diff --git a/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py b/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
index b81545d..a2abd30 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tests/tools/qvm_run.py
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'os', None)] = \
             b'2\x00QubesFeatureNotFoundError\x00\x00Feature \'os\' not set\x00'
-        # self.app.expected_calls[
-        #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
-        #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--no-gui', 'test-vm', 'command'],
             app=self.app)
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'os', None)] = \
             b'2\x00QubesFeatureNotFoundError\x00\x00Feature \'os\' not set\x00'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         # self.app.expected_calls[
         #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
         #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
@@ -139,9 +142,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('dom0', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
             b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
-        # self.app.expected_calls[
-        #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
-        #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         echo = subprocess.Popen(['echo', 'some-data'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
         with unittest.mock.patch('sys.stdin', echo.stdout):
             ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
@@ -276,9 +279,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'os', None)] = \
             b'2\x00QubesFeatureNotFoundError\x00\x00Feature \'os\' not set\x00'
-        # self.app.expected_calls[
-        #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
-        #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         mock_popen.return_value.wait.return_value = 0
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--no-gui', '--pass-io', '--localcmd', 'local-command',
@@ -309,9 +312,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'os', None)] = \
             b'2\x00QubesFeatureNotFoundError\x00\x00Feature \'os\' not set\x00'
-        # self.app.expected_calls[
-        #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
-        #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['test-vm', 'command'],
             app=self.app)
@@ -339,9 +342,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.property.Get', 'default_user', None)] = \
             b'0\x00default=yes type=str user'
-        # self.app.expected_calls[
-        #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
-        #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--service', 'test-vm', 'service.name'],
             app=self.app)
@@ -363,6 +366,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertAllCalled()
 
     def test_008_dispvm_remote(self):
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('$dispvm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--dispvm', '--service', 'test.service'], app=self.app)
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
@@ -377,6 +383,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.assertAllCalled()
 
     def test_009_dispvm_remote_specific(self):
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('$dispvm:test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--dispvm=test-vm', '--service', 'test.service'], app=self.app)
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
@@ -400,6 +409,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('disp123', 'admin.vm.property.Get', 'qrexec_timeout', None)] = \
             b'0\0default=yes type=int 30'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('$dispvm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--dispvm', '--service', 'test.service'], app=self.app)
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
@@ -424,6 +436,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('disp123', 'admin.vm.property.Get', 'qrexec_timeout', None)] = \
             b'0\0default=yes type=int 30'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('$dispvm:test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--dispvm=test-vm', '--service', 'test.service'], app=self.app)
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
@@ -496,6 +511,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('disp123', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'os', None)] = \
             b'2\x00QubesFeatureNotFoundError\x00\x00Feature \'os\' not set\x00'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('$dispvm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--dispvm', '--', 'test.command'], app=self.app)
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
@@ -524,6 +542,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('disp123', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'os', None)] = \
             b'2\x00QubesFeatureNotFoundError\x00\x00Feature \'os\' not set\x00'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('$dispvm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--dispvm', '--no-gui', 'test.command'], app=self.app)
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
@@ -545,9 +566,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'os', None)] = \
             b'0\x00Windows'
-        # self.app.expected_calls[
-        #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
-        #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--no-gui', 'test-vm', 'command'],
             app=self.app)
@@ -572,9 +593,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         self.app.expected_calls[
             ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'vmexec', None)] = \
             b'2\x00QubesFeatureNotFoundError\x00\x00Feature \'vmexec\' not set\x00'
-        # self.app.expected_calls[
-        #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
-        #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--no-gui', 'test-vm', 'command', 'arg'],
             app=self.app)
@@ -597,9 +618,9 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate',
              'vmexec', None)] = \
             b'0\x001'
-        # self.app.expected_calls[
-        #     ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
-        #     b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Running\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Running'
         ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
             ['--no-gui', 'test-vm', 'command', 'arg'],
             app=self.app)
@@ -613,3 +634,30 @@ class TC_00_qvm_run(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMExec+command+arg', b'')
         ])
         self.assertAllCalled()
+
+    def test_021_paused_vm(self):
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('dom0', 'admin.vm.List', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00test-vm class=AppVM state=Paused\n'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.feature.CheckWithTemplate', 'os', None)] = \
+            b'2\x00QubesFeatureNotFoundError\x00\x00Feature \'os\' not set\x00'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.CurrentState', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00power_state=Paused'
+        self.app.expected_calls[
+            ('test-vm', 'admin.vm.Unpause', None, None)] = \
+            b'0\x00'
+        ret = qubesadmin.tools.qvm_run.main(
+            ['--no-gui', 'test-vm', 'command'],
+            app=self.app)
+        self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(self.app.service_calls, [
+            ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', {
+                'stdout': subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                'stderr': subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                'user': None,
+            }),
+            ('test-vm', 'qubes.VMShell', b'command; exit\n')
+        ])
+        self.assertAllCalled()
diff --git a/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py b/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
index 4310dc6..0fd5a4e 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tools/qvm_run.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ parser.add_argument('--autostart', '--auto', '-a',
 
 parser.add_argument('--no-autostart', '--no-auto', '-n',
     action='store_false', dest='autostart',
-    help='do not autostart qube')
+    help='do not autostart/unpause qube')
 
 parser.add_argument('--pass-io', '-p',
     action='store_true', dest='passio', default=False,
@@ -270,9 +270,27 @@ def main(args=None, app=None):
             if not args.autostart and not vm.is_running():
                 if verbose > 0:
                     print_no_color('Qube \'{}\' not started'.format(vm.name),
-                        file=sys.stderr, color=args.color_stderr)
+                                   file=sys.stderr, color=args.color_stderr)
                 retcode = max(retcode, 1)
                 continue
+            if vm.is_paused():
+                if not args.autostart:
+                    if verbose > 0:
+                        print_no_color(
+                            'Qube \'{}\' is paused'.format(vm.name),
+                            file=sys.stderr, color=args.color_stderr)
+                    retcode = max(retcode, 1)
+                    continue
+                try:
+                    vm.unpause()
+                except qubesadmin.exc.QubesException:
+                    if verbose > 0:
+                        print_no_color(
+                            'Qube \'{}\' cannot be unpaused'.format(
+                                vm.name),
+                            file=sys.stderr, color=args.color_stderr)
+                    retcode = max(retcode, 1)
+                    continue
             try:
                 if verbose > 0:
                     print_no_color(