diff --git a/docs/dunst.pod b/docs/dunst.pod
index b97e647..0c55472 100644
--- a/docs/dunst.pod
+++ b/docs/dunst.pod
@@ -872,8 +872,8 @@ Example time: "1000ms" "10m"
 
 =head1 MISCELLANEOUS
 
-Dunst can be paused via the `dunstctl set-running false` command. To unpause dunst use
-`dunstctl set-status true` and to unpause `dunstctl set-status false`.
+Dunst can be paused via the `dunstctl set-paused true` command. To unpause dunst use
+`dunstctl set-paused false`.
 Alternatively you can send SIGUSR1 and SIGUSR2 to pause and unpause
 respectively. For Example:
 
diff --git a/docs/dunstctl.pod b/docs/dunstctl.pod
index dba127f..2a637fb 100644
--- a/docs/dunstctl.pod
+++ b/docs/dunstctl.pod
@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ Redisplay the notification that was most recently closed. This can be called
 multiple times to show older notifications, up to the history limit configured
 in dunst.
 
-=item B<running>
+=item B<is-paused>
 
 Check if dunst is currently running or paused. If dunst is paused notifications
 will be kept but not shown until it is unpaused.
 
-=item B<set-running> true/false/toggle
+=item B<set-paused> true/false/toggle
 
-Set the paused status of dunst. If true, dunst is running normally, if false,
-dunst is paused. See the running command and the dunst man page for more
+Set the paused status of dunst. If false, dunst is running normally, if true,
+dunst is paused. See the is-paused command and the dunst man page for more
 information.
 
 =item B<debug>
diff --git a/dunstctl b/dunstctl
index 3218894..a8bc1fa 100755
--- a/dunstctl
+++ b/dunstctl
@@ -14,17 +14,17 @@ show_help() {
 	cat <<-EOH
 	Usage: dunstctl <command> [parameters]"
 	Commands:
-	  action                          Perform the default action, or open the
-	                                  context menu of the notification at the
-	                                  given position
-	  close                           Close the last notification
-	  close-all                       Close the all notifications
-	  context                         Open context menu
-	  history-pop                     Pop one notification from history
-	  running                         Check if dunst is running or paused
-	  set-running [true|false|toggle] Set the pause status
-	  debug                           Print debugging information
-	  help                            Show this help
+	  action                         Perform the default action, or open the
+	                                 context menu of the notification at the
+	                                 given position
+	  close                          Close the last notification
+	  close-all                      Close the all notifications
+	  context                        Open context menu
+	  history-pop                    Pop one notification from history
+	  is-paused                      Check if dunst is running or paused
+	  set-paused [true|false|toggle] Set the pause status
+	  debug                          Print debugging information
+	  help                           Show this help
 	EOH
 }
 dbus_send_checked() {
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ property_set() {
 	dbus_send_checked --print-reply=literal --dest="${DBUS_NAME}" "${DBUS_PATH}" "${DBUS_IFAC_PROP}.Set" "string:${DBUS_IFAC_DUNST}" "string:${1}" "${2}"
 }
 
+invert_boolean() {
+        if [ "${1}" = "true" ]; then
+            printf "%s\n" "false"
+        elif [ "${1}" = "false" ]; then
+            printf "%s\n" "true"
+        fi
+}
+
 command -v dbus-send >/dev/null 2>/dev/null || \
 	die "Command dbus-send not found"
 
@@ -64,23 +72,28 @@ case "${1:-}" in
 	"history-pop")
 		method_call "${DBUS_IFAC_DUNST}.NotificationShow" >/dev/null
 		;;
-	"running")
-		property_get running | ( read -r _ _ paused; printf "%s\n" "${paused}"; )
+	"is-paused")
+                running=$(property_get running | ( read -r _ _ running; printf "%s\n" "${running}"; ))
+                # invert boolean to indiciate pause status rather than running one
+                paused=$(invert_boolean "${running}")
+                printf "%s\n" "${paused}"
 		;;
-	"set-running")
+	"set-paused")
 		[ "${2:-}" ] \
-			|| die "No status parameter specified. Please give either 'true', 'false' or 'toggle' as running parameter."
+			|| die "No status parameter specified. Please give either 'true', 'false' or 'toggle' as paused parameter."
 		[ "${2}" = "true" ] || [ "${2}" = "false" ] || [ "${2}" = "toggle" ] \
-			|| die "Please give either 'true', 'false' or 'toggle' as running parameter."
+			|| die "Please give either 'true', 'false' or 'toggle' as paused parameter."
                 if [ "${2}" = "toggle" ]; then
-                    paused=$(property_get running | ( read -r _ _ paused; printf "%s\n" "${paused}"; ))
-                    if [ "${paused}" = "true" ]; then
+                    running=$(property_get running | ( read -r _ _ running; printf "%s\n" "${running}"; ))
+                    if [ "${running}" = "true" ]; then
                         property_set running variant:boolean:false
                     else
                         property_set running variant:boolean:true
                     fi
                 else
-		    property_set running variant:boolean:"${2}"
+                    # invert boolean to indiciate running status rather than pause one
+                    running=$(invert_boolean "${2}")
+		    property_set running variant:boolean:"${running}"
                 fi
 		;;
 	"help"|"--help"|"-h")