diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
index 25613ac88..fff691fd2 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.cpp
@@ -355,5 +355,43 @@ void RobotClient::stop_all(const std::unordered_map<Name, ProtoStruct>& extra) {
     }
 }
 
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const RobotClient::status& v) {
+    std::string status;
+    switch (v) {
+        case RobotClient::status::k_running:
+            status = "running";
+            break;
+        case RobotClient::status::k_initializing:
+            status = "initializing";
+            break;
+        case RobotClient::status::k_unspecified:
+        default:
+            status = "unspecified";
+    }
+    os << status;
+    return os;
+}
+
+RobotClient::status RobotClient::get_machine_status() const {
+    const robot::v1::GetMachineStatusRequest req;
+    robot::v1::GetMachineStatusResponse resp;
+    ClientContext ctx;
+
+    const grpc::Status response = impl_->stub_->GetMachineStatus(ctx, req, &resp);
+    if (is_error_response(response)) {
+        BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(error) << "Error getting machine status: " << response.error_message()
+                                 << response.error_details();
+    }
+    switch (resp.state()) {
+        case robot::v1::GetMachineStatusResponse_State_STATE_INITIALIZING:
+            return RobotClient::status::k_initializing;
+        case robot::v1::GetMachineStatusResponse_State_STATE_RUNNING:
+            return RobotClient::status::k_running;
+        case robot::v1::GetMachineStatusResponse_State_STATE_UNSPECIFIED:
+        default:
+            return RobotClient::status::k_unspecified;
+    }
+}
+
 }  // namespace sdk
 }  // namespace viam
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp
index fd62660af..9d63bd14b 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/robot/client.hpp
@@ -34,6 +34,17 @@ namespace sdk {
 /// `with_channel` require a user call to `close()`.
 class RobotClient {
    public:
+    /// @enum status
+    /// @brief the current status of the robot
+    /// @ingroup Robot
+    enum class status : uint8_t {
+        k_initializing,
+        k_running,
+        k_unspecified,
+    };
+
+    friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const status& v);
+
     struct frame_system_config {
         WorldState::transform frame;
         ProtoStruct kinematics;
@@ -132,6 +143,9 @@ class RobotClient {
     /// @param id The ID of the operation to cancel.
     void cancel_operation(std::string id);
 
+    /// @brief gets the current status of the machine
+    status get_machine_status() const;
+
    private:
     std::vector<std::shared_ptr<std::thread>> threads_;
     std::atomic<bool> should_refresh_;
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/mock_robot.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/mock_robot.cpp
index 2aa15ef8e..cdef0fe78 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/mock_robot.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/mock_robot.cpp
@@ -322,6 +322,21 @@ ::grpc::Status MockRobotService::TransformPose(::grpc::ServerContext* context,
     return ::grpc::Status();
 }
 
+::grpc::Status MockRobotService::GetMachineStatus(
+    ::grpc::ServerContext* context,
+    const ::viam::robot::v1::GetMachineStatusRequest*,
+    ::viam::robot::v1::GetMachineStatusResponse* response) {
+    auto client_md = context->client_metadata();
+    if (auto client_info = client_md.find("viam_client"); client_info == client_md.end()) {
+        return ::grpc::Status(::grpc::StatusCode::FAILED_PRECONDITION,
+                              "viam_client info not properly set in metadata");
+    }
+
+    response->set_state(::viam::robot::v1::GetMachineStatusResponse_State_STATE_RUNNING);
+
+    return ::grpc::Status();
+}
+
 ::grpc::Status MockRobotService::GetOperations(::grpc::ServerContext* context,
                                                const ::viam::robot::v1::GetOperationsRequest*,
                                                ::viam::robot::v1::GetOperationsResponse* response) {
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/mock_robot.hpp b/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/mock_robot.hpp
index 2ad224232..6ef384be6 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/mock_robot.hpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/mocks/mock_robot.hpp
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ class MockRobotService : public ResourceServer, public viam::robot::v1::RobotSer
                                  const ::viam::robot::v1::TransformPoseRequest* request,
                                  ::viam::robot::v1::TransformPoseResponse* response) override;
 
+    ::grpc::Status GetMachineStatus(::grpc::ServerContext* context,
+                                    const ::viam::robot::v1::GetMachineStatusRequest* request,
+                                    ::viam::robot::v1::GetMachineStatusResponse* response) override;
+
     ::grpc::Status GetOperations(::grpc::ServerContext* context,
                                  const ::viam::robot::v1::GetOperationsRequest* request,
                                  ::viam::robot::v1::GetOperationsResponse* response) override;
diff --git a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_robot.cpp b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_robot.cpp
index 8a57adac3..9f1093d49 100644
--- a/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_robot.cpp
+++ b/src/viam/sdk/tests/test_robot.cpp
@@ -190,6 +190,15 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_transform_pose) {
         });
 }
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_get_machine_status) {
+    robot_client_to_mocks_pipeline(
+        [](std::shared_ptr<RobotClient> client, MockRobotService& service) -> void {
+            auto status = client->get_machine_status();
+
+            BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(status, RobotClient::status::k_running);
+        });
+}
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_stop_all) {
     robot_client_to_mocks_pipeline(
         [](std::shared_ptr<RobotClient> client, MockRobotService& service) -> void {