diff --git a/docs/api.clients.servers.rst b/docs/api.clients.servers.rst
index 58362561..9cb9e53d 100644
--- a/docs/api.clients.servers.rst
+++ b/docs/api.clients.servers.rst
@@ -2,6 +2,38 @@ ServersClient
 ==================
 
 
+Waiting for a graceful shutdown
+-------------------------------
+
+The shutdown action sends an ACPI request to the guest operating system.
+:meth:`~hcloud.actions.client.BoundAction.wait_until_finished` waits for that
+request to be sent, rather than for the guest to stop. Before changing the
+server type or performing another operation that requires a stopped server,
+reload its status until it is :attr:`~hcloud.servers.domain.Server.STATUS_OFF`.
+
+For an existing :class:`~hcloud.servers.client.BoundServer` named ``server``,
+the following example checks the status at most 60 times. It raises a timeout
+instead of continuing if the guest does not shut down::
+
+    from time import sleep
+
+    from hcloud.servers.domain import Server
+
+    server.shutdown().wait_until_finished()
+    for attempt in range(60):
+        server.reload()
+        if server.status == Server.STATUS_OFF:
+            break
+        if attempt < 59:
+            sleep(1)
+    else:
+        raise TimeoutError("Server did not shut down after 60 status checks")
+
+A guest may ignore the request, for example if it does not handle ACPI.
+Choose the polling interval and limit to suit the workload. A forced
+:meth:`~hcloud.servers.client.BoundServer.power_off` cuts power without a clean
+guest shutdown; this example does not fall back to it automatically.
+
 .. autoclass:: hcloud.servers.client.ServersClient
     :members:
 
diff --git a/hcloud/servers/client.py b/hcloud/servers/client.py
index ce5a72c0..bcf32a3f 100644
--- a/hcloud/servers/client.py
+++ b/hcloud/servers/client.py
@@ -279,6 +279,10 @@ def power_on(self) -> BoundAction:
     def reboot(self) -> BoundAction:
         """Reboots a server gracefully by sending an ACPI request.
 
+        The returned action finishes when the request has been sent. Waiting
+        for it does not guarantee that the guest operating system has rebooted
+        or that its services are ready. The guest may ignore ACPI requests.
+
         :return:  :class:`BoundAction <hcloud.actions.client.BoundAction>`
         """
         return self._client.reboot(self)
@@ -293,6 +297,12 @@ def reset(self) -> BoundAction:
     def shutdown(self) -> BoundAction:
         """Shuts down a server gracefully by sending an ACPI shutdown request.
 
+        The returned action finishes when the request has been sent, not when
+        the guest operating system has stopped. After waiting for the action,
+        reload the server and poll its status until it is ``off`` before an
+        operation that requires a stopped server. The guest may ignore ACPI,
+        so polling should have a timeout.
+
         :return:  :class:`BoundAction <hcloud.actions.client.BoundAction>`
         """
         return self._client.shutdown(self)
@@ -861,6 +871,10 @@ def power_on(self, server: Server | BoundServer) -> BoundAction:
     def reboot(self, server: Server | BoundServer) -> BoundAction:
         """Reboots a server gracefully by sending an ACPI request.
 
+        The returned action finishes when the request has been sent. Waiting
+        for it does not guarantee that the guest operating system has rebooted
+        or that its services are ready. The guest may ignore ACPI requests.
+
         :param server: :class:`BoundServer <hcloud.servers.client.BoundServer>` or :class:`Server <hcloud.servers.domain.Server>`
         :return:  :class:`BoundAction <hcloud.actions.client.BoundAction>`
         """
@@ -885,6 +899,12 @@ def reset(self, server: Server | BoundServer) -> BoundAction:
     def shutdown(self, server: Server | BoundServer) -> BoundAction:
         """Shuts down a server gracefully by sending an ACPI shutdown request.
 
+        The returned action finishes when the request has been sent, not when
+        the guest operating system has stopped. After waiting for the action,
+        reload the server and poll its status until it is ``off`` before an
+        operation that requires a stopped server. The guest may ignore ACPI,
+        so polling should have a timeout.
+
         :param server: :class:`BoundServer <hcloud.servers.client.BoundServer>` or :class:`Server <hcloud.servers.domain.Server>`
         :return:  :class:`BoundAction <hcloud.actions.client.BoundAction>`
         """