diff --git a/api/tasks.go b/api/tasks.go
index 3f72038f7..4895312ef 100644
--- a/api/tasks.go
+++ b/api/tasks.go
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ type ReschedulePolicy struct {
 }
 
 func (r *ReschedulePolicy) Merge(rp *ReschedulePolicy) {
+	if rp == nil {
+		return
+	}
 	if rp.Interval != nil {
 		r.Interval = rp.Interval
 	}
@@ -123,6 +126,63 @@ func (r *ReschedulePolicy) Merge(rp *ReschedulePolicy) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (r *ReschedulePolicy) Canonicalize(jobType string) {
+	dp := NewDefaultReschedulePolicy(jobType)
+	if r.Interval == nil {
+		r.Interval = dp.Interval
+	}
+	if r.Attempts == nil {
+		r.Attempts = dp.Attempts
+	}
+	if r.Delay == nil {
+		r.Delay = dp.Delay
+	}
+	if r.DelayFunction == nil {
+		r.DelayFunction = dp.DelayFunction
+	}
+	if r.MaxDelay == nil {
+		r.MaxDelay = dp.MaxDelay
+	}
+	if r.Unlimited == nil {
+		r.Unlimited = dp.Unlimited
+	}
+}
+
+func NewDefaultReschedulePolicy(jobType string) *ReschedulePolicy {
+	var dp *ReschedulePolicy
+	switch jobType {
+	case "service":
+		dp = &ReschedulePolicy{
+			Attempts:      helper.IntToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.Attempts),
+			Interval:      helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.Interval),
+			Delay:         helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.Delay),
+			DelayFunction: helper.StringToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.DelayFunction),
+			MaxDelay:      helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.MaxDelay),
+			Unlimited:     helper.BoolToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.Unlimited),
+		}
+	case "batch":
+		dp = &ReschedulePolicy{
+			Attempts:      helper.IntToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.Attempts),
+			Interval:      helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.Interval),
+			Delay:         helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.Delay),
+			DelayFunction: helper.StringToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.DelayFunction),
+			MaxDelay:      helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.MaxDelay),
+			Unlimited:     helper.BoolToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.Unlimited),
+		}
+
+	case "system":
+		dp = &ReschedulePolicy{
+			Attempts:      helper.IntToPtr(0),
+			Interval:      helper.TimeToPtr(0),
+			Delay:         helper.TimeToPtr(0),
+			DelayFunction: helper.StringToPtr(""),
+			MaxDelay:      helper.TimeToPtr(0),
+			Unlimited:     helper.BoolToPtr(false),
+		}
+	}
+	return dp
+}
+
 func (r *ReschedulePolicy) Copy() *ReschedulePolicy {
 	if r == nil {
 		return nil
@@ -408,37 +468,13 @@ func (g *TaskGroup) Canonicalize(job *Job) {
 		jobReschedule := job.Reschedule.Copy()
 		g.ReschedulePolicy = jobReschedule
 	}
-
-	// Merge with default reschedule policy
-	var defaultReschedulePolicy *ReschedulePolicy
-	switch *job.Type {
-	case "service":
-		defaultReschedulePolicy = &ReschedulePolicy{
-			Attempts:      helper.IntToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.Attempts),
-			Interval:      helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.Interval),
-			Delay:         helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.Delay),
-			DelayFunction: helper.StringToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.DelayFunction),
-			MaxDelay:      helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.MaxDelay),
-			Unlimited:     helper.BoolToPtr(structs.DefaultServiceJobReschedulePolicy.Unlimited),
-		}
-	case "batch":
-		defaultReschedulePolicy = &ReschedulePolicy{
-			Attempts:      helper.IntToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.Attempts),
-			Interval:      helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.Interval),
-			Delay:         helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.Delay),
-			DelayFunction: helper.StringToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.DelayFunction),
-			MaxDelay:      helper.TimeToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.MaxDelay),
-			Unlimited:     helper.BoolToPtr(structs.DefaultBatchJobReschedulePolicy.Unlimited),
-		}
-	default:
-		defaultReschedulePolicy = nil
+	// Only use default reschedule policy for non system jobs
+	if g.ReschedulePolicy == nil && *job.Type != "system" {
+		g.ReschedulePolicy = NewDefaultReschedulePolicy(*job.Type)
 	}
-
-	if defaultReschedulePolicy != nil && g.ReschedulePolicy != nil {
-		defaultReschedulePolicy.Merge(g.ReschedulePolicy)
+	if g.ReschedulePolicy != nil {
+		g.ReschedulePolicy.Canonicalize(*job.Type)
 	}
-	g.ReschedulePolicy = defaultReschedulePolicy
-
 	// Merge the migrate strategy from the job
 	if jm, tm := job.Migrate != nil, g.Migrate != nil; jm && tm {
 		jobMigrate := job.Migrate.Copy()
diff --git a/nomad/mock/mock.go b/nomad/mock/mock.go
index c037289dd..1d39384a8 100644
--- a/nomad/mock/mock.go
+++ b/nomad/mock/mock.go
@@ -263,10 +263,6 @@ func SystemJob() *structs.Job {
 					Delay:    1 * time.Minute,
 					Mode:     structs.RestartPolicyModeDelay,
 				},
-				ReschedulePolicy: &structs.ReschedulePolicy{
-					Attempts: 2,
-					Interval: 10 * time.Minute,
-				},
 				EphemeralDisk: structs.DefaultEphemeralDisk(),
 				Tasks: []*structs.Task{
 					{
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs.go b/nomad/structs/structs.go
index e8f76b81d..1fd30e322 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs.go
@@ -3301,7 +3301,11 @@ func (tg *TaskGroup) Validate(j *Job) error {
 		mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, fmt.Errorf("Task Group %v should have a restart policy", tg.Name))
 	}
 
-	if j.Type != JobTypeSystem {
+	if j.Type == JobTypeSystem {
+		if tg.ReschedulePolicy != nil {
+			mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, fmt.Errorf("System jobs should not have a reschedule policy"))
+		}
+	} else {
 		if tg.ReschedulePolicy != nil {
 			if err := tg.ReschedulePolicy.Validate(); err != nil {
 				mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, err)
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs_test.go b/nomad/structs/structs_test.go
index 17a2a6329..8883e7a0b 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs_test.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs_test.go
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ func TestJob_IsPeriodicActive(t *testing.T) {
 func TestJob_SystemJob_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	j := testJob()
 	j.Type = JobTypeSystem
+	j.TaskGroups[0].ReschedulePolicy = nil
 	j.Canonicalize()
 
 	err := j.Validate()
@@ -713,6 +714,26 @@ func TestTaskGroup_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "does not allow update block") {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
+
+	tg = &TaskGroup{
+		Count: -1,
+		RestartPolicy: &RestartPolicy{
+			Interval: 5 * time.Minute,
+			Delay:    10 * time.Second,
+			Attempts: 10,
+			Mode:     RestartPolicyModeDelay,
+		},
+		ReschedulePolicy: &ReschedulePolicy{
+			Interval: 5 * time.Minute,
+			Attempts: 5,
+			Delay:    5 * time.Second,
+		},
+	}
+	j.Type = JobTypeSystem
+	err = tg.Validate(j)
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "System jobs should not have a reschedule policy") {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestTask_Validate(t *testing.T) {