diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint.go b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
index a018fe528..526985516 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
@@ -1890,6 +1890,41 @@ func (j *Job) Dispatch(args *structs.JobDispatchRequest, reply *structs.JobDispa
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Ensure that we have only one dispatched version of this job running concurrently
+	// by comparing the idempotency token against any non-terminal versions.
+	if args.IdempotencyToken != "" {
+		// Fetch all jobs that match the parameterized job ID prefix
+		iter, err := snap.JobsByIDPrefix(ws, parameterizedJob.Namespace, parameterizedJob.ID)
+		if err != nil {
+			errMsg := "failed to retrieve jobs for idempotency check"
+			j.logger.Error(errMsg, "error", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf(errMsg)
+		}
+
+		// Iterate
+		for {
+			raw := iter.Next()
+			if raw == nil {
+				break
+			}
+
+			// Ensure the parent ID is an exact match
+			existingJob := raw.(*structs.Job)
+			if existingJob.ParentID != parameterizedJob.ID {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// Idempotency tokens match. Ensure existing job is terminal.
+			if existingJob.DispatchIdempotencyToken == args.IdempotencyToken {
+				// The existing job is either pending or running.
+				// Registering a new job would violate the idempotency token.
+				if existingJob.Status != structs.JobStatusDead {
+					return fmt.Errorf("idempotent dispatch failed: another child job with this token is running or pending: %s", existingJob.ID)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Derive the child job and commit it via Raft - with initial status
 	dispatchJob := parameterizedJob.Copy()
 	dispatchJob.ID = structs.DispatchedID(parameterizedJob.ID, time.Now())
@@ -1909,40 +1944,6 @@ func (j *Job) Dispatch(args *structs.JobDispatchRequest, reply *structs.JobDispa
 		dispatchJob.Meta[k] = v
 	}
 
-	// Ensure that we have only one dispatched version of this job running concurrently
-	// by comparing the idempotency token against any non-terminal versions.
-	if args.IdempotencyToken != "" {
-		// Fetch all jobs that match the parameterized job ID prefix
-		iter, err := snap.JobsByIDPrefix(ws, parameterizedJob.Namespace, parameterizedJob.ID)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve jobs for idempotency check")
-		}
-
-		// Iterate
-		for {
-			raw := iter.Next()
-			if raw == nil {
-				break
-			}
-
-			// Ensure the parent ID is an exact match
-			existingJob := raw.(*structs.Job)
-			if existingJob.ParentID != dispatchJob.ParentID {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			// Idempotency tokens match. Ensure existing job is terminal.
-			if existingJob.DispatchIdempotencyToken == args.IdempotencyToken {
-				// The existing job is either pending or running.
-				// Registering a new job would violate the idempotency token.
-				if existingJob.Status != structs.JobStatusDead {
-					return fmt.Errorf("idempotent dispatch failed: another child job with this token is running or pending: %s", existingJob.ID)
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-	}
-
 	// Compress the payload
 	dispatchJob.Payload = snappy.Encode(nil, args.Payload)