diff --git a/functions/scheduleinstance/README.md b/functions/scheduleinstance/README.md
index 01132b6b77..d753c213ac 100644
--- a/functions/scheduleinstance/README.md
+++ b/functions/scheduleinstance/README.md
@@ -22,10 +22,8 @@ See the [Scheduling Instances with Cloud Scheduler tutorial][tutorial].
 
 ## Additional resources
 
-* [Cloud Scheduler documentation][docs]
-* [HTTP Cloud Functions documentation][http_docs]
-* [HTTP Cloud Functions tutorial][http_tutorial]
+* [GCE NodeJS Client Library documentation][compute_nodejs_docs]
+* [Background Cloud Functions documentation][background_functions_docs]
 
-[docs]: https://cloud.google.com/scheduler/docs/
-[http_docs]: https://cloud.google.com/functions/docs/writing/http
-[http_tutorial]: https://cloud.google.com/functions/docs/tutorials/http
+[compute_nodejs_docs]: https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/tutorials/nodejs-guide
+[background_functions_docs]: https://cloud.google.com/functions/docs/writing/background
diff --git a/functions/scheduleinstance/index.js b/functions/scheduleinstance/index.js
index e771ea63b0..f12fcec6e4 100644
--- a/functions/scheduleinstance/index.js
+++ b/functions/scheduleinstance/index.js
@@ -13,101 +13,13 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-// [START functions_start_instance_http]
-// [START functions_stop_instance_http]
 // [START functions_start_instance_pubsub]
 // [START functions_stop_instance_pubsub]
 const Buffer = require('safe-buffer').Buffer;
 const Compute = require('@google-cloud/compute');
 const compute = new Compute();
-
-// [END functions_stop_instance_http]
-// [END functions_start_instance_pubsub]
 // [END functions_stop_instance_pubsub]
-/**
- * Starts a Compute Engine instance.
- *
- * Expects an HTTP POST request with a JSON-formatted request body containing
- * the following attributes:
- *  zone - the GCP zone the instance is located in.
- *  instance - the name of the instance.
- *
- * @param {!object} req Cloud Function HTTP request data.
- * @param {!object} res Cloud Function HTTP response data.
- * @returns {!object} Cloud Function response data with status code and message.
- */
-exports.startInstanceHttp = (req, res) => {
-  try {
-    const payload = _validatePayload(_parseHttpPayload(_validateHttpReq(req)));
-    compute.zone(payload.zone)
-      .vm(payload.instance)
-      .start()
-      .then(data => {
-        // Operation pending.
-        const operation = data[0];
-        return operation.promise();
-      })
-      .then(() => {
-        // Operation complete. Instance successfully started.
-        const message = 'Successfully started instance ' + payload.instance;
-        console.log(message);
-        res.status(200).send(message);
-      })
-      .catch(err => {
-        console.log(err);
-        res.status(500).send({error: err.message});
-      });
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.log(err);
-    res.status(400).send({error: err.message});
-  }
-  return res;
-};
-
-// [END functions_start_instance_http]
-// [START functions_stop_instance_http]
-/**
- * Stops a Compute Engine instance.
- *
- * Expects an HTTP POST request with a JSON-formatted request body containing
- * the following attributes:
- *  zone - the GCP zone the instance is located in.
- *  instance - the name of the instance.
- *
- * @param {!object} req Cloud Function HTTP request data.
- * @param {!object} res Cloud Function HTTP response data.
- * @returns {!object} Cloud Function response data with status code and message.
- */
-exports.stopInstanceHttp = (req, res) => {
-  try {
-    const payload = _validatePayload(_parseHttpPayload(_validateHttpReq(req)));
-    compute.zone(payload.zone)
-      .vm(payload.instance)
-      .stop()
-      .then(data => {
-        // Operation pending.
-        const operation = data[0];
-        return operation.promise();
-      })
-      .then(() => {
-        // Operation complete. Instance successfully stopped.
-        const message = 'Successfully stopped instance ' + payload.instance;
-        console.log(message);
-        res.status(200).send(message);
-      })
-      .catch(err => {
-        console.log(err);
-        res.status(500).send({error: err.message});
-      });
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.log(err);
-    res.status(400).send({error: err.message});
-  }
-  return res;
-};
 
-// [END functions_stop_instance_http]
-// [START functions_start_instance_pubsub]
 /**
  * Starts a Compute Engine instance.
  *
@@ -146,9 +58,9 @@ exports.startInstancePubSub = (event, callback) => {
     callback(err);
   }
 };
-
 // [END functions_start_instance_pubsub]
 // [START functions_stop_instance_pubsub]
+
 /**
  * Stops a Compute Engine instance.
  *
@@ -187,10 +99,8 @@ exports.stopInstancePubSub = (event, callback) => {
     callback(err);
   }
 };
-
-// [START functions_start_instance_http]
-// [START functions_stop_instance_http]
 // [START functions_start_instance_pubsub]
+
 /**
  * Validates that a request payload contains the expected fields.
  *
@@ -207,41 +117,3 @@ function _validatePayload (payload) {
 }
 // [END functions_start_instance_pubsub]
 // [END functions_stop_instance_pubsub]
-
-/**
- * Parses the request payload of an HTTP request based on content-type.
- *
- * @param {!object} req a Cloud Functions HTTP request object.
- * @returns {!object} an object with attributes matching the request payload.
- */
-function _parseHttpPayload (req) {
-  const contentType = req.get('content-type');
-  if (contentType === 'application/json') {
-    // Request.body automatically parsed as an object.
-    return req.body;
-  } else if (contentType === 'application/octet-stream') {
-    // Convert buffer to a string and parse as JSON string.
-    return JSON.parse(req.body.toString());
-  } else {
-    throw new Error('Unsupported HTTP content-type ' + req.get('content-type') +
-        '; use application/json or application/octet-stream');
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Validates that a HTTP request contains the expected fields.
- *
- * @param {!object} req the request to validate.
- * @returns {!object} the request object.
- */
-function _validateHttpReq (req) {
-  if (req.method !== 'POST') {
-    throw new Error('Unsupported HTTP method ' + req.method +
-        '; use method POST');
-  } else if (typeof req.get('content-type') === 'undefined') {
-    throw new Error('HTTP content-type missing');
-  }
-  return req;
-}
-// [END functions_start_instance_http]
-// [END functions_stop_instance_http]
diff --git a/functions/scheduleinstance/test/index.test.js b/functions/scheduleinstance/test/index.test.js
index 90bc0c73b6..f3741d380b 100644
--- a/functions/scheduleinstance/test/index.test.js
+++ b/functions/scheduleinstance/test/index.test.js
@@ -36,31 +36,6 @@ function getSample () {
 }
 
 function getMocks () {
-  const req = {
-    headers: {},
-    body: {},
-    get: function (header) {
-      return this.headers[header];
-    }
-  };
-  sinon.spy(req, `get`);
-
-  const res = {
-    set: sinon.stub().returnsThis(),
-    send: function (message) {
-      this.message = message;
-      return this;
-    },
-    json: sinon.stub().returnsThis(),
-    end: sinon.stub().returnsThis(),
-    status: function (statusCode) {
-      this.statusCode = statusCode;
-      return this;
-    }
-  };
-  sinon.spy(res, 'status');
-  sinon.spy(res, 'send');
-
   const event = {
     data: {
       data: {}
@@ -70,8 +45,6 @@ function getMocks () {
   const callback = sinon.spy();
 
   return {
-    req: req,
-    res: res,
     event: event,
     callback: callback
   };
@@ -80,262 +53,6 @@ function getMocks () {
 test.beforeEach(tools.stubConsole);
 test.afterEach.always(tools.restoreConsole);
 
-/** Tests for startInstanceHttp */
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should accept application/json`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {zone: `test-zone`, instance: `test-instance`};
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  sample.mocks.requestPromise()
-    .then((data) => {
-      // The request was successfully sent.
-      t.deepEqual(data, 'request sent');
-    });
-});
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should accept application/octect-stream`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/octet-stream`;
-  mocks.req.body = Buffer.from(`{'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'}`);
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  sample.mocks.requestPromise()
-    .then((data) => {
-      // The request was successfully sent.
-      t.deepEqual(data, 'request sent');
-    });
-});
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should fail missing HTTP request method`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: 'Unsupported HTTP method undefined; use method POST'});
-});
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should reject HTTP GET request`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `GET`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: 'Unsupported HTTP method GET; use method POST'});
-});
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should fail missing content-type header`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: 'HTTP content-type missing'});
-});
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should reject unsupported HTTP content-type`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `text/plain`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: 'Unsupported HTTP content-type text/plain; use application/json or application/octet-stream'});
-});
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should fail with missing 'zone' attribute`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: `Attribute 'zone' missing from payload`});
-});
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should fail with missing 'instance' attribute`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone'};
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: `Attribute 'instance' missing from payload`});
-});
-
-test(`startInstanceHttp: should fail with empty request body`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {};
-  sample.program.startInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: `Attribute 'zone' missing from payload`});
-});
-
-/** Tests for stopInstanceHttp */
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should accept application/json`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {zone: `test-zone`, instance: `test-instance`};
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  sample.mocks.requestPromise()
-    .then((data) => {
-      // The request was successfully sent.
-      t.deepEqual(data, 'request sent');
-    });
-});
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should accept application/octect-stream`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/octet-stream`;
-  mocks.req.body = Buffer.from(`{'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'}`);
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  sample.mocks.requestPromise()
-    .then((data) => {
-      // The request was successfully sent.
-      t.deepEqual(data, 'request sent');
-    });
-});
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should fail missing HTTP request method`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: 'Unsupported HTTP method undefined; use method POST'});
-});
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should reject HTTP GET request`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `GET`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: 'Unsupported HTTP method GET; use method POST'});
-});
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should fail missing content-type header`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: 'HTTP content-type missing'});
-});
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should reject unsupported HTTP content-type`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `text/plain`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone', 'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: 'Unsupported HTTP content-type text/plain; use application/json or application/octet-stream'});
-});
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should fail with missing 'zone' attribute`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'instance': 'test-instance'};
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: `Attribute 'zone' missing from payload`});
-});
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should fail with missing 'instance' attribute`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {'zone': 'test-zone'};
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: `Attribute 'instance' missing from payload`});
-});
-
-test(`stopInstanceHttp: should fail with empty request body`, async (t) => {
-  const mocks = getMocks();
-  const sample = getSample();
-  mocks.req.method = `POST`;
-  mocks.req.headers[`content-type`] = `application/json`;
-  mocks.req.body = {};
-  sample.program.stopInstanceHttp(mocks.req, mocks.res);
-
-  t.true(mocks.res.status.calledOnce);
-  t.is(mocks.res.status.firstCall.args[0], 400);
-  t.true(mocks.res.send.calledOnce);
-  t.deepEqual(mocks.res.send.firstCall.args[0], {error: `Attribute 'zone' missing from payload`});
-});
-
 /** Tests for startInstancePubSub */
 
 test(`startInstancePubSub: should accept JSON-formatted event payload`, async (t) => {