diff --git a/cmd/yoke/cmd_descent.go b/cmd/yoke/cmd_descent.go
index 26343af..93d5366 100644
--- a/cmd/yoke/cmd_descent.go
+++ b/cmd/yoke/cmd_descent.go
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ func init() {
 
 type DescentParams struct {
 	GlobalSettings
-	Release    string
-	RevisionID int
+	yoke.DescentParams
 }
 
 func GetDescentfParams(settings GlobalSettings, args []string) (*DescentParams, error) {
@@ -39,6 +38,8 @@ func GetDescentfParams(settings GlobalSettings, args []string) (*DescentParams,
 
 	RegisterGlobalFlags(flagset, &params.GlobalSettings)
 
+	flagset.DurationVar(&params.Wait, "wait", 0, "time to wait for release to become ready")
+
 	flagset.Parse(args)
 
 	params.Release = flagset.Arg(0)
@@ -65,9 +66,5 @@ func Descent(ctx context.Context, params DescentParams) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to instantiate k8 client: %w", err)
 	}
-
-	return commander.Descent(ctx, yoke.DescentParams{
-		Release:    params.Release,
-		RevisionID: params.RevisionID,
-	})
+	return commander.Descent(ctx, params.DescentParams)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yoke/yoke.go b/pkg/yoke/yoke.go
index c7ea202..06a8910 100644
--- a/pkg/yoke/yoke.go
+++ b/pkg/yoke/yoke.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
+	"time"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ func FromK8Client(client *k8s.Client) *Commander {
 type DescentParams struct {
 	Release    string
 	RevisionID int
+  Wait time.Duration
 }
 
 func (commander Commander) Descent(ctx context.Context, params DescentParams) error {
@@ -88,6 +90,12 @@ func (commander Commander) Descent(ctx context.Context, params DescentParams) er
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to update resource release mapping: %w", err)
 	}
 
+  if params.Wait > 0 {
+    if err := commander.k8s.WaitForReadyMany(ctx, next.Resources, k8s.WaitOptions{Timeout: params.Wait}); err != nil {
+      return fmt.Errorf("release did not become ready within wait period: %w", err)
+    }
+  }
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/yoke/yoke_takeoff.go b/pkg/yoke/yoke_takeoff.go
index 5529a7b..6fce1d4 100644
--- a/pkg/yoke/yoke_takeoff.go
+++ b/pkg/yoke/yoke_takeoff.go
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func (commander Commander) Takeoff(ctx context.Context, params TakeoffParams) er
 
 	if params.Wait > 0 {
 		if err := commander.k8s.WaitForReadyMany(ctx, resources, k8s.WaitOptions{Timeout: params.Wait}); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("release did not become ready within %s timeout: to rollback use `yoke descent`: %w", params.Wait.String(), err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("release did not become ready within wait period: to rollback use `yoke descent`: %w", err)
 		}
 	}