diff --git a/ironic_staging_drivers/ovirt/ovirt.py b/ironic_staging_drivers/ovirt/ovirt.py
index 71e9071..433ff49 100644
--- a/ironic_staging_drivers/ovirt/ovirt.py
+++ b/ironic_staging_drivers/ovirt/ovirt.py
@@ -208,7 +208,11 @@ class oVirtPower(base.PowerInterface):
             elif target_state == states.POWER_ON:
                 vm.start()
             elif target_state == states.REBOOT:
-                vm.reboot()
+                status = vm.get().status.value
+                if status == 'down':
+                    vm.start()
+                else:
+                    vm.reboot()
             else:
                 msg = _("'set_power_state' called with invalid power "
                         "state '%s'") % target_state
@@ -230,15 +234,7 @@ class oVirtPower(base.PowerInterface):
         :raises: ovirtsdk4.Error, if error encountered from
             oVirt operation.
         """
-        driver_info = _parse_driver_info(task.node)
-        vm_name = driver_info['ovirt_vm_name']
-        vm = _getvm(driver_info)
-        try:
-            vm.reboot()
-        except sdk.Error as e:
-            LOG.error("Could not restart VM vm %(name)s "
-                      "got error: %(error)s", {'name': vm_name, 'error': e})
-            raise staging_exception.oVirtError(err=e)
+        self.set_power_state(task, states.REBOOT, timeout=timeout)
 
 
 class oVirtManagement(base.ManagementInterface):
diff --git a/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/ovirt/test_ovirt.py b/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/ovirt/test_ovirt.py
index 8d4f352..4d351fb 100644
--- a/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/ovirt/test_ovirt.py
+++ b/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/ovirt/test_ovirt.py
@@ -110,3 +110,19 @@ class oVirtDriverTestCase(db_base.DbTestCase):
             task.driver.management.set_boot_device(task, boot_devices.DISK)
             mock_power.assert_called_once_with(task.driver.management, task,
                                                boot_devices.DISK)
+
+    @mock.patch.object(ovirt_power, '_getvm')
+    def test_set_reboot_when_down(self, mock_vm):
+        mock_vm.return_value.get.return_value.status.value = 'down'
+
+        with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid) as task:
+            task.driver.power.reboot(task)
+            mock_vm.return_value.start.assert_called_once()
+
+    @mock.patch.object(ovirt_power, '_getvm')
+    def test_set_reboot_when_up(self, mock_vm):
+        mock_vm.return_value.get.return_value.status.value = 'up'
+
+        with task_manager.acquire(self.context, self.node.uuid) as task:
+            task.driver.power.reboot(task)
+            mock_vm.return_value.reboot.assert_called_once()
diff --git a/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/third_party_driver_mock_specs.py b/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/third_party_driver_mock_specs.py
index 8ee1737..f4556f4 100644
--- a/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/third_party_driver_mock_specs.py
+++ b/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/third_party_driver_mock_specs.py
@@ -29,3 +29,8 @@ LIBVIRT_SPEC = (
     'VIR_CRED_AUTHNAME',
     'VIR_CRED_PASSPHRASE',
 )
+
+# ovirt
+OVIRT4_SPEC = (
+    'types',
+)
diff --git a/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/third_party_driver_mocks.py b/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/third_party_driver_mocks.py
index 8984459..19bc05f 100644
--- a/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/third_party_driver_mocks.py
+++ b/ironic_staging_drivers/tests/unit/third_party_driver_mocks.py
@@ -62,3 +62,11 @@ if not libvirt:
 if 'ironic_staging_drivers.libvirt.power' in sys.modules:
     six.moves.reload_module(
         sys.modules['ironic_staging_drivers.libvirt.power'])
+
+# attempt to load the external 'ovirtsdk4' library, which is required by
+# the optional drivers.modules.ovirt module
+ovirtsdk4 = importutils.try_import('ovirtsdk4')
+if not ovirtsdk4:
+    ov = mock.MagicMock(spec_set=mock_specs.OVIRT4_SPEC)
+    sys.modules['ovirtsdk4'] = ov
+    sys.modules['ovirtsdk4.types'] = ov.types