diff --git a/src/commands/device.ts b/src/commands/device.ts
index 7a1adbb..556ecfd 100644
--- a/src/commands/device.ts
+++ b/src/commands/device.ts
@@ -131,6 +131,53 @@ async function waitUntilUsable(ctx: Ctx, id: string): Promise<DeviceSession> {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Poll until the device has finished installing `binaryId`: the session
+ * block's `install.status` leaves `installing`. The session is usable
+ * throughout (it stays ready while a new build installs), so waiting on the
+ * state alone returned too early. An API without `install` returns at once.
+ */
+async function waitForInstall(ctx: Ctx, id: string, binaryId: string): Promise<DeviceSession> {
+  const deadline = Date.now() + WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS;
+  for (;;) {
+    const { session } = await DeviceGateway.status(ctx.apiUrl, await freshAuth(ctx), id);
+    const install = session.install;
+    if (ENDED_STATES.includes(session.state)) {
+      throw new DeviceApiError(
+        `Device session ${id} ended while installing (${session.release_reason ?? session.state}).`,
+        410,
+        'LIVE_SESSION_ENDED',
+        session,
+      );
+    }
+
+    // Done, failed, superseded by another install, or an API too old to say.
+    if (!install || install.binary_upload_id !== binaryId || install.status !== 'installing') {
+      return session;
+    }
+
+    if (Date.now() >= deadline) {
+      throw new DeviceApiError(
+        `Timed out after ${WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS / 60_000} minutes waiting for the install on ${id}. It may still finish: check it with \`dcd device status ${id}\`.`,
+        408,
+        null,
+        session,
+      );
+    }
+
+    await sleep(WAIT_POLL_MS);
+  }
+}
+
+/** A failed install as a command failure (exit 2); the session stays open. */
+function installFailure(session: DeviceSession): { code: null; message: string } | undefined {
+  if (session.install?.status !== 'failed') return undefined;
+  return {
+    code: null,
+    message: `The app could not be installed: ${session.install.error ?? 'unknown error'} Session ${session.id} is still open.`,
+  };
+}
+
 /**
  * Turn `<path|url>` into what /install takes: a URL goes to the API's
  * install-from-URL, a local file is uploaded first.
@@ -260,15 +307,23 @@ const startSub = defineCommand({
 
       // The session exists and bills from here on: every later failure must
       // still name it, so the caller can stop it.
+      let installedId: string | undefined;
       try {
         if (resolved && 'url' in resolved) {
           ctx.progress(ui.running('Installing the app from its URL…'));
-          ({ session } = await DeviceGateway.install(ctx.apiUrl, ctx.auth, session.id, resolved));
+          const fromUrl = await DeviceGateway.install(ctx.apiUrl, ctx.auth, session.id, resolved);
+          session = fromUrl.session;
+          installedId = fromUrl.app.binary_upload_id;
         }
 
         if (args.wait) {
           ctx.progress(ui.running('Waiting for the device…'));
           session = await waitUntilUsable(ctx, session.id);
+          const expected = installedId ?? uploadedId;
+          if (expected) {
+            ctx.progress(ui.running('Waiting for the app to install…'));
+            session = await waitForInstall(ctx, session.id, expected);
+          }
         }
       } catch (error) {
         if (error instanceof DeviceApiError && error.code === 'LIVE_SESSION_ENDED') throw error;
@@ -280,9 +335,11 @@ const startSub = defineCommand({
         throw new DeviceApiError(message, 500, null, session);
       }
 
+      const startFailure = args.wait ? installFailure(session) : undefined;
       return {
         session,
-        data: { binary_upload_id: uploadedId ?? null },
+        data: { binary_upload_id: installedId ?? uploadedId ?? null },
+        ...(startFailure && { failure: startFailure }),
         print() {
           logger.log(ui.section('Device session'));
           printSession(session);
@@ -455,14 +512,25 @@ const installSub = defineCommand({
       if (args.wait) {
         ctx.progress(ui.running('Waiting for the device…'));
         session = await waitUntilUsable(ctx, id);
+        ctx.progress(ui.running('Waiting for the app to install…'));
+        session = await waitForInstall(ctx, id, installed.app.binary_upload_id);
       }
 
       const appInfo: DeviceInstalledApp = installed.app;
+      const failure = args.wait ? installFailure(session) : undefined;
       return {
         session,
         data: { app: appInfo },
+        ...(failure && { failure }),
         print() {
-          logger.log(ui.success(`Installing ${appInfo.app_id ?? appInfo.binary_upload_id}`));
+          if (failure) {
+            logger.log(`${ui.statusSymbol('FAILED')} ${failure.message}`);
+            return;
+          }
+
+          logger.log(
+            ui.success(`${args.wait ? 'Installed' : 'Installing'} ${appInfo.app_id ?? appInfo.binary_upload_id}`),
+          );
           logger.log(
             ui.branch(
               ui.fields([
diff --git a/src/types/domain/device-session.types.ts b/src/types/domain/device-session.types.ts
index 5fd2db9..5956ab4 100644
--- a/src/types/domain/device-session.types.ts
+++ b/src/types/domain/device-session.types.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,15 @@ export interface DeviceSession {
   idle_remaining_s: null | number;
   cost_so_far_usd: null | number;
   last_crash: { at: string; summary: string } | null;
+  /**
+   * The build the session asked for and where its install is. Null when no
+   * build was asked for; absent from APIs older than this field.
+   */
+  install?: {
+    binary_upload_id: string;
+    error: null | string;
+    status: 'failed' | 'installed' | 'installing';
+  } | null;
   warnings: string[];
   monitor_url: string;
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/device-command.test.ts b/test/unit/device-command.test.ts
index 835eb25..3380216 100644
--- a/test/unit/device-command.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/device-command.test.ts
@@ -250,6 +250,47 @@ describe('dcd device', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('install --wait', () => {
+    const installed = { app: { binary_upload_id: 'b-2', app_id: 'com.x', reused: true } };
+    const withInstall = (status: 'failed' | 'installed' | 'installing', error: null | string = null) =>
+      session('a-b-c', { install: { binary_upload_id: 'b-2', status, error } });
+
+    it('waits until the device has installed the build, not just until it is ready', async () => {
+      let polls = 0;
+      const calls = stubFetch((call) => {
+        if (call.method === 'POST') return { body: { ...installed, session: withInstall('installing') } };
+        polls += 1;
+        return { body: { session: withInstall(polls < 2 ? 'installing' : 'installed') } };
+      });
+      const { exit, out } = await runJson('install', { id: 'a-b-c', 'app-binary-id': 'b-2', wait: true });
+      expect(exit).to.equal(0);
+      expect((out.session as DeviceSession).install?.status).to.equal('installed');
+      expect(calls.filter((c) => c.method === 'GET').length).to.be.greaterThan(1);
+    }).timeout(15_000);
+
+    it('exits 2 with the reason when the install failed, and says the session is open', async () => {
+      stubFetch((call) =>
+        call.method === 'POST'
+          ? { body: { ...installed, session: withInstall('installing') } }
+          : { body: { session: withInstall('failed', 'App binary decryption failed.') } },
+      );
+      const { exit, out } = await runJson('install', { id: 'a-b-c', 'app-binary-id': 'b-2', wait: true });
+      expect(exit).to.equal(DEVICE_EXIT.failed);
+      const message = (out.error as { message: string }).message;
+      expect(message).to.include('App binary decryption failed.').and.include('a-b-c is still open');
+    }).timeout(15_000);
+
+    it('does not hang on an API without install status', async () => {
+      stubFetch((call) =>
+        call.method === 'POST'
+          ? { body: { ...installed, session: session('a-b-c') } }
+          : { body: { session: session('a-b-c') } },
+      );
+      const { exit } = await runJson('install', { id: 'a-b-c', 'app-binary-id': 'b-2', wait: true });
+      expect(exit).to.equal(0);
+    }).timeout(15_000);
+  });
+
   describe('requests', () => {
     it('start sends the device, the label and the source header', async () => {
       const calls = stubFetch(() => ({ body: { session: session('a-b-c', { state: 'queued' }) } }));