 +86,20 @@ func (s *service) Start() error {
 	s.err = nil
 	s.closed = make(chan bool)
 
+	if s.Metadata == nil {
+		s.Metadata = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+
+	s.Metadata["status"] = "starting"
+	// delete any existing error
+	delete(s.Metadata, "error")
+
 	// TODO: pull source & build binary
 	log.Debugf("Runtime service %s forking new process", s.Service.Name)
 	p, err := s.Process.Fork(s.Exec)
 	if err != nil {
+		s.Metadata["status"] = "error"
+		s.Metadata["error"] = err.Error()
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -97,6 +107,8 @@ func (s *service) Start() error {
 	s.PID = p
 	// set to running
 	s.running = true
+	// set status
+	s.Metadata["status"] = "running"
 
 	if s.output != nil {
 		s.streamOutput()
@@ -122,10 +134,18 @@ func (s *service) Stop() error {
 		if s.PID == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
+
+		// set status
+		s.Metadata["status"] = "stopping"
+
 		// kill the process
 		err := s.Process.Kill(s.PID)
 		// wait for it to exit
 		s.Process.Wait(s.PID)
+
+		// set status
+		s.Metadata["status"] = "stopped"
+
 		// return the kill error
 		return err
 	}
@@ -148,6 +168,8 @@ func (s *service) Wait() {
 
 	// save the error
 	if err != nil {
+		s.Metadata["status"] = "error"
+		s.Metadata["error"] = err.Error()
 		s.err = err
 	}