diff --git a/pkg/actuators/machine/actuator_test.go b/pkg/actuators/machine/actuator_test.go
index d0816a4971..2dbf847bd2 100644
--- a/pkg/actuators/machine/actuator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/actuators/machine/actuator_test.go
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ func TestGetMachineInstances(t *testing.T) {
 			exists: true,
 		},
 		{
-			testcase: "has-status-search-by-id",
+			testcase: "has-status-search-by-id-running",
 			providerStatus: providerconfigv1.AWSMachineProviderStatus{
 				InstanceID: aws.String(instanceID),
 			},
@@ -1205,23 +1205,21 @@ func TestGetMachineInstances(t *testing.T) {
 			exists: true,
 		},
 		{
-			testcase: "has-status-search-by-id and machine is terminated",
+			testcase: "has-status-search-by-id-terminated",
 			providerStatus: providerconfigv1.AWSMachineProviderStatus{
 				InstanceID: aws.String(instanceID),
 			},
 			awsClientFunc: func(ctrl *gomock.Controller) awsclient.Client {
 				mockAWSClient := mockaws.NewMockClient(ctrl)
 
-				request := &ec2.DescribeInstancesInput{
+				first := mockAWSClient.EXPECT().DescribeInstances(&ec2.DescribeInstancesInput{
 					InstanceIds: aws.StringSlice([]string{instanceID}),
-				}
-
-				mockAWSClient.EXPECT().DescribeInstances(request).Return(
+				}).Return(
 					stubDescribeInstancesOutput(imageID, instanceID, ec2.InstanceStateNameTerminated),
 					nil,
 				).Times(1)
 
-				request2 := &ec2.DescribeInstancesInput{
+				mockAWSClient.EXPECT().DescribeInstances(&ec2.DescribeInstancesInput{
 					Filters: []*ec2.Filter{
 						{
 							Name:   awsTagFilter("Name"),
@@ -1230,16 +1228,13 @@ func TestGetMachineInstances(t *testing.T) {
 
 						clusterFilter(clusterID),
 					},
-				}
-
-				mockAWSClient.EXPECT().DescribeInstances(request2).Return(
-					stubDescribeInstancesOutput(imageID, instanceID, ec2.InstanceStateNameTerminated),
+				}).Return(
+					&ec2.DescribeInstancesOutput{},
 					nil,
-				).Times(1)
+				).Times(1).After(first)
 
 				return mockAWSClient
 			},
-			exists: false,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/actuators/machine/utils.go b/pkg/actuators/machine/utils.go
index 8d1298e2c9..3b095dba12 100644
--- a/pkg/actuators/machine/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/actuators/machine/utils.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package machine
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 
@@ -104,20 +105,11 @@ func getExistingInstances(machine *machinev1.Machine, client awsclient.Client) (
 }
 
 func getExistingInstanceByID(id string, client awsclient.Client) (*ec2.Instance, error) {
-	instance, err := getInstanceByID(id, client)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if instance.State != nil {
-		if aws.StringValue(instance.State.Name) == ec2.InstanceStateNameTerminated {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to getExistingInstanceByID for instance-id %s, instance is terminated", id)
-		}
-	}
-	return instance, nil
+	return getInstanceByID(id, client, existingInstanceStates())
 }
 
 // getInstanceByID returns the instance with the given ID if it exists.
-func getInstanceByID(id string, client awsclient.Client) (*ec2.Instance, error) {
+func getInstanceByID(id string, client awsclient.Client, instanceStateFilter []*string) (*ec2.Instance, error) {
 	if id == "" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("instance-id not specified")
 	}
@@ -141,7 +133,28 @@ func getInstanceByID(id string, client awsclient.Client) (*ec2.Instance, error)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("found %d instances for instance-id %s", len(reservation.Instances), id)
 	}
 
-	return reservation.Instances[0], nil
+	instance := reservation.Instances[0]
+
+	if len(instanceStateFilter) == 0 {
+		return instance, nil
+	}
+
+	if instance.State == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("instance %s has nil state", id)
+	}
+
+	actualState := aws.StringValue(instance.State.Name)
+	for _, allowedState := range instanceStateFilter {
+		if aws.StringValue(allowedState) == actualState {
+			return instance, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	allowedStates := make([]string, 0, len(instanceStateFilter))
+	for _, allowedState := range instanceStateFilter {
+		allowedStates = append(allowedStates, aws.StringValue(allowedState))
+	}
+	return instance, fmt.Errorf("instance %s state %q is not in %s", id, actualState, strings.Join(allowedStates, ", "))
 }
 
 // getInstances returns all instances that have a tag matching our machine name,