diff --git a/client/alloc_runner.go b/client/alloc_runner.go
index 125cfc3c8..81d2185f2 100644
--- a/client/alloc_runner.go
+++ b/client/alloc_runner.go
@@ -163,12 +163,14 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) pre060StateFilePath() string {
 // RestoreState is used to restore the state of the alloc runner
 func (r *AllocRunner) RestoreState() error {
 
+	// COMPAT: Remove in 0.7.0
 	// Check if the old snapshot is there
 	oldPath := r.pre060StateFilePath()
 	var snap allocRunnerState
+	var upgrading bool
 	if err := pre060RestoreState(oldPath, &snap); err == nil {
 		// Restore fields
-		r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: restoring pre v0.6.0 alloc runner state for alloc %q", r.alloc.ID)
+		r.logger.Printf("[INFO] client: restoring pre v0.6.0 alloc runner state for alloc %q", r.alloc.ID)
 		r.alloc = snap.Alloc
 		r.allocDir = snap.AllocDir
 		r.allocClientStatus = snap.AllocClientStatus
@@ -178,6 +180,7 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) RestoreState() error {
 			r.taskStates = snap.Alloc.TaskStates
 		}
 
+		// COMPAT: Remove in 0.7.0
 		// #2132 Upgrade path: if snap.AllocDir is nil, try to convert old
 		// Context struct to new AllocDir struct
 		if snap.AllocDir == nil && snap.Context != nil {
@@ -190,6 +193,7 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) RestoreState() error {
 
 		// Delete the old state
 		os.RemoveAll(oldPath)
+		upgrading = true
 	} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		// Something corrupt in the old state file
 		return err
@@ -222,6 +226,7 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) RestoreState() error {
 			r.allocClientStatus = mutable.AllocClientStatus
 			r.allocClientDescription = mutable.AllocClientDescription
 			r.taskStates = mutable.TaskStates
+			r.alloc.ClientStatus = getClientStatus(r.taskStates)
 			return nil
 		})
 
@@ -277,6 +282,12 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) RestoreState() error {
 		} else if !r.alloc.TerminalStatus() {
 			// Only start if the alloc isn't in a terminal status.
 			go tr.Run()
+
+			if upgrading {
+				if err := tr.SaveState(); err != nil {
+					r.logger.Printf("[WARN] client: initial save state for alloc %s task %s failed: %v", r.alloc.ID, name, err)
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -437,10 +448,19 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) Alloc() *structs.Allocation {
 	r.allocLock.Unlock()
 
 	// Scan the task states to determine the status of the alloc
-	var pending, running, dead, failed bool
 	r.taskStatusLock.RLock()
 	alloc.TaskStates = copyTaskStates(r.taskStates)
-	for _, state := range r.taskStates {
+	alloc.ClientStatus = getClientStatus(r.taskStates)
+	r.taskStatusLock.RUnlock()
+
+	return alloc
+}
+
+// getClientStatus takes in the task states for a given allocation and computes
+// the client status
+func getClientStatus(taskStates map[string]*structs.TaskState) string {
+	var pending, running, dead, failed bool
+	for _, state := range taskStates {
 		switch state.State {
 		case structs.TaskStateRunning:
 			running = true
@@ -454,20 +474,19 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) Alloc() *structs.Allocation {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	r.taskStatusLock.RUnlock()
 
 	// Determine the alloc status
 	if failed {
-		alloc.ClientStatus = structs.AllocClientStatusFailed
+		return structs.AllocClientStatusFailed
 	} else if running {
-		alloc.ClientStatus = structs.AllocClientStatusRunning
+		return structs.AllocClientStatusRunning
 	} else if pending {
-		alloc.ClientStatus = structs.AllocClientStatusPending
+		return structs.AllocClientStatusPending
 	} else if dead {
-		alloc.ClientStatus = structs.AllocClientStatusComplete
+		return structs.AllocClientStatusComplete
 	}
 
-	return alloc
+	return ""
 }
 
 // dirtySyncState is used to watch for state being marked dirty to sync
diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index a6a6ba2a4..59460bf11 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ func (c *Client) Shutdown() error {
 	c.shutdown = true
 	close(c.shutdownCh)
 	c.connPool.Shutdown()
-	return c.saveState(true)
+	return c.saveState()
 }
 
 // RPC is used to forward an RPC call to a nomad server, or fail if no servers.
@@ -663,6 +663,12 @@ func (c *Client) restoreState() error {
 			mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, err)
 		} else {
 			go ar.Run()
+
+			if upgrading {
+				if err := ar.SaveState(); err != nil {
+					c.logger.Printf("[WARN] client: initial save state for alloc %s failed: %v", id, err)
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -676,10 +682,8 @@ func (c *Client) restoreState() error {
 	return mErr.ErrorOrNil()
 }
 
-// saveState is used to snapshot our state into the data dir. If blocking is set
-// to true, the function will only return once state has been saved. If false,
-// the errors will be logged and state saving will be asyncronous
-func (c *Client) saveState(blocking bool) error {
+// saveState is used to snapshot our state into the data dir.
+func (c *Client) saveState() error {
 	if c.config.DevMode {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -703,12 +707,8 @@ func (c *Client) saveState(blocking bool) error {
 		}(id, ar)
 	}
 
-	if blocking {
-		wg.Wait()
-		return mErr.ErrorOrNil()
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	wg.Wait()
+	return mErr.ErrorOrNil()
 }
 
 // getAllocRunners returns a snapshot of the current set of alloc runners.
@@ -1062,7 +1062,7 @@ func (c *Client) periodicSnapshot() {
 		select {
 		case <-snapshot:
 			snapshot = time.After(stateSnapshotIntv)
-			if err := c.saveState(false); err != nil {
+			if err := c.saveState(); err != nil {
 				c.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: failed to save state: %v", err)
 			}
 
diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index 8f91d8f4c..5d1a9d23e 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) RestoreState() error {
 // SaveState is used to snapshot our state
 func (r *TaskRunner) SaveState() error {
 	r.persistLock.Lock()
+	defer r.persistLock.Unlock()
 	snap := taskRunnerState{
 		Version:            r.config.Version,
 		ArtifactDownloaded: r.artifactsDownloaded,
@@ -384,7 +385,6 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) SaveState() error {
 	// If nothing has changed avoid the write
 	h := snap.Hash()
 	if bytes.Equal(h, r.persistedHash) {
-		r.persistLock.Unlock()
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -393,7 +393,6 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) SaveState() error {
 	if err := codec.NewEncoder(&buf, structs.MsgpackHandle).Encode(&snap); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to serialize snapshot: %v", err)
 	}
-	r.persistLock.Unlock()
 
 	// Start the transaction.
 	return r.stateDB.Batch(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
diff --git a/client/util.go b/client/util.go
index 233a02595..32f765550 100644
--- a/client/util.go
+++ b/client/util.go
@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 package client
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math/rand"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
-	"github.com/ugorji/go/codec"
 )
 
 type allocTuple struct {
@@ -78,34 +74,6 @@ func shuffleStrings(list []string) {
 	}
 }
 
-// persistState is used to help with saving state
-func persistState(path string, data interface{}) error {
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	enc := codec.NewEncoder(&buf, structs.JsonHandlePretty)
-	if err := enc.Encode(data); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0700); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to make dirs for %s: %v", path, err)
-	}
-	tmpPath := path + ".tmp"
-	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(tmpPath, buf.Bytes(), 0600); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to save state to tmp: %v", err)
-	}
-	if err := os.Rename(tmpPath, path); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to rename tmp to path: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	// Sanity check since users have reported empty state files on disk
-	if stat, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to stat state file %s: %v", path, err)
-	} else if stat.Size() == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("persisted invalid state file %s; see https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/issues/1367", path)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // pre060RestoreState is used to read back in the persisted state for pre v0.6.0
 // state
 func pre060RestoreState(path string, data interface{}) error {