diff --git a/common/test.py b/common/test.py
index 331c922..2868d0f 100644
--- a/common/test.py
+++ b/common/test.py
@@ -191,6 +191,15 @@
         return call_until_true(
             self.conf.build_timeout, 1, ping)
 
+    def _wait_for_all_resource_status(self, stack_identifier,
+                                      status, failure_pattern='^.*_FAILED$',
+                                      success_on_not_found=False):
+        for res in self.client.resources.list(stack_identifier):
+            self._wait_for_resource_status(
+                stack_identifier, res.resource_name,
+                status, failure_pattern=failure_pattern,
+                success_on_not_found=success_on_not_found)
+
     def _wait_for_resource_status(self, stack_identifier, resource_name,
                                   status, failure_pattern='^.*_FAILED$',
                                   success_on_not_found=False):
@@ -406,11 +415,19 @@
     def stack_suspend(self, stack_identifier):
         stack_name = stack_identifier.split('/')[0]
         self.client.actions.suspend(stack_name)
+
+        # improve debugging by first checking the resource's state.
+        self._wait_for_all_resource_status(stack_identifier,
+                                           'SUSPEND_COMPLETE')
         self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'SUSPEND_COMPLETE')
 
     def stack_resume(self, stack_identifier):
         stack_name = stack_identifier.split('/')[0]
         self.client.actions.resume(stack_name)
+
+        # improve debugging by first checking the resource's state.
+        self._wait_for_all_resource_status(stack_identifier,
+                                           'RESUME_COMPLETE')
         self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_identifier, 'RESUME_COMPLETE')
 
     def wait_for_event_with_reason(self, stack_identifier, reason,
diff --git a/functional/test_autoscaling.py b/functional/test_autoscaling.py
index 932245d..489ae63 100644
--- a/functional/test_autoscaling.py
+++ b/functional/test_autoscaling.py
@@ -318,21 +318,11 @@
         nested_ident = self.assert_resource_is_a_stack(stack_identifier,
                                                        'JobServerGroup')
 
-        self.client.actions.suspend(stack_id=stack_identifier)
-        self._wait_for_resource_status(
-            stack_identifier, 'JobServerGroup', 'SUSPEND_COMPLETE')
-        for res in self.client.resources.list(nested_ident):
-            self._wait_for_resource_status(nested_ident,
-                                           res.resource_name,
-                                           'SUSPEND_COMPLETE')
+        self.stack_suspend(stack_identifier)
+        self._wait_for_all_resource_status(nested_ident, 'SUSPEND_COMPLETE')
 
-        self.client.actions.resume(stack_id=stack_identifier)
-        self._wait_for_resource_status(
-            stack_identifier, 'JobServerGroup', 'RESUME_COMPLETE')
-        for res in self.client.resources.list(nested_ident):
-            self._wait_for_resource_status(nested_ident,
-                                           res.resource_name,
-                                           'RESUME_COMPLETE')
+        self.stack_resume(stack_identifier)
+        self._wait_for_all_resource_status(nested_ident, 'RESUME_COMPLETE')
 
 
 class AutoscalingGroupUpdatePolicyTest(AutoscalingGroupTest):
diff --git a/functional/test_aws_stack.py b/functional/test_aws_stack.py
index 5aabe95..d8ba937 100644
--- a/functional/test_aws_stack.py
+++ b/functional/test_aws_stack.py
@@ -203,11 +203,5 @@
         url = self.publish_template(self.nested_name, self.nested_template)
         self.template = self.test_template.replace('the.yaml', url)
         stack_identifier = self.stack_create(template=self.template)
-
-        self.client.actions.suspend(stack_id=stack_identifier)
-        self._wait_for_resource_status(
-            stack_identifier, 'the_nested', 'SUSPEND_COMPLETE')
-
-        self.client.actions.resume(stack_id=stack_identifier)
-        self._wait_for_resource_status(
-            stack_identifier, 'the_nested', 'RESUME_COMPLETE')
+        self.stack_suspend(stack_identifier)
+        self.stack_resume(stack_identifier)
diff --git a/functional/test_remote_stack.py b/functional/test_remote_stack.py
index 7579eb0..868f24e 100644
--- a/functional/test_remote_stack.py
+++ b/functional/test_remote_stack.py
@@ -140,17 +140,5 @@
     def test_stack_suspend_resume(self):
         files = {'remote_stack.yaml': self.remote_template}
         stack_id = self.stack_create(files=files)
-        rsrc = self.client.resources.get(stack_id, 'my_stack')
-        remote_id = rsrc.physical_resource_id
-
-        # suspend stack
-        self.client.actions.suspend(stack_id)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_id, 'SUSPEND_COMPLETE')
-        rsrc = self.client.stacks.get(remote_id)
-        self.assertEqual('SUSPEND_COMPLETE', rsrc.stack_status)
-
-        # resume stack
-        self.client.actions.resume(stack_id)
-        self._wait_for_stack_status(stack_id, 'RESUME_COMPLETE')
-        rsrc = self.client.stacks.get(remote_id)
-        self.assertEqual('RESUME_COMPLETE', rsrc.stack_status)
+        self.stack_suspend(stack_id)
+        self.stack_resume(stack_id)