diff --git a/internal/hcs/migration.go b/internal/hcs/migration.go
index 5bb02effa2..5328ba5cca 100644
--- a/internal/hcs/migration.go
+++ b/internal/hcs/migration.go
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ func (computeSystem *System) StartWithMigrationOptions(ctx context.Context, conf
 		return makeSystemError(computeSystem, operation, err, nil)
 	}
 
-	return computeSystem.start(ctx, op, string(raw))
+	return computeSystem.startV2(ctx, op, string(raw))
 }
 
 // InitializeLiveMigrationOnSource initializes a live migration on the source side with the given options.
diff --git a/internal/hcs/system.go b/internal/hcs/system.go
index 3d9fcce1bd..869a5f3e7a 100644
--- a/internal/hcs/system.go
+++ b/internal/hcs/system.go
@@ -202,31 +202,44 @@ func GetComputeSystems(ctx context.Context, q schema1.ComputeSystemQuery) ([]sch
 	return computeSystems, nil
 }
 
-// Start synchronously starts the computeSystem.
-func (computeSystem *System) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
+// Start synchronously starts the computeSystem using HCS V1 API.
+func (computeSystem *System) Start(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
+	operation := "hcs::System::Start"
+
+	// hcsStartComputeSystemContext is an async operation. Start the outer span
+	// here to measure the full start time.
+	ctx, span := oc.StartSpan(ctx, operation)
+	defer span.End()
+	defer func() { oc.SetSpanStatus(span, err) }()
+	span.AddAttributes(trace.StringAttribute("cid", computeSystem.id))
+
 	computeSystem.handleLock.RLock()
 	defer computeSystem.handleLock.RUnlock()
 
+	// prevent starting an exited system because waitblock we do not recreate waitBlock
+	// or rerun waitBackground, so we have no way to be notified of it closing again
 	if computeSystem.handle == 0 {
-		return makeSystemError(computeSystem, "hcs::System::Start", ErrAlreadyClosed, nil)
+		return makeSystemError(computeSystem, operation, ErrAlreadyClosed, nil)
 	}
 
-	op, err := computecore.HcsCreateOperation(ctx, 0, 0)
+	resultJSON, err := vmcompute.HcsStartComputeSystem(ctx, computeSystem.handle, "")
+	events, err := processAsyncHcsResult(ctx, err, resultJSON, computeSystem.callbackNumber,
+		hcsNotificationSystemStartCompleted, &timeout.SystemStart)
 	if err != nil {
-		return makeSystemError(computeSystem, "hcs::System::Start", err, nil)
+		return makeSystemError(computeSystem, operation, err, events)
 	}
-	defer computecore.HcsCloseOperation(ctx, op)
-
-	return computeSystem.start(ctx, op, "")
+	computeSystem.startTime = time.Now()
+	return nil
 }
 
-// start is the shared implementation used by Start and StartWithMigrationOptions.
+// startV2 is the implementation used by StartWithMigrationOptions to start the compute system
+// using HCS V2 APIs.
 // The caller provides a pre-created computecore operation (with any resources already
 // attached) and the JSON-encoded options string to pass to HcsStartComputeSystem.
 //
 // The caller MUST hold computeSystem.handleLock and verify the handle is valid
 // before calling this method.
-func (computeSystem *System) start(ctx context.Context, op computecore.HcsOperation, opts string) (err error) {
+func (computeSystem *System) startV2(ctx context.Context, op computecore.HcsOperation, opts string) (err error) {
 	operation := "hcs::System::Start"
 
 	// hcsStartComputeSystemContext is an async operation. Start the outer span