diff --git a/std/wasi/README.md b/std/wasi/README.md
index 1f78e9ac72..829b25174f 100644
--- a/std/wasi/README.md
+++ b/std/wasi/README.md
@@ -68,21 +68,5 @@ const instance = await WebAssembly.instantiate(module, {
   "wasi_snapshot_preview1": context.exports,
 });
 
-const {
-  _start: start,
-  _initialize: initialize,
-  memory,
-} = instance.exports;
-
-context.memory = memory as WebAssembly.Memory;
-
-if (start instanceof Function) {
-  start();
-} else if (initialize instanceof Function) {
-  initialize();
-} else {
-  throw new Error(
-    "No '_start' or '_initialize' entry point found in WebAssembly module, make sure to compile with wasm32-wasi as the target.",
-  );
-}
+context.start(instance);
 ```
diff --git a/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1.ts b/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1.ts
index 1d9549f150..eb296c47db 100644
--- a/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1.ts
+++ b/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1.ts
@@ -270,7 +270,6 @@ export interface ContextOptions {
   args?: string[];
   env?: { [key: string]: string | undefined };
   preopens?: { [key: string]: string };
-  memory?: WebAssembly.Memory;
 }
 
 export default class Context {
@@ -285,7 +284,7 @@ export default class Context {
   constructor(options: ContextOptions) {
     this.args = options.args ? options.args : [];
     this.env = options.env ? options.env : {};
-    this.memory = options.memory!;
+    this.memory = null!;
 
     this.fds = [
       {
@@ -1554,4 +1553,39 @@ export default class Context {
       }),
     };
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Attempt to begin execution of instance as a command by invoking its
+   * _start() export.
+   *
+   * If the instance does not contain a _start() export, or if the instance
+   * contains an _initialize export an error will be thrown.
+   *
+   * The instance must also have a WebAssembly.Memory export named "memory"
+   * which will be used as the address space, if it does not an error will be
+   * thrown.
+   */
+  start(instance: WebAssembly.Instance) {
+    const { _start, _initialize, memory } = instance.exports;
+
+    if (!(memory instanceof WebAssembly.Memory)) {
+      throw new TypeError("WebAsembly.instance must provide a memory export");
+    }
+
+    this.memory = memory;
+
+    if (typeof _initialize == "function") {
+      throw new TypeError(
+        "WebAsembly.instance export _initialize must not be a function",
+      );
+    }
+
+    if (typeof _start != "function") {
+      throw new TypeError(
+        "WebAssembly.Instance export _start must be a function",
+      );
+    }
+
+    _start();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1_test.ts b/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1_test.ts
index 0ea57e089f..44877117cc 100644
--- a/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1_test.ts
+++ b/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1_test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // Copyright 2018-2020 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
-import { assertEquals } from "../testing/asserts.ts";
+import Context from "./snapshot_preview1.ts";
+import { assertEquals, assertThrows } from "../testing/asserts.ts";
 import { copy } from "../fs/mod.ts";
 import * as path from "../path/mod.ts";
 
@@ -137,3 +138,45 @@ for (const pathname of tests) {
     },
   });
 }
+
+Deno.test("context_start", function () {
+  assertThrows(
+    () => {
+      const context = new Context({});
+      context.start({
+        exports: {
+          _start() {},
+        },
+      });
+    },
+    TypeError,
+    "must provide a memory export",
+  );
+
+  assertThrows(
+    () => {
+      const context = new Context({});
+      context.start({
+        exports: {
+          _initialize() {},
+          memory: new WebAssembly.Memory({ initial: 1 }),
+        },
+      });
+    },
+    TypeError,
+    "export _initialize must not be a function",
+  );
+
+  assertThrows(
+    () => {
+      const context = new Context({});
+      context.start({
+        exports: {
+          memory: new WebAssembly.Memory({ initial: 1 }),
+        },
+      });
+    },
+    TypeError,
+    "export _start must be a function",
+  );
+});
diff --git a/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1_test_runner.ts b/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1_test_runner.ts
index 39f32db57e..65cb7bd3b8 100644
--- a/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1_test_runner.ts
+++ b/std/wasi/snapshot_preview1_test_runner.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,4 @@ const instance = new WebAssembly.Instance(module, {
   "wasi_snapshot_preview1": context.exports,
 });
 
-const memory = instance.exports.memory as WebAssembly.Memory;
-context.memory = memory;
-
-const start = instance.exports._start as CallableFunction;
-start();
+context.start(instance);