diff --git a/http/client.go b/http/client.go
index ce9c60214..53482ddeb 100644
--- a/http/client.go
+++ b/http/client.go
@@ -104,6 +104,36 @@ func (c *InternalClient) maxShardByIndex(ctx context.Context) (map[string]uint64
 	return rsp.Standard, nil
 }
 
+func (c *InternalClient) Status(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	span, ctx := tracing.StartSpanFromContext(ctx, "InternalClient.Status")
+	defer span.Finish()
+
+	// Execute request against the host.
+	u := c.defaultURI.Path("/status")
+
+	// Build request.
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", u, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "creating request")
+	}
+
+	req.Header.Set("User-Agent", "pilosa/"+pilosa.Version)
+	req.Header.Set("Accept", "application/json")
+
+	// Execute request.
+	resp, err := c.executeRequest(req.WithContext(ctx))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	var rsp getStatusResponse
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&rsp); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("json decode: %s", err)
+	}
+	return rsp.State, nil
+}
+
 // SchemaNode returns all index and field schema information from the specified
 // node.
 func (c *InternalClient) SchemaNode(ctx context.Context, uri *pnet.URI, views bool) ([]*pilosa.IndexInfo, error) {
diff --git a/internal/clustertests/cluster_test.go b/internal/clustertests/cluster_test.go
index c156e9125..f4edf0298 100644
--- a/internal/clustertests/cluster_test.go
+++ b/internal/clustertests/cluster_test.go
@@ -89,9 +89,8 @@ func TestClusterStuff(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("waiting on pumba pause cmd: %v", err)
 		}
 
-		// TODO change the sleep to wait for status to return to NORMAL - need support in internal client for getting status
 		t.Log("done with pause, waiting for stability")
-		time.Sleep(time.Second * 20)
+		waitForStatus(t, cli1, "NORMAL", 30, time.Second)
 		t.Log("done waiting for stability")
 
 		// Check query results from each node.
@@ -105,5 +104,29 @@ func TestClusterStuff(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 	})
-
+}
+
+func waitForStatus(t *testing.T, c *picli.InternalClient, status string, n int, sleep time.Duration) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		s, err := c.Status(context.TODO())
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Logf("Status (%d/%d): %v (sleep: %s)\\n", i, n, err, sleep.String())
+		} else {
+			t.Logf("Status (%d/%d): %s (sleep: %s)\n", i, n, s, sleep.String())
+		}
+		if s == status {
+			return
+		}
+		time.Sleep(sleep)
+	}
+
+	s, err := c.Status(context.TODO())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("querying status: %v", err)
+	}
+	if status != s {
+		t.Fatalf("waited %d %v for status: %v, got: %v", n, sleep, status, s)
+	}
 }