diff --git a/prog/vm/nexus.rb b/prog/vm/nexus.rb
index 92013939c..074e2d1eb 100644
--- a/prog/vm/nexus.rb
+++ b/prog/vm/nexus.rb
@@ -195,7 +195,10 @@ def before_run
 
   label def start
     register_deadline(:wait, 10 * 60)
+    hop_allocate_vm
+  end
 
+  label def allocate_vm
     vm_host_id = allocate
     vm_host = VmHost[vm_host_id]
     ip4, address = vm_host.ip4_random_vm_network if vm.ip4_enabled
diff --git a/spec/prog/vm/nexus_spec.rb b/spec/prog/vm/nexus_spec.rb
index 17be7ca1b..6ed28ea67 100644
--- a/spec/prog/vm/nexus_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/prog/vm/nexus_spec.rb
@@ -225,6 +225,13 @@
   end
 
   describe "#start" do
+    it "registers a deadline and hops" do
+      expect(nx).to receive(:register_deadline)
+      expect { nx.start }.to hop("allocate_vm")
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#allocate_vm" do
     it "allocates the vm to a host" do
       vmh_id = "46ca6ded-b056-4723-bd91-612959f52f6f"
       vmh = VmHost.new(
@@ -239,7 +246,7 @@
         expect(args[:vm_host_id]).to match vmh_id
       end
 
-      expect { nx.start }.to hop("create_unix_user")
+      expect { nx.allocate_vm }.to hop("create_unix_user")
     end
 
     it "allocates the vm to a host with IPv4 address" do
@@ -258,7 +265,7 @@
       expect(AssignedVmAddress).to receive(:create_with_id).and_return(assigned_address)
       expect(vm).to receive(:update)
 
-      expect { nx.start }.to hop("create_unix_user")
+      expect { nx.allocate_vm }.to hop("create_unix_user")
     end
 
     it "fails if there is no ip address available but the vm is ip4 enabled" do
@@ -273,7 +280,7 @@
       expect(vmh).to receive(:ip4_random_vm_network).and_return([nil, nil])
       expect(vm).to receive(:ip4_enabled).and_return(true).at_least(:once)
 
-      expect { nx.start }.to raise_error(RuntimeError, /no ip4 addresses left/)
+      expect { nx.allocate_vm }.to raise_error(RuntimeError, /no ip4 addresses left/)
     end
   end