diff --git a/commands.go b/commands.go
index 324afbba04..ddf9e852ff 100644
--- a/commands.go
+++ b/commands.go
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"text/tabwriter"
+	"time"
 
 	log "github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/codegangsta/cli"
@@ -382,12 +384,6 @@ func cmdIp(c *cli.Context) {
 	fmt.Println(ip)
 }
 
-func cmdKill(c *cli.Context) {
-	if err := getHost(c).Driver.Kill(); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-}
-
 func cmdLs(c *cli.Context) {
 	quiet := c.Bool("quiet")
 	store := NewStore(c.GlobalString("storage-path"), c.GlobalString("tls-ca-cert"), c.GlobalString("tls-ca-key"))
@@ -456,12 +452,6 @@ func cmdLs(c *cli.Context) {
 	w.Flush()
 }
 
-func cmdRestart(c *cli.Context) {
-	if err := getHost(c).Driver.Restart(); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
-}
-
 func cmdRm(c *cli.Context) {
 	if len(c.Args()) == 0 {
 		cli.ShowCommandHelp(c, "rm")
@@ -573,20 +563,79 @@ func cmdSsh(c *cli.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
+// machineCommand maps the command name to the corresponding machine command
+// it is intended to be used by runCommand using a waitgroup and error channel
+// to enable running commands across multiple machines asynchronously
+func machineCommand(name string, machine *Host, wg *sync.WaitGroup, errorChan chan<- error) {
+	commands := map[string]interface{}{
+		"start":   machine.Start,
+		"stop":    machine.Stop,
+		"restart": machine.Driver.Restart,
+		"kill":    machine.Driver.Kill,
+		"upgrade": machine.Upgrade,
+	}
+
+	log.Debugf("command=%s machine=%s", name, machine.Name)
+
+	if err := commands[name].(func() error)(); err != nil {
+		errorChan <- err
+	}
+
+	wg.Done()
+}
+
+// runCommand will run the command across multiple machines
+func runCommand(name string, c *cli.Context) error {
+	errorChan := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		err := <-errorChan
+		log.Errorf(err.Error())
+	}()
+
+	wg := &sync.WaitGroup{}
+
+	machines, err := getHosts(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, machine := range machines {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go machineCommand(name, machine, wg, errorChan)
+		time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+	}
+
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func cmdStart(c *cli.Context) {
-	if err := getHost(c).Start(); err != nil {
+	if err := runCommand("start", c); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
 
 func cmdStop(c *cli.Context) {
-	if err := getHost(c).Stop(); err != nil {
+	if err := runCommand("stop", c); err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func cmdRestart(c *cli.Context) {
+	if err := runCommand("restart", c); err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func cmdKill(c *cli.Context) {
+	if err := runCommand("kill", c); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
 
 func cmdUpgrade(c *cli.Context) {
-	if err := getHost(c).Upgrade(); err != nil {
+	if err := runCommand("upgrade", c); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
@@ -610,6 +659,31 @@ func cmdNotFound(c *cli.Context, command string) {
 	)
 }
 
+func getHosts(c *cli.Context) ([]*Host, error) {
+	machines := []*Host{}
+	for _, n := range c.Args() {
+		machine, err := loadMachine(n, c)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		machines = append(machines, machine)
+	}
+
+	return machines, nil
+}
+
+func loadMachine(name string, c *cli.Context) (*Host, error) {
+	store := NewStore(c.GlobalString("storage-path"), c.GlobalString("tls-ca-cert"), c.GlobalString("tls-ca-key"))
+
+	machine, err := store.Load(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return machine, nil
+}
+
 func getHost(c *cli.Context) *Host {
 	name := c.Args().First()
 	store := NewStore(c.GlobalString("storage-path"), c.GlobalString("tls-ca-cert"), c.GlobalString("tls-ca-key"))
diff --git a/commands_test.go b/commands_test.go
index 0438847997..96d8163d9f 100644
--- a/commands_test.go
+++ b/commands_test.go
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os/exec"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/codegangsta/cli"
 	drivers "github.com/docker/machine/drivers"
 	"github.com/docker/machine/state"
 )
@@ -81,6 +84,49 @@ func (d *FakeDriver) GetSSHCommand(args ...string) (*exec.Cmd, error) {
 	return &exec.Cmd{}, nil
 }
 
+func TestGetHosts(t *testing.T) {
+	if err := clearHosts(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	flags := getDefaultTestDriverFlags()
+
+	store := NewStore(TestStoreDir, "", "")
+
+	hostA, hostAerr := store.Create("test-a", "none", flags)
+	if hostAerr != nil {
+		t.Fatal(hostAerr)
+	}
+
+	hostB, hostBerr := store.Create("test-b", "none", flags)
+	if hostBerr != nil {
+		t.Fatal(hostBerr)
+	}
+
+	set := flag.NewFlagSet("start", 0)
+	set.Parse([]string{"test-a", "test-b"})
+
+	c := cli.NewContext(nil, set, nil)
+	globalSet := flag.NewFlagSet("-d", 0)
+	globalSet.String("-d", "none", "driver")
+	globalSet.String("storage-path", TestStoreDir, "storage path")
+	globalSet.String("tls-ca-cert", "", "")
+	globalSet.String("tls-ca-key", "", "")
+
+	hosts, err := getHosts(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println(hosts)
+	fmt.Println(hostA)
+	fmt.Println(hostB)
+
+	if err := clearHosts(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetHostState(t *testing.T) {
 	storePath, err := ioutil.TempDir("", ".docker")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/store_test.go b/store_test.go
index 15edf8a290..6e5dfbcf63 100644
--- a/store_test.go
+++ b/store_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/machine/utils"
 )
 
+const (
+	TestStoreDir = ".store-test"
+)
+
+func init() {
+
+	os.Setenv("MACHINE_STORAGE_PATH", TestStoreDir)
+}
+
 type DriverOptionsMock struct {
 	Data map[string]interface{}
 }
@@ -26,7 +35,7 @@ func (d DriverOptionsMock) Bool(key string) bool {
 }
 
 func clearHosts() error {
-	return os.RemoveAll(utils.GetMachineDir())
+	return os.RemoveAll(TestStoreDir)
 }
 
 func getDefaultTestDriverFlags() *DriverOptionsMock {