diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/code.go b/cmd/ghcs/code.go
index bdad09828..d905c75ac 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/code.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/code.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/skratchdot/open-golang/open"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/common.go b/cmd/ghcs/common.go
index 2e716e897..2f4862e13 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/common.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/common.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2/terminal"
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"golang.org/x/term"
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/create.go b/cmd/ghcs/create.go
index 9f9b1da7a..8b7a2e7d9 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/create.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/create.go
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
 	"github.com/fatih/camelcase"
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/cmd/ghcs/output"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/codespaces"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -105,12 +105,16 @@ func create(opts *createOptions) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// showStatus polls the codespace for a list of post create states and their status. It will keep polling
+// until all states have finished. Once all states have finished, we poll once more to check if any new
+// states have been introduced and stop polling otherwise.
 func showStatus(ctx context.Context, log *output.Logger, apiClient *api.API, user *api.User, codespace *api.Codespace) error {
 	var lastState codespaces.PostCreateState
 	var breakNextState bool
 
 	finishedStates := make(map[string]bool)
 	ctx, stopPolling := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	defer stopPolling()
 
 	poller := func(states []codespaces.PostCreateState) {
 		var inProgress bool
@@ -153,7 +157,12 @@ func showStatus(ctx context.Context, log *output.Logger, apiClient *api.API, use
 		}
 	}
 
-	if err := codespaces.PollPostCreateStates(ctx, log, apiClient, user, codespace, poller); err != nil {
+	err := codespaces.PollPostCreateStates(ctx, log, apiClient, user, codespace, poller)
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) && breakNextState {
+			return nil // we cancelled the context to stop polling, we can ignore the error
+		}
+
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to poll state changes from codespace: %w", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/delete.go b/cmd/ghcs/delete.go
index 100793010..b2547e350 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/delete.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/delete.go
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/cmd/ghcs/output"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/list.go b/cmd/ghcs/list.go
index a315d12ed..2db609d50 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/list.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/list.go
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/cmd/ghcs/output"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/logs.go b/cmd/ghcs/logs.go
index 6b5e2f875..f65fa1109 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/logs.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/logs.go
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"os"
 
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/cmd/ghcs/output"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/codespaces"
 	"github.com/github/go-liveshare"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ func logs(ctx context.Context, log *output.Logger, codespaceName string, follow
 	defer listen.Close()
 	localPort := listen.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
 
-	remoteSSHServerPort, sshUser, err := codespaces.StartSSHServer(ctx, session, log)
+	log.Println("Fetching SSH Details...")
+	remoteSSHServerPort, sshUser, err := session.StartSSHServer(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error getting ssh server details: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/ports.go b/cmd/ghcs/ports.go
index 12c631c04..7bc53c441 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/ports.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/ports.go
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/cmd/ghcs/output"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/codespaces"
 	"github.com/github/go-liveshare"
 	"github.com/muhammadmuzzammil1998/jsonc"
diff --git a/cmd/ghcs/ssh.go b/cmd/ghcs/ssh.go
index fd2086bcc..6d5f2376b 100644
--- a/cmd/ghcs/ssh.go
+++ b/cmd/ghcs/ssh.go
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"os"
 
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/cmd/ghcs/output"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/codespaces"
 	"github.com/github/go-liveshare"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ func ssh(ctx context.Context, sshProfile, codespaceName string, localSSHServerPo
 		return fmt.Errorf("error connecting to Live Share: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	remoteSSHServerPort, sshUser, err := codespaces.StartSSHServer(ctx, session, log)
+	log.Println("Fetching SSH Details...")
+	remoteSSHServerPort, sshUser, err := session.StartSSHServer(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error getting ssh server details: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/api/api.go b/internal/api/api.go
similarity index 94%
rename from api/api.go
rename to internal/api/api.go
index 47948bbba..1246389e8 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/internal/api/api.go
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-// TODO(adonovan): rename to package codespaces, and codespaces.Client.
 package api
 
 // For descriptions of service interfaces, see:
@@ -7,6 +6,24 @@ package api
 // - https://github.com/github/github/blob/master/app/api/codespaces.rb (for vscs_internal)
 // TODO(adonovan): replace the last link with a public doc URL when available.
 
+// TODO(adonovan): a possible reorganization would be to split this
+// file into three internal packages, one per backend service, and to
+// rename api.API to github.Client:
+//
+// - github.GetUser(github.Client)
+// - github.GetRepository(Client)
+// - github.ReadFile(Client, nwo, branch, path) // was GetCodespaceRepositoryContents
+// - codespaces.Create(Client, user, repo, sku, branch, location)
+// - codespaces.Delete(Client, user, token, name)
+// - codespaces.Get(Client, token, owner, name)
+// - codespaces.GetMachineTypes(Client, user, repo, branch, location)
+// - codespaces.GetToken(Client, login, name)
+// - codespaces.List(Client, user)
+// - codespaces.Start(Client, token, codespace)
+// - visualstudio.GetRegionLocation(http.Client) // no dependency on github
+//
+// This would make the meaning of each operation clearer.
+
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
diff --git a/internal/codespaces/codespaces.go b/internal/codespaces/codespaces.go
index 805eb3c96..6235ca3a0 100644
--- a/internal/codespaces/codespaces.go
+++ b/internal/codespaces/codespaces.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/github/go-liveshare"
 )
 
diff --git a/internal/codespaces/ssh.go b/internal/codespaces/ssh.go
index 256acee2b..d5ea876da 100644
--- a/internal/codespaces/ssh.go
+++ b/internal/codespaces/ssh.go
@@ -2,40 +2,12 @@ package codespaces
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/github/go-liveshare"
 )
 
-// StartSSHServer installs (if necessary) and starts the SSH in the codespace.
-// It returns the remote port where it is running, the user to log in with, or an error if something failed.
-func StartSSHServer(ctx context.Context, session *liveshare.Session, log logger) (serverPort int, user string, err error) {
-	log.Println("Fetching SSH details...")
-
-	sshServer := session.SSHServer()
-
-	sshServerStartResult, err := sshServer.StartRemoteServer(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, "", fmt.Errorf("error starting live share: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	if !sshServerStartResult.Result {
-		return 0, "", errors.New(sshServerStartResult.Message)
-	}
-
-	portInt, err := strconv.Atoi(sshServerStartResult.ServerPort)
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, "", fmt.Errorf("error parsing port: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	return portInt, sshServerStartResult.User, nil
-}
-
 // Shell runs an interactive secure shell over an existing
 // port-forwarding session. It runs until the shell is terminated
 // (including by cancellation of the context).
@@ -60,9 +32,14 @@ func NewRemoteCommand(ctx context.Context, tunnelPort int, destination, command
 // an interactive shell) over ssh.
 func newSSHCommand(ctx context.Context, port int, dst, command string) (*exec.Cmd, []string) {
 	connArgs := []string{"-p", strconv.Itoa(port), "-o", "NoHostAuthenticationForLocalhost=yes"}
-	// TODO(adonovan): eliminate X11 and X11Trust flags where unneeded.
-	cmdArgs := append([]string{dst, "-X", "-Y", "-C"}, connArgs...) // X11, X11Trust, Compression
 
+	cmdArgs := []string{dst, "-C"} // Always use Compression
+	if command == "" {
+		// if we are in a shell send X11 and X11Trust
+		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "-X", "-Y")
+	}
+
+	cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, connArgs...)
 	if command != "" {
 		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, command)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/codespaces/states.go b/internal/codespaces/states.go
index 2d7da9d75..99683b51d 100644
--- a/internal/codespaces/states.go
+++ b/internal/codespaces/states.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/github/ghcs/api"
+	"github.com/github/ghcs/internal/api"
 	"github.com/github/go-liveshare"
 )
 
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ func PollPostCreateStates(ctx context.Context, log logger, apiClient *api.API, u
 	}
 	localPort := listen.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
 
-	remoteSSHServerPort, sshUser, err := StartSSHServer(ctx, session, log)
+	log.Println("Fetching SSH Details...")
+	remoteSSHServerPort, sshUser, err := session.StartSSHServer(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error getting ssh server details: %w", err)
 	}