diff --git a/cmd/limactl/start.go b/cmd/limactl/start.go
index d1eb594fb2f..f7bf374a5a7 100644
--- a/cmd/limactl/start.go
+++ b/cmd/limactl/start.go
@@ -174,6 +174,17 @@ func startAction(clicontext *cli.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	switch inst.Status {
+	case store.StatusRunning:
+		logrus.Infof("The instance %q is already running. Run `%s` to open the shell.",
+			inst.Name, start.LimactlShellCmd(inst.Name))
+		// Not an error
+		return nil
+	case store.StatusStopped:
+		// NOP
+	default:
+		logrus.Warnf("expected status %q, got %q", store.StatusStopped, inst.Status)
+	}
 	ctx := clicontext.Context
 	return start.Start(ctx, inst)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/start/start.go b/pkg/start/start.go
index 651707964c6..dbfefd19a10 100644
--- a/pkg/start/start.go
+++ b/pkg/start/start.go
@@ -135,11 +135,7 @@ func watchHostAgentEvents(ctx context.Context, instName, haStdoutPath, haStderrP
 				return true
 			}
 
-			shellCmd := fmt.Sprintf("limactl shell %s", instName)
-			if instName == "default" {
-				shellCmd = "lima"
-			}
-			logrus.Infof("READY. Run `%s` to open the shell.", shellCmd)
+			logrus.Infof("READY. Run `%s` to open the shell.", LimactlShellCmd(instName))
 			err = nil
 			return true
 		}
@@ -160,3 +156,11 @@ func watchHostAgentEvents(ctx context.Context, instName, haStdoutPath, haStderrP
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func LimactlShellCmd(instName string) string {
+	shellCmd := fmt.Sprintf("limactl shell %s", instName)
+	if instName == "default" {
+		shellCmd = "lima"
+	}
+	return shellCmd
+}