diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 89cc49c..933c44f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
 .vscode/c_cpp_properties.json
 .vscode/launch.json
 .vscode/ipch
+.venv/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/modules/stage/stage.cpp b/src/modules/stage/stage.cpp
index c37c1f0..350e8a3 100644
--- a/src/modules/stage/stage.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/stage/stage.cpp
@@ -16,11 +16,14 @@ const int min_step_delay_eeprom = sizeof(long) * n_motors;
 long ramp_time;
 const int ramp_time_eeprom = sizeof(long) * (n_motors + 1);
 const int axis_max_eeprom = sizeof(long) * (n_motors + 2);
+const int blocking_moves_eeprom = sizeof(long) * (n_motors + 3);
 Stepper *motors[n_motors];
 signed long current_pos[n_motors];
 long steps_remaining[n_motors];
 
 bool stage_moving = false;
+bool notify_on_stop = false;
+bool blocking_moves = false;
 
 void stage_setup()
 {
@@ -48,6 +51,8 @@ void stage_setup()
         ramp_time = 0;
         EEPROM.put(ramp_time_eeprom, ramp_time);
     }
+    EEPROM.get(blocking_moves_eeprom, blocking_moves);
+    // TODO: do we need to do something to initialise this?
 
     register_module(stage_commands, stage_loop);
 }
@@ -110,7 +115,13 @@ void start_move(long displ[n_motors])
     move_start_time = micros();
     final_scaled_t = (float)max_steps * min_step_delay; //NB total time taken will be final_scaled_t + 2*ramp_time
     stage_moving = true;
-    Serial.println("done.");
+    if (blocking_moves){
+        notify_on_stop = true;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        Serial.println("done.");
+    }
 }
 
 void stage_loop()
@@ -164,6 +175,11 @@ void stage_loop()
             }
         }
     }
+    if (!stage_moving && notify_on_stop)
+    {
+        Serial.println("stopped");
+        notify_on_stop = false;
+    }
 }
 
 void stage_move_single_axis(uint8_t axis, String command)
@@ -254,6 +270,23 @@ void stage_ramp_time(String command)
     free(args[0]);
 }
 
+void update_blocking_moves(String command)
+{
+    char * args[1];
+    parse_arguments(args, command, 1);
+    if (args[0][0] == '?')
+    {
+        Serial.print("blocking_moves ");
+        Serial.println(blocking_moves ? "true" : "false");
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        blocking_moves = args[0][0] == 't';
+        EEPROM.put(blocking_moves_eeprom, blocking_moves);
+        Serial.println("done.");
+    }
+}
+
 void stage_zero(String command)
 {
     EACH_MOTOR current_pos[i] = 0;
@@ -267,6 +300,24 @@ void stage_stop(String command)
     Serial.println("Move aborted");
 }
 
+void is_stage_moving(String command)
+{
+    //TODO: should I bother checking for a ?
+    Serial.println(stage_moving?"true":"false");
+}
+
+void activate_notify_on_stop(String command)
+{
+    if (!stage_moving)
+    {
+        Serial.println("Error: stage is not moving");
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        notify_on_stop = true;
+    }
+}
+
 //TODO: move help strings to program memory
 //F() cannot be used outside block context though
 extern const Command stage_commands[] = {
@@ -279,6 +330,9 @@ extern const Command stage_commands[] = {
     {"ramp_time", stage_ramp_time},
     {"min_step_delay", stage_min_step_delay},
     {"dt", stage_min_step_delay},
-    {"zero", stage_min_step_delay},
+    {"zero", stage_zero},
     {"stop", stage_stop},
+    {"moving", is_stage_moving},
+    {"notify_on_stop", activate_notify_on_stop},
+    {"blocking_moves", update_blocking_moves},
     END_COMMAND};
\ No newline at end of file