diff --git a/doc/configuration.rst b/doc/configuration.rst
index 553418d03..c9bacfa5a 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/configuration.rst
@@ -1681,6 +1681,8 @@ Arguments:
   - interrupt (str, default="\\n"): string to interrupt autoboot (use "\\x03" for CTRL-C)
   - bootstring (regex, default="Linux version \\d"): regex that indicating that the Linux Kernel is
     booting
+  - boot_expression (regex, default="[\n]barebox 20\d+"): string that indicates that Barebox is
+    starting
   - password (str): optional, password to use for access to the shell
   - login_timeout (int, default=60): timeout for access to the shell
 
diff --git a/labgrid/driver/bareboxdriver.py b/labgrid/driver/bareboxdriver.py
index 910f25300..fa2cd4f39 100644
--- a/labgrid/driver/bareboxdriver.py
+++ b/labgrid/driver/bareboxdriver.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class BareboxDriver(CommandMixin, Driver, CommandProtocol, LinuxBootProtocol):
         prompt (str): barebox prompt to match
         autoboot (regex): optional, autoboot message to match
         interrupt (str): optional, string to interrupt autoboot (use "\x03" for CTRL-C)
+        boot_expression (regex): optional, string to search for on barebox start
         bootstring (regex): optional, regex indicating that the Linux Kernel is booting
         password (str): optional, password to use for access to the shell
         login_timeout (int): optional, timeout for access to the shell
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ class BareboxDriver(CommandMixin, Driver, CommandProtocol, LinuxBootProtocol):
     prompt = attr.ib(default="", validator=attr.validators.instance_of(str))
     autoboot = attr.ib(default="stop autoboot", validator=attr.validators.instance_of(str))
     interrupt = attr.ib(default="\n", validator=attr.validators.instance_of(str))
+    boot_expression = attr.ib(default=r"[\n]barebox 20\d+", validator=attr.validators.instance_of(str))
     bootstring = attr.ib(default=r"Linux version \d", validator=attr.validators.instance_of(str))
     password = attr.ib(default="", validator=attr.validators.instance_of(str))
     login_timeout = attr.ib(default=60, validator=attr.validators.instance_of(int))
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ def __attrs_post_init__(self):
         super().__attrs_post_init__()
         self.logger = logging.getLogger(f"{self}:{self.target}")
         self._status = 0
+        self.boot_detected = False
         # barebox' default log level, used as fallback if no log level can be saved
         self.saved_log_level = 7
 
@@ -110,6 +113,8 @@ def reset(self):
         self._status = 0
         self.console.sendline("reset")
         self._await_prompt()
+        if not self.boot_detected:
+            raise Exception(f"No reboot message detected: {self.boot_expression}")
 
     def get_status(self):
         """Retrieve status of the BareboxDriver
@@ -150,8 +155,9 @@ def _await_prompt(self):
         # occours, we can't lose any data this way.
         last_before = None
         password_entered = False
+        self.boot_detected = False
 
-        expectations = [self.prompt, self.autoboot, "Password: ", TIMEOUT]
+        expectations = [self.prompt, self.autoboot, "Password: ", self.boot_expression, TIMEOUT]
         while True:
             index, before, _, _ = self.console.expect(
                 expectations,
@@ -179,6 +185,10 @@ def _await_prompt(self):
                 password_entered = True
 
             elif index == 3:
+                # we detect a boot
+                self.boot_detected = True
+
+            elif index == 4:
                 # expect hit a timeout while waiting for a match
                 if before == last_before:
                     # we did not receive anything during the previous expect cycle
diff --git a/tests/test_bareboxdriver.py b/tests/test_bareboxdriver.py
index 9842a17c8..fad3b74a3 100644
--- a/tests/test_bareboxdriver.py
+++ b/tests/test_bareboxdriver.py
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@
 from labgrid.driver import ExecutionError
 
 
+def _get_active_barebox(target_with_fakeconsole, mocker):
+    t = target_with_fakeconsole
+    d = BareboxDriver(t, "barebox")
+    d = t.get_driver(BareboxDriver, activate=False)
+    # mock for d._run('echo $global.loglevel')
+    d._run = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=(['7'], [], 0))
+    t.activate(d)
+    return d
+
+
 class TestBareboxDriver:
     def test_create(self):
         t = Target('dummy')
@@ -17,12 +27,7 @@ def test_create(self):
         assert (isinstance(d, LinuxBootProtocol))
 
     def test_barebox_run(self, target_with_fakeconsole, mocker):
-        t = target_with_fakeconsole
-        d = BareboxDriver(t, "barebox")
-        d = t.get_driver(BareboxDriver, activate=False)
-        # mock for d._run('echo $global.loglevel')
-        d._run = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=(['7'], [], 0))
-        t.activate(d)
+        d = _get_active_barebox(target_with_fakeconsole, mocker)
         d._run = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=(['success'], [], 0))
         res = d.run_check("test")
         assert res == ['success']
@@ -30,14 +35,27 @@ def test_barebox_run(self, target_with_fakeconsole, mocker):
         assert res == (['success'], [], 0)
 
     def test_barebox_run_error(self, target_with_fakeconsole, mocker):
-        t = target_with_fakeconsole
-        d = BareboxDriver(t, "barebox")
-        d = t.get_driver(BareboxDriver, activate=False)
-        # mock for d._run('echo $global.loglevel')
-        d._run = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=(['7'], [], 0))
-        t.activate(d)
+        d = _get_active_barebox(target_with_fakeconsole, mocker)
         d._run = mocker.MagicMock(return_value=(['error'], [], 1))
         with pytest.raises(ExecutionError):
             res = d.run_check("test")
         res = d.run("test")
         assert res == (['error'], [], 1)
+
+    def test_barebox_reset(self, target_with_fakeconsole, mocker):
+        d = _get_active_barebox(target_with_fakeconsole, mocker)
+
+        d.boot_expression = "[\n]barebox 2345"
+        d.prompt = prompt = ">="
+        d._check_prompt = mocker.MagicMock()
+        d.console.rxq.extend([prompt.encode(), b"\nbarebox 2345"])
+        d.reset()
+
+        assert d.console.txq.pop() == b"reset\n"
+        assert d._status == 1
+        assert d.boot_detected
+
+        d.console.rxq.append(prompt.encode())
+        with pytest.raises(Exception):
+            d.reset()
+