diff --git a/api/jobs.go b/api/jobs.go
index 00d2431d3..a205fba10 100644
--- a/api/jobs.go
+++ b/api/jobs.go
@@ -169,6 +169,18 @@ func (j *Jobs) Scale(jobID, group string, value interface{}, reason string, q *W
 	return &resp, qm, nil
 }
 
+// ScaleStatus is used to retrieve information about a particular
+// job given its unique ID.
+func (j *Jobs) ScaleStatus(jobID, group string, q *QueryOptions) (*ScaleStatusResponse, *QueryMeta, error) {
+	var resp ScaleStatusResponse
+	qm, err := j.client.query(fmt.Sprintf("/v1/job/%s/%s/scale", url.PathEscape(jobID), url.PathEscape(group)),
+		&resp, q)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	return &resp, qm, nil
+}
+
 // Versions is used to retrieve all versions of a particular job given its
 // unique ID.
 func (j *Jobs) Versions(jobID string, diffs bool, q *QueryOptions) ([]*Job, []*JobDiff, *QueryMeta, error) {
diff --git a/api/jobs_test.go b/api/jobs_test.go
index 160a8a121..d9bcbec27 100644
--- a/api/jobs_test.go
+++ b/api/jobs_test.go
@@ -1533,3 +1533,89 @@ func TestJobs_AddSpread(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expect: %#v, got: %#v", expect, job.Spreads)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestJobs_ScaleAction tests the scale target for task group count
+func TestJobs_ScaleAction(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	require := require.New(t)
+
+	c, s := makeClient(t, nil, nil)
+	defer s.Stop()
+	jobs := c.Jobs()
+
+	id := "job-id/with\\troublesome:characters\n?&字\000"
+	job := testJobWithScalingPolicy()
+	job.ID = &id
+	groupName := *job.TaskGroups[0].Name
+	groupCount := *job.TaskGroups[0].Count
+
+	// Trying to scale against a target before it exists returns an error
+	_, _, err := jobs.Scale(id, "missing",
+		groupCount+1, "this won't work", nil)
+	require.Error(err)
+	require.Contains(err.Error(), "not found")
+
+	// Register the job
+	_, wm, err := jobs.Register(job, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	assertWriteMeta(t, wm)
+
+	// Perform a scaling action with bad group name, verify error
+	_, _, err = jobs.Scale(id, "incorrect-group-name",
+		groupCount+1, "this won't work", nil)
+	require.Error(err)
+	require.Contains(err.Error(), "does not exist")
+
+	// Query the scaling endpoint and verify success
+	resp1, wm, err := jobs.Scale(id, groupName,
+		groupCount+1, "need more instances", nil)
+
+	require.NoError(err)
+	require.NotNil(resp1)
+	require.NotEmpty(resp1.EvalID)
+	assertWriteMeta(t, wm)
+}
+
+// TestJobs_ScaleStatus tests the /scale status endpoint for task group count
+func TestJobs_ScaleStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	require := require.New(t)
+
+	c, s := makeClient(t, nil, nil)
+	defer s.Stop()
+	jobs := c.Jobs()
+
+	// Trying to retrieve a status before it exists returns an error
+	id := "job-id/with\\troublesome:characters\n?&字\000"
+	_, _, err := jobs.ScaleStatus(id, "missing", nil)
+	require.Error(err)
+	require.Contains(err.Error(), "not found")
+
+	// Register the job
+	job := testJobWithScalingPolicy()
+	job.ID = &id
+	groupName := *job.TaskGroups[0].Name
+	groupCount := *job.TaskGroups[0].Count
+	_, wm, err := jobs.Register(job, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+	assertWriteMeta(t, wm)
+
+	// Query the scaling endpoint with bad group name, verify error
+	_, _, err = jobs.ScaleStatus(id, "incorrect-group-name", nil)
+	require.Error(err)
+	require.Contains(err.Error(), "not found")
+
+	// Query the scaling endpoint and verify success
+	result, qm, err := jobs.ScaleStatus(id, groupName, nil)
+	require.NoError(err)
+	assertQueryMeta(t, qm)
+
+	// Check that the result is what we expect
+	require.Equal(groupCount, int(result.Value.(float64)))
+}
diff --git a/api/util_test.go b/api/util_test.go
index 2ebf502d7..f32d6d30d 100644
--- a/api/util_test.go
+++ b/api/util_test.go
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@ func testJob() *Job {
 	return job
 }
 
+func testJobWithScalingPolicy() *Job {
+	job := testJob()
+	job.TaskGroups[0].Scaling = &ScalingPolicy{
+		Policy:  map[string]interface{}{},
+		Enabled: boolToPtr(true),
+	}
+	return job
+}
+
 func testPeriodicJob() *Job {
 	job := testJob().AddPeriodicConfig(&PeriodicConfig{
 		Enabled:  boolToPtr(true),
diff --git a/command/agent/job_endpoint.go b/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
index d08ff8728..8f39ee708 100644
--- a/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package agent
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
-	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -459,28 +458,29 @@ func (s *HTTPServer) jobDelete(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
 
 func (s *HTTPServer) jobScale(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
 	jobAndTarget string) (interface{}, error) {
+
+	jobAndGroup := strings.TrimSuffix(jobAndTarget, "/scale")
+	var jobName, groupName string
+	if i := strings.LastIndex(jobAndGroup, "/"); i != -1 {
+		jobName = jobAndGroup[:i]
+		groupName = jobAndGroup[i+1:]
+	}
+	if jobName == "" || groupName == "" {
+		return nil, CodedError(400, "Invalid scaling target")
+	}
+
 	switch req.Method {
 	case "GET":
-		return s.jobScaleStatus(resp, req, jobAndTarget)
+		return s.jobScaleStatus(resp, req, jobName, groupName)
 	case "PUT", "POST":
-		return s.jobScaleAction(resp, req, jobAndTarget)
+		return s.jobScaleAction(resp, req, jobName, groupName)
 	default:
 		return nil, CodedError(405, ErrInvalidMethod)
 	}
 }
 
 func (s *HTTPServer) jobScaleStatus(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
-	jobAndTarget string) (interface{}, error) {
-
-	regJobGroup := regexp.MustCompile(`^(.+)/([^/]+)/scale$`)
-	var jobName, groupName string
-	if subMatch := regJobGroup.FindStringSubmatch(jobAndTarget); subMatch != nil {
-		jobName = subMatch[1]
-		groupName = subMatch[2]
-	}
-	if jobName == "" || groupName == "" {
-		return nil, CodedError(400, "Invalid scaling target")
-	}
+	jobName, groupName string) (interface{}, error) {
 
 	args := structs.JobSpecificRequest{
 		JobID: jobName,
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ func (s *HTTPServer) jobScaleStatus(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
 }
 
 func (s *HTTPServer) jobScaleAction(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
-	jobAndTarget string) (interface{}, error) {
+	jobName, groupName string) (interface{}, error) {
 
 	if req.Method != "PUT" && req.Method != "POST" {
 		return nil, CodedError(405, ErrInvalidMethod)
@@ -527,18 +527,10 @@ func (s *HTTPServer) jobScaleAction(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
 	if args.JobID == "" {
 		return nil, CodedError(400, "Job ID must be specified")
 	}
-	if !strings.HasPrefix(jobAndTarget, args.JobID) {
+
+	if args.JobID != jobName {
 		return nil, CodedError(400, "Job ID does not match")
 	}
-	subTarget := strings.TrimPrefix(jobAndTarget, args.JobID)
-	groupScale := regexp.MustCompile(`^/([^/]+)/scale$`)
-	var groupName string
-	if subMatch := groupScale.FindStringSubmatch(subTarget); subMatch != nil {
-		groupName = subMatch[1]
-	}
-	if groupName == "" {
-		return nil, CodedError(400, "Invalid scaling target")
-	}
 
 	scaleReq := structs.JobScaleRequest{
 		JobID:          args.JobID,
diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint.go b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
index fd8962ae2..8a979b096 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
@@ -846,6 +846,9 @@ func (j *Job) Scale(args *structs.JobScaleRequest, reply *structs.JobRegisterRes
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if job == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("job %q not found", args.JobID)
+	}
 
 	found := false
 	for _, tg := range job.TaskGroups {