diff --git a/azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationClient.py b/azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationClient.py
index 8bc22786..1442124a 100644
--- a/azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationClient.py
+++ b/azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationClient.py
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ async def wait_for_completion_or_create_check_status_response(
                         lambda: self._create_http_response(500, status.to_json()),
                 }
 
-                result = switch_statement.get(OrchestrationRuntimeStatus(status.runtime_status))
+                result = switch_statement.get(status.runtime_status)
                 if result:
                     return result()
 
diff --git a/azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationStatus.py b/azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationStatus.py
index 3dd20a51..dba168c4 100644
--- a/azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationStatus.py
+++ b/azure/durable_functions/models/DurableOrchestrationStatus.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 from dateutil.parser import parse as dt_parse
 from typing import Any, List, Dict, Optional, Union
-
+from .OrchestrationRuntimeStatus import OrchestrationRuntimeStatus
 from .utils.json_utils import add_attrib, add_datetime_attrib
 
 
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ class DurableOrchestrationStatus:
     def __init__(self, name: Optional[str] = None, instanceId: Optional[str] = None,
                  createdTime: Optional[str] = None, lastUpdatedTime: Optional[str] = None,
                  input: Optional[Any] = None, output: Optional[Any] = None,
-                 runtimeStatus: Optional[str] = None, customStatus: Optional[Any] = None,
+                 runtimeStatus: Optional[OrchestrationRuntimeStatus] = None,
+                 customStatus: Optional[Any] = None,
                  history: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
                  **kwargs):
         self._name: Optional[str] = name
@@ -26,7 +27,9 @@ def __init__(self, name: Optional[str] = None, instanceId: Optional[str] = None,
             if lastUpdatedTime is not None else None
         self._input: Any = input
         self._output: Any = output
-        self._runtime_status: Optional[str] = runtimeStatus  # TODO: GH issue 178
+        self._runtime_status: Optional[OrchestrationRuntimeStatus] = runtimeStatus
+        if runtimeStatus is not None:
+            self._runtime_status = OrchestrationRuntimeStatus(runtimeStatus)
         self._custom_status: Any = customStatus
         self._history: Optional[List[Any]] = history
         if kwargs is not None:
@@ -82,7 +85,8 @@ def to_json(self) -> Dict[str, Union[int, str]]:
         add_datetime_attrib(json, self, 'last_updated_time', 'lastUpdatedTime')
         add_attrib(json, self, 'output')
         add_attrib(json, self, 'input_', 'input')
-        add_attrib(json, self, 'runtime_status', 'runtimeStatus')
+        if self.runtime_status is not None:
+            json["runtimeStatus"] = self.runtime_status.name
         add_attrib(json, self, 'custom_status', 'customStatus')
         add_attrib(json, self, 'history')
         return json
@@ -129,7 +133,7 @@ def output(self) -> Any:
         return self._output
 
     @property
-    def runtime_status(self) -> Optional[str]:
+    def runtime_status(self) -> Optional[OrchestrationRuntimeStatus]:
         """Get the runtime status of the orchestration instance."""
         return self._runtime_status
 
diff --git a/tests/models/test_DurableOrchestrationClient.py b/tests/models/test_DurableOrchestrationClient.py
index 49fc9ff3..1b97629a 100644
--- a/tests/models/test_DurableOrchestrationClient.py
+++ b/tests/models/test_DurableOrchestrationClient.py
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ async def test_get_202_get_status_success(binding_string):
 
     result = await client.get_status(TEST_INSTANCE_ID)
     assert result is not None
-    assert result.runtime_status == "Running"
+    assert result.runtime_status.name == "Running"
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ async def test_get_200_get_status_success(binding_string):
 
     result = await client.get_status(TEST_INSTANCE_ID)
     assert result is not None
-    assert result.runtime_status == "Completed"
+    assert result.runtime_status.name == "Completed"
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
diff --git a/tests/models/test_DurableOrchestrationStatus.py b/tests/models/test_DurableOrchestrationStatus.py
index 012a2041..8e1100ab 100644
--- a/tests/models/test_DurableOrchestrationStatus.py
+++ b/tests/models/test_DurableOrchestrationStatus.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 from azure.durable_functions.constants import DATETIME_STRING_FORMAT
 from azure.durable_functions.models.DurableOrchestrationStatus import DurableOrchestrationStatus
+from azure.durable_functions.models.OrchestrationRuntimeStatus import OrchestrationRuntimeStatus
 from azure.durable_functions.models.history import HistoryEventType
 
 TEST_NAME = 'what ever I want it to be'
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ def test_all_the_args():
 
     result = DurableOrchestrationStatus.from_json(response)
 
-    assert result.runtime_status == TEST_RUNTIME_STATUS
+    assert result.runtime_status.name == TEST_RUNTIME_STATUS
     assert result.custom_status == TEST_CUSTOM_STATUS
     assert result.instance_id == TEST_INSTANCE_ID
     assert result.output == TEST_OUTPUT