diff --git a/drivers/softlayer/driver.go b/drivers/softlayer/driver.go
index 155ce74890..f3dfccc250 100644
--- a/drivers/softlayer/driver.go
+++ b/drivers/softlayer/driver.go
@@ -295,6 +295,14 @@ func (d *Driver) GetState() (state.State, error) {
 	return vmState, nil
 }
 
+func (d *Driver) GetActiveTransaction() (string, error) {
+	t, err := d.getClient().VirtualGuest().ActiveTransaction(d.Id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return t, nil
+}
+
 func (d *Driver) PreCreateCheck() error {
 	return nil
 }
@@ -305,11 +313,41 @@ func (d *Driver) Create() error {
 		for {
 			s, err := d.GetState()
 			if err != nil {
+				log.Debugf("Failed to GetState - %+v", err)
 				continue
 			}
 
 			if s == state.Running {
 				break
+			} else {
+				log.Debugf("Still waiting - state is %s...", s)
+			}
+			time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+		}
+	}
+
+	waitForSetupTransactions := func() {
+		log.Infof("Waiting for host setup transactions to complete")
+		// sometimes we'll hit a case where there's no active transaction, but if
+		// we check again in a few seconds, it moves to the next transaction. We
+		// don't want to get false-positives, so we check a few times in a row to make sure!
+		noActiveCount, maxNoActiveCount := 0, 3
+		for {
+			t, err := d.GetActiveTransaction()
+			if err != nil {
+				noActiveCount = 0
+				log.Debugf("Failed to GetActiveTransaction - %+v", err)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			if t == "" {
+				if noActiveCount == maxNoActiveCount {
+					break
+				}
+				noActiveCount++
+			} else {
+				noActiveCount = 0
+				log.Debugf("Still waiting - active transaction is %s...", t)
 			}
 			time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
 		}
@@ -357,6 +395,7 @@ func (d *Driver) Create() error {
 	d.Id = id
 	getIp()
 	waitForStart()
+	waitForSetupTransactions()
 	ssh.WaitForTCP(d.IPAddress + ":22")
 
 	cmd, err := drivers.GetSSHCommandFromDriver(d, "sudo apt-get update && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive sudo apt-get install -yq curl")
diff --git a/drivers/softlayer/softlayer.go b/drivers/softlayer/softlayer.go
index e094b50459..0f448b77d5 100644
--- a/drivers/softlayer/softlayer.go
+++ b/drivers/softlayer/softlayer.go
@@ -180,6 +180,39 @@ func (c *virtualGuest) PowerState(id int) (string, error) {
 	return s.Name, nil
 }
 
+func (c *virtualGuest) ActiveTransaction(id int) (string, error) {
+	type transactionStatus struct {
+		AverageDuration string `json:"averageDuration"`
+		FriendlyName    string `json:"friendlyName"`
+		Name            string `json:"name"`
+	}
+	type transaction struct {
+		CreateDate        string            `json:"createDate"`
+		ElapsedSeconds    int               `json:"elapsedSeconds"`
+		GuestID           int               `json:"guestId"`
+		HardwareID        int               `json:"hardwareId"`
+		ID                int               `json:"id"`
+		ModifyDate        string            `json:"modifyDate"`
+		StatusChangeDate  string            `json:"statusChangeDate"`
+		TransactionStatus transactionStatus `json:"transactionStatus"`
+	}
+	var (
+		method = "GET"
+		uri    = fmt.Sprintf("%s/%v/getActiveTransaction.json", c.namespace(), id)
+	)
+
+	data, err := c.newRequest(method, uri, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	var t transaction
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &t); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return t.TransactionStatus.Name, nil
+}
+
 func (c *virtualGuest) Create(spec *HostSpec) (int, error) {
 	var (
 		method = "POST"