diff --git a/tools/build-pr/checkout b/tools/build-pr/checkout
index e14b314f5a..f6e95043bc 100755
--- a/tools/build-pr/checkout
+++ b/tools/build-pr/checkout
@@ -15,26 +15,25 @@ if [[ "$BUILDPR" = "" ]]; then exit 0; fi
 
 echo "##[section] PR Build for #$BUILDPR"
 
+get_pr_info
 api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.head.sha // error("no such PR")' > /dev/null
-sha1="$(api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.head.sha')"
-repo="$(api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.head.repo.full_name')"
-ref="$(api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.head.ref')"
-repourl="https://github.com/$repo"
+repourl="https://github.com/$REPO"
 
 printf 'PR BUILD for #%s\n  repo: %s\n  ref: %s\n  sha1: %s\n' \
-       "$BUILDPR" "$repo" "$ref" "$sha1"
+       "$BUILDPR" "$REPO" "$REF" "$SHA1"
 
 git checkout "master" > /dev/null 2>&1
 oldbr="$(git for-each-ref --format="%(refname:short)" "refs/heads/pr-*")"
 if [[ "x$oldbr" != "x" ]]; then git branch -D $oldbr; fi
 
-text="$(jsonq "[A build has started.]($VURL)")"
-api "issues/$BUILDPR/comments" -d '{"body":'"$text"'}' - '.id' > "$PRDIR/comment-id"
+text="A build has started."
+post_status "pending" "$text"
+post_comment "$text"
 
 _get_T
-git fetch "https://$T@github.com/$repo" "$ref:refs/heads/pr-$BUILDPR"
+git fetch "https://$T@github.com/$REPO" "$REF:refs/heads/pr-$BUILDPR"
 git checkout "pr-$BUILDPR"
-git reset --hard "$sha1"
+git reset --hard "$SHA1"
 
 # useful info in build
 { echo "# This is a build for [github PR #$BUILDPR]($GURL)"
@@ -42,17 +41,17 @@ git reset --hard "$sha1"
   echo "Associated Changes (actual ones)"
   echo ""; echo "---"; echo ""
   git log --format="* [%h]($repourl/commit/%H) [%aN](mailto:%aE) %s" \
-      "origin/master..$sha1"
+      "origin/master..$SHA1"
   } > "$PRDIR/PR-Build.md"
 echo "##vso[task.uploadsummary]$PRDIR/PR-Build.md"
 
 # variable overrides
 prvar() { printf '%s=%q\n' "$1" "$2" >> "$TOOLSDIR/local-config.sh"; }
-prvar BUILD_SOURCEVERSION        "$sha1"
-prvar BUILD_REPOSITORY_NAME      "$repo"
+prvar BUILD_SOURCEVERSION        "$SHA1"
+prvar BUILD_REPOSITORY_NAME      "$REPO"
 prvar BUILD_REPOSITORY_ID        "$repourl"
 prvar BUILD_REPOSITORY_URI       "$repourl"
-prvar BUILD_SOURCEBRANCH         "refs/heads/$ref"
-prvar BUILD_SOURCEBRANCHNAME     "$(basename "$ref")"
+prvar BUILD_SOURCEBRANCH         "refs/heads/$REF"
+prvar BUILD_SOURCEBRANCHNAME     "$(basename "$REF")"
 prvar BUILD_SOURCEVERSIONAUTHOR  "$(git log -1 --format="%aN <%aE>")"
 prvar BUILD_SOURCEVERSIONMESSAGE "$(git log -1 --format="%s")"
diff --git a/tools/build-pr/report b/tools/build-pr/report
index 0173e6573a..b5705e79e4 100755
--- a/tools/build-pr/report
+++ b/tools/build-pr/report
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ fi
 ICONS_URL="https://$MAIN_CONTAINER.blob.core.windows.net/icons"
 icon="$ICONS_URL/Robot"
 case "${AGENT_JOBSTATUS,,}" in
-  ( succeeded ) icon+="2.png"; box="![PASS]($icon) Pass"       ;;
-  ( canceled  ) icon+="1.png"; box="![CANCEL]($icon) Canceled" ;;
-  ( failed    ) icon+="0.png"; box="![FAIL]($icon) Fail"       ;;
-  ( *         ) icon+="1.png"; box="![$AGENT_JOBSTATUS]($icon) Unknown" ;;
+  ( succeeded ) icon+="2.png"; box="![PASS]($icon) Pass";       state="success" ;;
+  ( canceled  ) icon+="1.png"; box="![CANCEL]($icon) Canceled"; state="error"   ;;
+  ( failed    ) icon+="0.png"; box="![FAIL]($icon) Fail";       state="failure" ;;
+  ( *         ) icon+="1.png"; box="![$AGENT_JOBSTATUS]($icon) Unknown"; state="error" ;;
 esac
 
 if [[ "$BUILDPR" = "" ]]; then
@@ -29,11 +29,7 @@ if [[ "$BUILDPR" = "" ]]; then
   exit
 fi
 
-if [[ ! -r "$PRDIR/comment-id" ]]; then exit; fi
-
-cid="$(< "$PRDIR/comment-id")"
-
-api "issues/comments/$cid" -X DELETE
-
-text="$(jsonq "[$box! The build has ${AGENT_JOBSTATUS,,}.]($VURL)")"
-api "issues/$BUILDPR/comments" -d '{"body":'"$text"'}' - '.id' > "$PRDIR/comment-id"
+text="The build has ${AGENT_JOBSTATUS,,}."
+post_status "$state" "$text"
+delete_comment
+post_comment "$box! — $text"
diff --git a/tools/build-pr/shared.sh b/tools/build-pr/shared.sh
index 09875b3147..f15d5fd834 100644
--- a/tools/build-pr/shared.sh
+++ b/tools/build-pr/shared.sh
@@ -44,4 +44,33 @@ jsonq() { # text...; quotes the text as a json string
 
 VURL="${SYSTEM_TASKDEFINITIONSURI%/}/$SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECT"
 VURL+="/_build/index?buildId=$BUILD_BUILDID&_a=summary"
-GURL="$(api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.html_url')"
+GURL="" SHA1="" REPO="" REF=""
+
+get_pr_info() {
+  if [[ "$SHA1" != "" ]]; then return; fi
+  SHA1="$(api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.head.sha')"
+  REPO="$(api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.head.repo.full_name')"
+  REF="$(api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.head.ref')"
+  GURL="$(api "pulls/$BUILDPR" - '.html_url')"
+}
+
+# post a status, only if we're running all tests
+post_status() {
+  if [[ "$TESTS" != "all" ]]; then return; fi
+  get_pr_info
+  local status='"context":"build-pr","state":"'"$1"'","target_url":"'"$VURL"'"'
+  api "statuses/$SHA1" -d '{'"$status"',"description":"'"$2"'"}' > /dev/null
+}
+
+# post a comment with the given text and link to the build; remember its id
+post_comment() {
+  local text="$(jsonq "[$1]($VURL)")"
+  api "issues/$BUILDPR/comments" -d '{"body":'"$text"'}' - '.id' \
+      > "$PRDIR/comment-id"
+}
+
+# delete the last posted comment
+delete_comment() {
+  if [[ ! -r "$PRDIR/comment-id" ]]; then return; fi
+  api "issues/comments/$(< "$PRDIR/comment-id")" -X DELETE
+}