diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index ffb1bc219..5bb939380 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -645,15 +645,26 @@ func (c *Client) saveState() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	var mErr multierror.Error
 	for id, ar := range c.getAllocRunners() {
-		if err := ar.SaveState(); err != nil {
-			c.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: failed to save state for alloc %s: %v",
-				id, err)
-			mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, err)
-		}
+		go func() {
+			local := ar
+			if err := local.SaveState(); err != nil {
+				c.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: failed to save state for alloc %s: %v",
+					id, err)
+			}
+		}()
 	}
-	return mErr.ErrorOrNil()
+	return nil
+
+	//var mErr multierror.Error
+	//for id, ar := range c.getAllocRunners() {
+	//if err := ar.SaveState(); err != nil {
+	//c.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: failed to save state for alloc %s: %v",
+	//id, err)
+	//mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, err)
+	//}
+	//}
+	//return mErr.ErrorOrNil()
 }
 
 // getAllocRunners returns a snapshot of the current set of alloc runners.
diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index 5444a5f12..00c760a86 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/client/getter"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/client/vaultclient"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
+	"github.com/ugorji/go/codec"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/client/driver/env"
 	dstructs "github.com/hashicorp/nomad/client/driver/structs"
@@ -339,7 +340,6 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) RestoreState() error {
 func (r *TaskRunner) SaveState() error {
 	// XXX needs to be updated
 	r.persistLock.Lock()
-	defer r.persistLock.Unlock()
 
 	snap := taskRunnerState{
 		Version:            r.config.Version,
@@ -357,9 +357,17 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) SaveState() error {
 
 	h := snap.Hash()
 	if bytes.Equal(h, r.persistedHash) {
+		r.persistLock.Unlock()
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	// Serialize the object
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	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 {
 		// Grab the task bucket
@@ -368,7 +376,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) SaveState() error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve allocation bucket: %v", err)
 		}
 
-		if err := putObject(taskBkt, taskRunnerStateAllKey, &snap); err != nil {
+		if err := putData(taskBkt, taskRunnerStateAllKey, buf.Bytes()); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to write task_runner state: %v", err)
 		}
 
@@ -391,11 +399,6 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) DestroyState() error {
 
 // setState is used to update the state of the task runner
 func (r *TaskRunner) setState(state string, event *structs.TaskEvent) {
-	// Persist our state to disk.
-	if err := r.SaveState(); err != nil {
-		r.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: failed to save state of Task Runner for task %q: %v", r.task.Name, err)
-	}
-
 	// Indicate the task has been updated.
 	r.updater(r.task.Name, state, event)
 }