diff --git a/samples/vboxwrapper/vbox.cpp b/samples/vboxwrapper/vbox.cpp
index 4650ccea3f..22cec5e9ad 100644
--- a/samples/vboxwrapper/vbox.cpp
+++ b/samples/vboxwrapper/vbox.cpp
@@ -1004,7 +1004,8 @@ int VBOX_VM::run(double elapsed_time) {
     // Check to see if the VM is already in a running state, if so, poweroff.
     poll(false);
     if (online) {
-        poweroff();
+        retval = poweroff();
+        if (retval) return ERR_NOT_EXITED;
     }
 
     // If our last checkpoint time is greater than 0, restore from the previously
diff --git a/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.cpp b/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.cpp
index b1d5742ee1..5687352e35 100644
--- a/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.cpp
+++ b/samples/vboxwrapper/vboxwrapper.cpp
@@ -656,10 +656,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         char* temp_reason = (char*)"";
         int   temp_delay = 300;
 
-        // Attempt to cleanup the VM
-        vm.cleanup();
-        write_checkpoint(elapsed_time, vm);
-
         fprintf(
             stderr,
             "%s VM failed to start.\n",
@@ -704,23 +700,30 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
             );
             unrecoverable_error = false;
             temp_reason = (char*)"VM Hypervisor was unable to allocate enough memory to start VM.";
+        } else if (ERR_NOT_EXITED == retval) {
+            fprintf(
+                stderr,
+                "%s NOTE: VM was already running.  BOINC will be notified that it needs to clean up the environment.\n"
+                "    This might be a temporary problem and so this job will be rescheduled for another time.\n",
+                vboxwrapper_msg_prefix(buf, sizeof(buf))
+            );
+            unrecoverable_error = false;
+            temp_reason = (char*)"VM environment needed to be cleaned up.";
         } else {
-            vm.poll();
+            vm.dumphypervisorlogs();
+        }
 
-            // Check to see if the VM is already running.  If so, notify BOINC about the process ID so it can
+        if (unrecoverable_error) {
+            // Attempt to cleanup the VM and exit.
+            vm.cleanup();
+            write_checkpoint(elapsed_time, vm);
+            boinc_finish(retval);
+        } else {
+            // if the VM is already running notify BOINC about the process ID so it can
             // clean up the environment.  We should be safe to run after that.
             //
-            if (vm.online) {
-                fprintf(
-                    stderr,
-                    "%s NOTE: VM was already running.  BOINC will be notified that it needs to clean up the environment.\n"
-                    "    This might be a temporary problem and so this job will be rescheduled for another time.\n",
-                    vboxwrapper_msg_prefix(buf, sizeof(buf))
-                );
-                unrecoverable_error = false;
-                temp_reason = (char*)"VM environment needed to be cleaned up.";
-
-                vm.get_vm_process_id(vm_pid);
+            vm.get_vm_process_id(vm_pid);
+            if (vm_pid) {
                 retval = boinc_report_app_status_aux(
                     elapsed_time,
                     checkpoint_cpu_time,
@@ -729,16 +732,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
                     bytes_sent,
                     bytes_received
                 );
-            } else {
-
-                vm.dumphypervisorlogs();
-
             }
-        }
-
-        if (unrecoverable_error) {
-            boinc_finish(retval);
-        } else {
             boinc_temporary_exit(temp_delay, temp_reason);
         }
     }