diff --git a/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/StartInstances.go b/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/StartInstances.go
index 4741ba1ac..c6a75a548 100644
--- a/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/StartInstances.go
+++ b/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/StartInstances.go
@@ -57,45 +57,13 @@ func StartInstances(input *ec2.StartInstancesInput, natsConn *nats.Conn) (*ec2.S
 		msg, err := natsConn.Request(subject, jsonData, 30*time.Second)
 		if err != nil {
 			slog.Error("StartInstances: Failed to send command", "instance_id", instanceID, "err", err)
-			// Add failed state change
-			stateChange := &ec2.InstanceStateChange{
-				InstanceId: &instanceID,
-				CurrentState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-					Code: new(int64),
-					Name: new(string),
-				},
-				PreviousState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-					Code: new(int64),
-					Name: new(string),
-				},
-			}
-			*stateChange.CurrentState.Code = 80 // stopped
-			*stateChange.CurrentState.Name = "stopped"
-			*stateChange.PreviousState.Code = 80
-			*stateChange.PreviousState.Name = "stopped"
-			stateChanges = append(stateChanges, stateChange)
+			stateChanges = append(stateChanges, newStateChange(instanceID, 80, "stopped", 80, "stopped"))
 			continue
 		}
 
 		slog.Info("StartInstances: Command sent successfully", "instance_id", instanceID, "response", string(msg.Data))
 
-		// Build state change response (stopped -> pending)
-		stateChange := &ec2.InstanceStateChange{
-			InstanceId: &instanceID,
-			CurrentState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-				Code: new(int64),
-				Name: new(string),
-			},
-			PreviousState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-				Code: new(int64),
-				Name: new(string),
-			},
-		}
-		*stateChange.CurrentState.Code = 0 // pending
-		*stateChange.CurrentState.Name = "pending"
-		*stateChange.PreviousState.Code = 80 // stopped
-		*stateChange.PreviousState.Name = "stopped"
-		stateChanges = append(stateChanges, stateChange)
+		stateChanges = append(stateChanges, newStateChange(instanceID, 0, "pending", 80, "stopped"))
 	}
 
 	output := &ec2.StartInstancesOutput{
diff --git a/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/StopInstances.go b/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/StopInstances.go
index 799db7643..c6491686f 100644
--- a/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/StopInstances.go
+++ b/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/StopInstances.go
@@ -55,45 +55,13 @@ func StopInstances(input *ec2.StopInstancesInput, natsConn *nats.Conn) (*ec2.Sto
 		msg, err := natsConn.Request(subject, jsonData, 5*time.Second)
 		if err != nil {
 			slog.Error("StopInstances: Failed to send command", "instance_id", instanceID, "err", err)
-			// Add failed state change
-			stateChange := &ec2.InstanceStateChange{
-				InstanceId: &instanceID,
-				CurrentState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-					Code: new(int64),
-					Name: new(string),
-				},
-				PreviousState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-					Code: new(int64),
-					Name: new(string),
-				},
-			}
-			*stateChange.CurrentState.Code = 16 // running
-			*stateChange.CurrentState.Name = "running"
-			*stateChange.PreviousState.Code = 16
-			*stateChange.PreviousState.Name = "running"
-			stateChanges = append(stateChanges, stateChange)
+			stateChanges = append(stateChanges, newStateChange(instanceID, 16, "running", 16, "running"))
 			continue
 		}
 
 		slog.Info("StopInstances: Command sent successfully", "instance_id", instanceID, "response", string(msg.Data))
 
-		// Build state change response (running -> stopping)
-		stateChange := &ec2.InstanceStateChange{
-			InstanceId: &instanceID,
-			CurrentState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-				Code: new(int64),
-				Name: new(string),
-			},
-			PreviousState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-				Code: new(int64),
-				Name: new(string),
-			},
-		}
-		*stateChange.CurrentState.Code = 64 // stopping
-		*stateChange.CurrentState.Name = "stopping"
-		*stateChange.PreviousState.Code = 16 // running
-		*stateChange.PreviousState.Name = "running"
-		stateChanges = append(stateChanges, stateChange)
+		stateChanges = append(stateChanges, newStateChange(instanceID, 64, "stopping", 16, "running"))
 	}
 
 	output := &ec2.StopInstancesOutput{
diff --git a/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/TerminateInstances.go b/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/TerminateInstances.go
index fc7871274..94ea14b1a 100644
--- a/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/TerminateInstances.go
+++ b/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/TerminateInstances.go
@@ -55,45 +55,13 @@ func TerminateInstances(input *ec2.TerminateInstancesInput, natsConn *nats.Conn)
 		msg, err := natsConn.Request(subject, jsonData, 5*time.Second)
 		if err != nil {
 			slog.Error("TerminateInstances: Failed to send command", "instance_id", instanceID, "err", err)
-			// Add failed state change
-			stateChange := &ec2.InstanceStateChange{
-				InstanceId: &instanceID,
-				CurrentState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-					Code: new(int64),
-					Name: new(string),
-				},
-				PreviousState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-					Code: new(int64),
-					Name: new(string),
-				},
-			}
-			*stateChange.CurrentState.Code = 16 // running
-			*stateChange.CurrentState.Name = "running"
-			*stateChange.PreviousState.Code = 16
-			*stateChange.PreviousState.Name = "running"
-			stateChanges = append(stateChanges, stateChange)
+			stateChanges = append(stateChanges, newStateChange(instanceID, 16, "running", 16, "running"))
 			continue
 		}
 
 		slog.Info("TerminateInstances: Command sent successfully", "instance_id", instanceID, "response", string(msg.Data))
 
-		// Build state change response (running -> shutting-down)
-		stateChange := &ec2.InstanceStateChange{
-			InstanceId: &instanceID,
-			CurrentState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-				Code: new(int64),
-				Name: new(string),
-			},
-			PreviousState: &ec2.InstanceState{
-				Code: new(int64),
-				Name: new(string),
-			},
-		}
-		*stateChange.CurrentState.Code = 32 // shutting-down
-		*stateChange.CurrentState.Name = "shutting-down"
-		*stateChange.PreviousState.Code = 16 // running
-		*stateChange.PreviousState.Name = "running"
-		stateChanges = append(stateChanges, stateChange)
+		stateChanges = append(stateChanges, newStateChange(instanceID, 32, "shutting-down", 16, "running"))
 	}
 
 	output := &ec2.TerminateInstancesOutput{
diff --git a/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/state.go b/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/state.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1bd09ce0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hive/gateway/ec2/instance/state.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package gateway_ec2_instance
+
+import "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/ec2"
+
+func newStateChange(instanceID string, currentCode int64, currentName string, prevCode int64, prevName string) *ec2.InstanceStateChange {
+	return &ec2.InstanceStateChange{
+		InstanceId:    &instanceID,
+		CurrentState:  &ec2.InstanceState{Code: &currentCode, Name: &currentName},
+		PreviousState: &ec2.InstanceState{Code: &prevCode, Name: &prevName},
+	}
+}