diff --git a/lib/tasks/dialogflow/index.js b/lib/tasks/dialogflow/index.js
index db77087e..a765b7f5 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/dialogflow/index.js
+++ b/lib/tasks/dialogflow/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+const assert = require('assert');
 const Task = require('../task');
 const {TaskName, TaskPreconditions} = require('../../utils/constants');
 const Intent = require('./intent');
@@ -10,22 +11,27 @@ class Dialogflow extends Task {
     super(logger, opts);
     this.preconditions = TaskPreconditions.Endpoint;
     this.credentials = this.data.credentials;
+    this.project = this.data.project;
+    this.agent = this.data.agent;
+    this.region = this.data.region || 'default';
     this.model = this.data.model || 'es';
     this.cmd = this.model === 'cx' ? 'dialogflow_cx_start' : 'dialogflow_start';
     this.cmdStop = this.model === 'cx' ? 'dialogflow_cx_stop' : 'dialogflow_stop';
 
-    /* set project id with environment and region (optionally) */
-    if (this.data.environment && this.data.region) {
-      this.project = `${this.data.project}:${this.data.environment}:${this.data.region}`;
-    }
-    else if (this.data.environment) {
-      this.project = `${this.data.project}:${this.data.environment}`;
-    }
-    else if (this.data.region) {
-      this.project = `${this.data.project}::${this.data.region}`;
-    }
-    else {
-      this.project = this.data.project;
+    assert(this.agent || !this.isCX, 'agent is required for dialogflow cx');
+    assert(this.credentials, 'dialogflow credentials are required');
+
+    if (!this.isCX) {
+      /* ES: set project id with environment and region (optionally) */
+      if (this.data.environment && this.data.region) {
+        this.project = `${this.data.project}:${this.data.environment}:${this.data.region}`;
+      }
+      else if (this.data.environment) {
+        this.project = `${this.data.project}:${this.data.environment}`;
+      }
+      else if (this.data.region) {
+        this.project = `${this.data.project}::${this.data.region}`;
+      }
     }
 
     this.lang = this.data.lang || 'en-US';
@@ -74,28 +80,14 @@ class Dialogflow extends Task {
 
   get name() { return TaskName.Dialogflow; }
 
+  get isCX() { return this.model === 'cx'; }
+
   async exec(cs, {ep}) {
     await super.exec(cs);
 
     try {
       await this.init(cs, ep);
-
-      this.logger.debug(`starting dialogflow ${this.model} bot ${this.project}`);
-
-      // kick it off
-      const baseArgs = `${this.ep.uuid} ${this.project} ${this.lang} ${this.welcomeEvent}`;
-      if (this.welcomeEventParams) {
-        this.ep.api(this.cmd, `${baseArgs} '${JSON.stringify(this.welcomeEventParams)}'`);
-      }
-      else if (this.welcomeEvent.length) {
-        this.ep.api(this.cmd, baseArgs);
-      }
-      else {
-        this.ep.api(this.cmd, `${this.ep.uuid} ${this.project} ${this.lang}`);
-      }
-      this.logger.debug(`started dialogflow bot ${this.project}`);
-
-      await this.awaitTaskDone();
+      await this.startBot();
     } catch (err) {
       this.logger.error({err}, 'Dialogflow:exec error');
     }
@@ -166,6 +158,38 @@ class Dialogflow extends Task {
     }
   }
 
+  async startBot() {
+    await (this.isCX ? this.startBotCX() : this.startBotES());
+  }
+
+  async startBotES() {
+    const baseArgs = `${this.ep.uuid} ${this.project} ${this.lang} ${this.welcomeEvent}`;
+    if (this.welcomeEventParams) {
+      await this.ep.api(this.cmd, `${baseArgs} '${JSON.stringify(this.welcomeEventParams)}'`);
+    }
+    else if (this.welcomeEvent.length) {
+      await this.ep.api(this.cmd, baseArgs);
+    }
+    else {
+      await this.ep.api(this.cmd, `${this.ep.uuid} ${this.project} ${this.lang}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  async startBotCX() {
+    const baseArgs = [
+      this.ep.uuid,
+      this.region,
+      this.project,
+      this.agent,
+      this.environment,
+      this.lang,
+    ];
+    if (this.welcomeEvent) {
+      baseArgs.push(this.welcomeEvent);
+    }
+    await this.ep.api(this.cmd, `${baseArgs.join(' ')}`)
+  }
+
   /**
    * An intent has been returned.  Since we are using SINGLE_UTTERANCE on the dialogflow side,
    * we may get an empty intent, signified by the lack of a 'response_id' attribute.