diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4355943..be3e756 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,14 +30,15 @@ ollie/
 
   b/                    dir:   batch jobs and job scripts
     new                 r/w:   read: KV template; write: submit a job spec
-    idx                 read:  job index (id, status, cwd, agent — one per line)
+    idx                 read:  job index (id, state, cwd, agent — one per line)
     job                 exec:  core batch job runner (submit, wait, print result)
     q                   exec:  foreground one-shot query; thin wrapper around job
     sched               exec:  submit background job; prints b/ path; wrapper around job
-    cleanup             exec:  remove all jobs with status "done"
+    cleanup             exec:  remove all jobs with state "done"
     <job-id>/                  rm -r to cancel and remove
       spec              read:  original job spec as submitted
-      status            read:  running | done | failed: <reason>
+      state             read:  running | done | failed: <reason>
+      statewait         read:  blocks until state changes; returns new state
       result            read:  assistant reply (populated when done)
       usage             read:  token counts
       ctxsz             read:  context size
diff --git a/internal/p9/batchstore.go b/internal/p9/batchstore.go
index 1450735..d56fd74 100644
--- a/internal/p9/batchstore.go
+++ b/internal/p9/batchstore.go
@@ -28,11 +28,12 @@ type batchJob struct {
 	backend   string
 	model     string
 	output    string
-	status    string // "running" | "done" | "failed: ..."
+	state     string // "running" | "done" | "failed: ..."
 	result    string
 	usage     string
 	ctxsz     string
 	cancel    context.CancelFunc
+	done      chan struct{} // closed when state reaches a terminal value
 }
 
 // batchSpec is the parsed result of a b/new write.
@@ -154,14 +155,14 @@ func (s *BatchStore) job(id string) *batchJob {
 	return s.jobs[id]
 }
 
-// index returns the live b/idx content: id\tstatus\tcwd\tagent per line.
+// index returns the live b/idx content: id\tstate\tcwd\tagent per line.
 func (s *BatchStore) index() []byte {
 	var sb strings.Builder
 	s.mu.RLock()
 	defer s.mu.RUnlock()
 	for id, job := range s.jobs {
 		job.mu.RLock()
-		fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\n", id, job.status, job.cwd, job.agentName)
+		fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\n", id, job.state, job.cwd, job.agentName)
 		job.mu.RUnlock()
 	}
 	return []byte(sb.String())
@@ -196,7 +197,8 @@ func (s *BatchStore) handleNewBatch(input string) error {
 			backend:   spec.backend,
 			model:     spec.model,
 			output:    spec.output,
-			status:    "running",
+			state:     "running",
+			done:      make(chan struct{}),
 		}
 		s.jobs[id] = job
 		s.mu.Unlock()
@@ -213,24 +215,26 @@ func (s *BatchStore) handleNewBatch(input string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// runJob executes one batch job and updates its status and result.
+// runJob executes one batch job and updates its state and result.
 func (s *BatchStore) runJob(ctx context.Context, job *batchJob) {
 	result, err := s.executeJob(ctx, job)
 	job.mu.Lock()
 	defer job.mu.Unlock()
 	if err != nil {
 		if ctx.Err() != nil {
-			job.status = "failed: cancelled"
+			job.state = "failed: cancelled"
 		} else {
-			job.status = "failed: " + err.Error()
+			job.state = "failed: " + err.Error()
 		}
-		job.result = job.status
+		job.result = job.state
 		plog.Info("batch job %s failed: %v", job.id, err)
+		close(job.done)
 		return
 	}
 	job.result = result
-	job.status = "done"
+	job.state = "done"
 	plog.Info("batch job %s done", job.id)
+	close(job.done)
 }
 
 // executeJob creates an ephemeral agentCore, submits the prompt, and returns
@@ -383,11 +387,12 @@ var batchJobFiles = []struct {
 	name string
 	mode os.FileMode
 }{
-	{"spec",   0444},
-	{"status", 0444},
-	{"result", 0444},
-	{"usage",  0444},
-	{"ctxsz",  0444},
+	{"spec",      0444},
+	{"state",     0444},
+	{"statewait", 0444},
+	{"result",    0444},
+	{"usage",     0444},
+	{"ctxsz",     0444},
 }
 
 // BatchJobStore provides Stat/List/Get for the files within a single batch job
@@ -436,8 +441,8 @@ func (js *BatchJobStore) content(name string) string {
 	switch name {
 	case "spec":
 		return js.job.spec
-	case "status":
-		return js.job.status + "\n"
+	case "state":
+		return js.job.state + "\n"
 	case "result":
 		return js.job.result
 	case "usage":
@@ -447,3 +452,36 @@ func (js *BatchJobStore) content(name string) string {
 	}
 	return ""
 }
+
+// CurrentWaitValue returns the current value for the named *wait file.
+func (js *BatchJobStore) CurrentWaitValue(name string) string {
+	if name == "statewait" {
+		js.job.mu.RLock()
+		defer js.job.mu.RUnlock()
+		return js.job.state
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// Wait blocks until the job leaves "running" state, then returns the new state.
+// Returns nil content (empty read) on context cancellation.
+func (js *BatchJobStore) Wait(ctx context.Context, name, base string) ([]byte, error) {
+	if name != "statewait" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: not a wait file", name)
+	}
+	js.job.mu.RLock()
+	current := js.job.state
+	js.job.mu.RUnlock()
+	if current != base {
+		return []byte(current + "\n"), nil
+	}
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return nil, nil
+	case <-js.job.done:
+	}
+	js.job.mu.RLock()
+	current = js.job.state
+	js.job.mu.RUnlock()
+	return []byte(current + "\n"), nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/p9/server.go b/internal/p9/server.go
index 49a40cc..1e4eef6 100644
--- a/internal/p9/server.go
+++ b/internal/p9/server.go
@@ -539,8 +539,15 @@ func (s *Server) open(cs *connState, fc *plan9.Fcall) *plan9.Fcall {
 	if strings.HasSuffix(pathBase(f.path), "wait") {
 		parts := strings.SplitN(strings.TrimPrefix(f.path, "/"), "/", 3)
 		if len(parts) == 3 {
-			if store, ok := s.sessionFileStore(parts[1]); ok {
-				f.waitBase = store.CurrentWaitValue(parts[2])
+			switch parts[0] {
+			case "s":
+				if store, ok := s.sessionFileStore(parts[1]); ok {
+					f.waitBase = store.CurrentWaitValue(parts[2])
+				}
+			case "b":
+				if js, ok := s.batchStore.JobStore(parts[1]); ok {
+					f.waitBase = js.CurrentWaitValue(parts[2])
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -636,6 +643,32 @@ func (s *Server) read(cs *connState, fc *plan9.Fcall, ctx context.Context) *plan
 			if !ok {
 				return &plan9.Fcall{Type: plan9.Rread, Tag: fc.Tag, Count: 0}
 			}
+			if parts[2] == "statewait" {
+				if fc.Offset > 0 {
+					return &plan9.Fcall{Type: plan9.Rread, Tag: fc.Tag, Count: 0}
+				}
+				cs.mu.RLock()
+				f, fidOK := cs.fids[fc.Fid]
+				var base string
+				if fidOK {
+					base = f.waitBase
+				}
+				cs.mu.RUnlock()
+				waitCtx, waitCancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
+				defer waitCancel()
+				content, err := js.Wait(waitCtx, parts[2], base)
+				if err != nil {
+					return errFcall(fc, err.Error())
+				}
+				if content != nil {
+					cs.mu.Lock()
+					if f, ok := cs.fids[fc.Fid]; ok {
+						f.waitBase = strings.TrimSuffix(string(content), "\n")
+					}
+					cs.mu.Unlock()
+				}
+				return s.readSlice(fc, content)
+			}
 			content, err := js.Get(parts[2])
 			if err != nil {
 				return errFcall(fc, err.Error())