diff --git a/internal/cli/service_test.go b/internal/cli/service_test.go
index 949e617..a4249ce 100644
--- a/internal/cli/service_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/service_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -102,3 +103,35 @@ func TestStopSetsTheClustersServingStopped(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("%s", out.String())
 	}
 }
+
+// Started while the control plane has not yet taken the setting up: every
+// model of a stopped system has the nothing it asks for, which is not
+// serving.
+func TestStartWaitsForTheControlPlaneToServe(t *testing.T) {
+	old := servicePoll
+	servicePoll = time.Millisecond
+	t.Cleanup(func() { servicePoll = old })
+	answers := []adminapi.Summary{
+		{Stopped: true, Models: adminapi.ModelTotals{Total: 2, Satisfied: 2}},
+		{Models: adminapi.ModelTotals{Total: 2, Satisfied: 0}},
+		{Models: adminapi.ModelTotals{Total: 2, Satisfied: 2}},
+	}
+	asked := 0
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(answers[min(asked, len(answers)-1)])
+		asked++
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{}
+	cmd.SetOut(&out)
+	cmd.SetContext(context.Background())
+	c := &ctlClient{base: srv.URL, http: srv.Client()}
+	if err := waitForService(cmd, func() *ctlClient { return c }, false); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if asked != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("returned after %d answers: %s", asked, out.String())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/cli/system.go b/internal/cli/system.go
index 7de9502..e4e3faf 100644
--- a/internal/cli/system.go
+++ b/internal/cli/system.go
@@ -190,13 +190,21 @@ func newSystemCmds() []*cobra.Command {
 	return []*cobra.Command{status, switchService(true), switchService(false), restart}
 }
 
+// servicePoll is how often --wait asks; a variable so tests need not wait.
+var servicePoll = 5 * time.Second
+
 // waitForService waits until no replica runs (stopped) or every model has
 // the replicas it asks for (started).
+//
+// Only once the control plane says it is in the state asked for: it takes the
+// setting up at its next look at the store, seconds later, and until then a
+// stopped system's models, which ask for nothing, all have what they ask for —
+// so llmgw start --wait returned at once, with nothing started.
 func waitForService(cmd *cobra.Command, call func() *ctlClient, stop bool) error {
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(15 * time.Minute)
 	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
 		var s adminapi.Summary
-		if err := call().get(cmd.Context(), "/api/v1/summary", &s); err == nil {
+		if err := call().get(cmd.Context(), "/api/v1/summary", &s); err == nil && s.Stopped == stop {
 			if stop && s.Replicas.Ready+s.Replicas.Starting+s.Replicas.Draining == 0 {
 				fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "stopped: no replica runs")
 				return nil
@@ -210,7 +218,7 @@ func waitForService(cmd *cobra.Command, call func() *ctlClient, stop bool) error
 		select {
 		case <-cmd.Context().Done():
 			return cmd.Context().Err()
-		case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+		case <-time.After(servicePoll):
 		}
 	}
 	return errors.New("not there within fifteen minutes; llmgw status says where it stands")