diff --git a/pkg/app/instances/docker.go b/pkg/app/instances/docker.go
index 1cdcd76c..c3ba4b3a 100644
--- a/pkg/app/instances/docker.go
+++ b/pkg/app/instances/docker.go
@@ -188,6 +188,15 @@ func (m *DockerInstanceManager) waitCreateHostOperation(host string) (*apiv1.Hos
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to inspect docker container: %w", err)
 			}
 			if res.State.Running {
+				client, err := m.GetHostClient("local", host)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+				// There is a delay between host creation and its readiness, wait for host readiness and return when it is ready.
+				readinessChecker := &BasicHostReadinessChecker{Client: client}
+				if err := WaitForHostReady(readinessChecker, 2*time.Minute, 5*time.Second); err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
 				return &apiv1.HostInstance{
 					Name: host,
 				}, nil
diff --git a/pkg/app/instances/gce.go b/pkg/app/instances/gce.go
index d2304ebc..7f78ff93 100644
--- a/pkg/app/instances/gce.go
+++ b/pkg/app/instances/gce.go
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"path"
 	"regexp"
+	"time"
 
 	apiv1 "github.com/google/cloud-android-orchestration/api/v1"
 	"github.com/google/cloud-android-orchestration/pkg/app/accounts"
@@ -79,27 +81,19 @@ func (m *GCEInstanceManager) ListZones() (*apiv1.ListZonesResponse, error) {
 }
 
 func (m *GCEInstanceManager) GetHostAddr(zone string, host string) (string, error) {
-	instance, err := m.getHostInstance(zone, host)
+	ins, err := m.getHostInstance(zone, host)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	ilen := len(instance.NetworkInterfaces)
-	if ilen == 0 {
-		log.Printf("host instance %s in zone %s is missing a network interface", host, zone)
-		return "", errors.NewInternalError("host instance missing a network interface", nil)
-	}
-	if ilen > 1 {
-		log.Printf("host instance %s in zone %s has %d network interfaces", host, zone, ilen)
-	}
-	return instance.NetworkInterfaces[0].NetworkIP, nil
+	return m.getHostAddrWithIns(ins)
 }
 
 func (m *GCEInstanceManager) GetHostURL(zone string, host string) (*url.URL, error) {
-	addr, err := m.GetHostAddr(zone, host)
+	ins, err := m.getHostInstance(zone, host)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return url.Parse(fmt.Sprintf("%s://%s:%d", m.Config.HostOrchestratorProtocol, addr, m.Config.GCP.HostOrchestratorPort))
+	return m.getHostURLWithIns(ins)
 }
 
 const operationStatusDone = "DONE"
@@ -253,18 +247,105 @@ func (m *GCEInstanceManager) WaitOperation(zone string, user accounts.User, name
 	if op.Status != operationStatusDone {
 		return nil, errors.NewServiceUnavailableError("Wait for operation timed out", nil)
 	}
-	getter := opResultGetter{Service: m.Service, Op: op}
-	return getter.Get()
+	getter := opResultGetter{
+		Service: m.Service,
+		Op:      op,
+		Config:  &m.Config,
+	}
+	res, err := getter.Get()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if hostInst, ok := res.(*apiv1.HostInstance); ok && op.OperationType == "insert" {
+		return m.waitHostAvailability(zone, user, hostInst.Name)
+	}
+	return res, nil
 }
 
-func (m *GCEInstanceManager) GetHostClient(zone string, host string) (HostClient, error) {
-	url, err := m.GetHostURL(zone, host)
+func (m *GCEInstanceManager) waitHostAvailability(zone string, user accounts.User, host string) (*apiv1.HostInstance, error) {
+	ins, err := m.getHostInstance(zone, host)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	hostInstance, err := BuildHostInstance(ins)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	client, err := m.getHostClientWithIns(ins)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err := m.waitForOrchestrator(zone, hostInstance, client); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return hostInstance, nil
+}
+
+type gceHostReadinessChecker struct {
+	basicChecker *BasicHostReadinessChecker
+	manager      *GCEInstanceManager
+	zone         string
+	hostName     string
+}
+
+func (g *gceHostReadinessChecker) IsHostReady() (bool, error) {
+	_, err := g.manager.Service.Instances.Get(g.manager.Config.GCP.ProjectID, g.zone, g.hostName).Context(context.TODO()).Do()
+	if err != nil {
+		if apiErr, ok := err.(*googleapi.Error); ok && apiErr.Code == http.StatusNotFound {
+			return false, errors.NewNotFoundError("Host was deleted concurrently", err)
+		}
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to check host existence: %w", err)
+	}
+	return g.basicChecker.IsHostReady()
+}
+
+func (m *GCEInstanceManager) waitForOrchestrator(zone string, host *apiv1.HostInstance, client HostClient) error {
+	gceChecker := &gceHostReadinessChecker{
+		basicChecker: &BasicHostReadinessChecker{Client: client},
+		manager:      m,
+		zone:         zone,
+		hostName:     host.Name,
+	}
+
+	return WaitForHostReady(gceChecker, 5*time.Minute, 5*time.Second)
+}
+
+func (m *GCEInstanceManager) getHostAddrWithIns(ins *compute.Instance) (string, error) {
+	ilen := len(ins.NetworkInterfaces)
+	if ilen == 0 {
+		log.Printf("host instance %s in zone %s is missing a network interface", ins.Name, ins.Zone)
+		return "", errors.NewInternalError("host instance missing a network interface", nil)
+	}
+	if ilen > 1 {
+		log.Printf("host instance %s in zone %s has %d network interfaces", ins.Name, ins.Zone, ilen)
+	}
+	return ins.NetworkInterfaces[0].NetworkIP, nil
+}
+
+func (m *GCEInstanceManager) getHostURLWithIns(ins *compute.Instance) (*url.URL, error) {
+	addr, err := m.getHostAddrWithIns(ins)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return url.Parse(fmt.Sprintf("%s://%s:%d", m.Config.HostOrchestratorProtocol, addr, m.Config.GCP.HostOrchestratorPort))
+}
+
+func (m *GCEInstanceManager) getHostClientWithIns(ins *compute.Instance) (HostClient, error) {
+	url, err := m.getHostURLWithIns(ins)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return NewNetHostClient(url, m.Config.AllowSelfSignedHostSSLCertificate), nil
 }
 
+func (m *GCEInstanceManager) GetHostClient(zone string, host string) (HostClient, error) {
+	ins, err := m.getHostInstance(zone, host)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return m.getHostClientWithIns(ins)
+}
+
 func (m *GCEInstanceManager) getHostInstance(zone string, host string) (*compute.Instance, error) {
 	ins, err := m.Service.Instances.
 		Get(m.Config.GCP.ProjectID, zone, host).
@@ -326,6 +407,7 @@ var (
 type opResultGetter struct {
 	Service *compute.Service
 	Op      *compute.Operation
+	Config  *Config
 }
 
 func (g *opResultGetter) Get() (any, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/app/instances/gce_test.go b/pkg/app/instances/gce_test.go
index 18c55693..98f6e6b2 100644
--- a/pkg/app/instances/gce_test.go
+++ b/pkg/app/instances/gce_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"net/url"
 	"reflect"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -572,9 +573,14 @@ func TestWaitCreateInstanceOperationSucceeds(t *testing.T) {
 		Name:           "foo",
 		MachineType:    "mt",
 		MinCpuPlatform: "mcp",
+		NetworkInterfaces: []*compute.NetworkInterface{
+			{NetworkIP: "127.0.0.1"},
+		},
 	}
 	ts := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		switch path := r.URL.Path; path {
+		case "/":
+			replyJSON(w, map[string]string{})
 		case "/projects/google.com:test-project/zones/us-central1-a/operations/operation-1/wait":
 			replyJSON(w, operation)
 		case "/projects/google.com:test-project/zones/us-central1-a/instances/foo":
@@ -584,7 +590,18 @@ func TestWaitCreateInstanceOperationSucceeds(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}))
 	defer ts.Close()
-	im := NewGCEInstanceManager(testConfig, buildTestService(t, ts), testNameGenerator)
+
+	tsURL, _ := url.Parse(ts.URL)
+	port, _ := strconv.Atoi(tsURL.Port())
+
+	cfg := testConfig
+	cfg.HostOrchestratorProtocol = "http"
+
+	gcpCfg := *cfg.GCP
+	gcpCfg.HostOrchestratorPort = port
+	cfg.GCP = &gcpCfg
+
+	im := NewGCEInstanceManager(cfg, buildTestService(t, ts), testNameGenerator)
 
 	res, _ := im.WaitOperation(zone, &TestUser{}, opName)
 
diff --git a/pkg/app/instances/helper.go b/pkg/app/instances/helper.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7d31d50d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/app/instances/helper.go
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+// Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package instances
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/google/cloud-android-orchestration/pkg/app/errors"
+)
+
+func WaitForHostReady(checker HostReadinessChecker, maxWait time.Duration, retryDelay time.Duration) error {
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(maxWait)
+
+	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
+		ready, err := checker.IsHostReady()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if ready {
+			return nil
+		}
+		time.Sleep(retryDelay)
+	}
+	return errors.NewInternalError("wait for host orchestrator readiness timed out", nil)
+}
+
+type BasicHostReadinessChecker struct {
+	Client HostClient
+}
+
+func (c *BasicHostReadinessChecker) IsHostReady() (bool, error) {
+	status, err := c.Client.Get("/", "", nil)
+	if err != nil || status == http.StatusBadGateway || status == http.StatusServiceUnavailable {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	return true, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/app/instances/helper_test.go b/pkg/app/instances/helper_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2ea21a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/app/instances/helper_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+// Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package instances
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type mockHostReadinessChecker struct {
+	isHostReadyFunc func() (bool, error)
+}
+
+func (c *mockHostReadinessChecker) IsHostReady() (bool, error) {
+	return c.isHostReadyFunc()
+}
+
+func TestWaitForHostReadySucceeds(t *testing.T) {
+	checker := &mockHostReadinessChecker{
+		isHostReadyFunc: func() (bool, error) {
+			return true, nil
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := WaitForHostReady(checker, 100*time.Millisecond, 1*time.Millisecond)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWaitForHostReadyRetries(t *testing.T) {
+	calls := 0
+	checker := &mockHostReadinessChecker{
+		isHostReadyFunc: func() (bool, error) {
+			calls++
+			if calls == 1 {
+				return false, nil
+			}
+			return true, nil
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := WaitForHostReady(checker, 100*time.Millisecond, 1*time.Millisecond)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if calls != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 2 calls, got %d", calls)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/app/instances/instances.go b/pkg/app/instances/instances.go
index c7095438..357726e5 100644
--- a/pkg/app/instances/instances.go
+++ b/pkg/app/instances/instances.go
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ type Manager interface {
 	GetHostClient(zone string, host string) (HostClient, error)
 }
 
+type HostReadinessChecker interface {
+	IsHostReady() (bool, error)
+}
+
 type HostClient interface {
 	// Get and Post requests return the HTTP status code or an error.
 	// The response body is parsed into the res output parameter if provided.