diff --git a/l4d2host/instances.py b/l4d2host/instances.py
index 68aceb3..d6218a6 100644
--- a/l4d2host/instances.py
+++ b/l4d2host/instances.py
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ def start_instance(
 
     env = _load_instance_env(instance_dir / "instance.env")
 
+    _emit_step("mounting runtime overlay...", on_stdout, passthrough)
     run_command(
         [
             "fuse-overlayfs",
@@ -101,10 +102,12 @@ def start_instance(
         should_cancel=should_cancel,
     )
 
+    _emit_step("copying server.cfg to runtime...", on_stdout, passthrough)
     target_cfg = runtime_dir / "merged" / "left4dead2" / "cfg" / "server.cfg"
     target_cfg.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     shutil.copy2(instance_dir / "server.cfg", target_cfg)
 
+    _emit_step("starting systemd service...", on_stdout, passthrough)
     start_service(
         name,
         on_stdout=on_stdout,
@@ -112,6 +115,7 @@ def start_instance(
         passthrough=passthrough,
         should_cancel=should_cancel,
     )
+    _emit_step("start complete.", on_stdout, passthrough)
 
 
 def stop_instance(
@@ -124,6 +128,7 @@ def stop_instance(
     should_cancel: Callable[[], bool] | None = None,
 ) -> None:
     root = get_left4me_root() if root is None else Path(root)
+    _emit_step("stopping systemd service...", on_stdout, passthrough)
     stop_service(
         name,
         on_stdout=on_stdout,
@@ -131,6 +136,7 @@ def stop_instance(
         passthrough=passthrough,
         should_cancel=should_cancel,
     )
+    _emit_step("unmounting runtime overlay...", on_stdout, passthrough)
     run_command(
         ["fusermount3", "-u", str(root / "runtime" / name / "merged")],
         on_stdout=on_stdout,
@@ -138,6 +144,7 @@ def stop_instance(
         passthrough=passthrough,
         should_cancel=should_cancel,
     )
+    _emit_step("stop complete.", on_stdout, passthrough)
 
 
 def delete_instance(
@@ -156,6 +163,7 @@ def delete_instance(
     if not instance_dir.exists() and not runtime_dir.exists():
         return
 
+    _emit_step("stopping systemd service (if running)...", on_stdout, passthrough)
     stop_service(
         name,
         on_stdout=on_stdout,
@@ -166,6 +174,7 @@ def delete_instance(
 
     merged = runtime_dir / "merged"
     if merged.is_mount():
+        _emit_step("unmounting runtime overlay (if mounted)...", on_stdout, passthrough)
         run_command(
             ["fusermount3", "-u", str(merged)],
             on_stdout=on_stdout,
@@ -174,7 +183,9 @@ def delete_instance(
             should_cancel=should_cancel,
         )
 
+    _emit_step("removing instance files...", on_stdout, passthrough)
     if instance_dir.exists():
         shutil.rmtree(instance_dir)
     if runtime_dir.exists():
         shutil.rmtree(runtime_dir)
+    _emit_step("delete complete.", on_stdout, passthrough)