diff --git a/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/strategy/CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMap.java b/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/strategy/CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMap.java
index 38612f5223..67f48befe1 100644
--- a/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/strategy/CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMap.java
+++ b/compute/src/main/java/org/jclouds/compute/strategy/CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMap.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import org.jclouds.scriptbuilder.domain.Statement;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Function;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
+import com.google.common.base.Stopwatch;
 import com.google.common.collect.Multimap;
 import com.google.inject.assistedinject.Assisted;
 import com.google.inject.assistedinject.AssistedInject;
@@ -127,16 +128,26 @@ public class CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMap implements Cal
       try {
          if (options.shouldBlockUntilRunning()) {
             try {
+               Stopwatch stopwatch = new Stopwatch().start();
                if (!nodeRunning.apply(node)) {
+                  long timeWaited = stopwatch.elapsedMillis();
+                  long earlyReturnGrace = 10; // sleeps can sometimes return milliseconds early
+                  
                   if (node.get() == null) {
                      node.set(originalNode);
                      throw new IllegalStateException(format("api response for node(%s) was null, so we can't customize",
                            originalId));
+                  } else if (timeWaited < (timeouts.nodeRunning - earlyReturnGrace)) {
+                     throw new IllegalStateException(
+                           format(
+                                 "node(%s) didn't achieve the state running, so we couldn't customize; aborting prematurely after %d seconds with final state: %s",
+                                 originalId, timeWaited / 1000, node.get().getState()));
+                  } else {
+                     throw new IllegalStateException(
+                           format(
+                                 "node(%s) didn't achieve the state running within %d seconds, so we couldn't customize; final state: %s",
+                                 originalId, timeouts.nodeRunning / 1000, node.get().getState()));
                   }
-                  throw new IllegalStateException(
-                        format(
-                              "node(%s) didn't achieve the state running within %d seconds, so we couldn't customize; final state: %s",
-                              originalId, timeouts.nodeRunning / 1000, node.get().getState()));
                }
             } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
                if (node.get().getState() == NodeState.TERMINATED) {
diff --git a/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/strategy/CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMapTest.java b/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/strategy/CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMapTest.java
index 9e3db80062..9b36d3a382 100644
--- a/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/strategy/CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMapTest.java
+++ b/compute/src/test/java/org/jclouds/compute/strategy/CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMapTest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import static org.easymock.EasyMock.expect;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.replay;
 import static org.easymock.EasyMock.verify;
 import static org.testng.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.testng.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
@@ -91,8 +92,9 @@ public class CustomizeNodeAndAddToGoodMapOrPutExceptionIntoBadMapTest {
       
       assertEquals(goodNodes.size(), 0);
       assertEquals(badNodes.keySet(), ImmutableSet.of(node));
-      assertEquals(badNodes.get(node).getMessage(),
-               "node(id) didn't achieve the state running within 1200 seconds, so we couldn't customize; final state: PENDING");
+      assertTrue(badNodes.get(node).getMessage() != null && badNodes.get(node).getMessage().matches(
+               "node\\(id\\) didn't achieve the state running, so we couldn't customize; aborting prematurely after .* seconds with final state: PENDING"),
+               badNodes.get(node).getMessage());
       assertEquals(customizationResponses.size(), 0);
 
       // verify mocks