diff --git a/client/alloc_runner.go b/client/alloc_runner.go
index 47cc7eeeb..a6dc9de56 100644
--- a/client/alloc_runner.go
+++ b/client/alloc_runner.go
@@ -330,7 +330,8 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) setStatus(status, desc string) {
 	}
 }
 
-// setTaskState is used to set the status of a task
+// setTaskState is used to set the status of a task. If state is empty then the
+// event is appended but not synced with the server. The event may be omitted
 func (r *AllocRunner) setTaskState(taskName, state string, event *structs.TaskEvent) {
 	r.taskStatusLock.Lock()
 	defer r.taskStatusLock.Unlock()
@@ -341,12 +342,18 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) setTaskState(taskName, state string, event *structs.TaskEv
 	}
 
 	// Set the tasks state.
-	taskState.State = state
-	if event.FailsTask {
-		taskState.Failed = true
+	if event != nil {
+		if event.FailsTask {
+			taskState.Failed = true
+		}
+		r.appendTaskEvent(taskState, event)
 	}
-	r.appendTaskEvent(taskState, event)
 
+	if state == "" {
+		return
+	}
+
+	taskState.State = state
 	if state == structs.TaskStateDead {
 		// If the task failed, we should kill all the other tasks in the task group.
 		if taskState.Failed {
diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index d555d9f98..4c068c570 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -674,6 +674,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) updatedTokenHandler() {
 			err := fmt.Errorf("failed to build task's template manager: %v", err)
 			r.setState(structs.TaskStateDead, structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskSetupFailure).SetSetupError(err).SetFailsTask())
 			r.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: alloc %q, task %q %v", r.alloc.ID, r.task.Name, err)
+			r.Kill("vault", err.Error(), true)
 			return
 		}
 	}
@@ -708,11 +709,11 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) prestart(resultCh chan bool) {
 		if !r.artifactsDownloaded && len(r.task.Artifacts) > 0 {
 			r.setState(structs.TaskStatePending, structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskDownloadingArtifacts))
 			for _, artifact := range r.task.Artifacts {
-				// TODO wrap
 				if err := getter.GetArtifact(r.getTaskEnv(), artifact, r.taskDir); err != nil {
+					wrapped := fmt.Errorf("failed to download artifact %q: %v", artifact.GetterSource, err)
 					r.setState(structs.TaskStatePending,
-						structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskArtifactDownloadFailed).SetDownloadError(err))
-					r.restartTracker.SetStartError(structs.NewRecoverableError(err, true))
+						structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskArtifactDownloadFailed).SetDownloadError(wrapped))
+					r.restartTracker.SetStartError(structs.NewRecoverableError(wrapped, true))
 					goto RESTART
 				}
 			}
@@ -799,6 +800,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) run() {
 			select {
 			case success := <-prestartResultCh:
 				if !success {
+					r.setState(structs.TaskStateDead, nil)
 					return
 				}
 			case <-r.startCh:
@@ -813,7 +815,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) run() {
 					startErr := r.startTask()
 					r.restartTracker.SetStartError(startErr)
 					if startErr != nil {
-						r.setState(structs.TaskStateDead, structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskDriverFailure).SetDriverError(startErr))
+						r.setState("", structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskDriverFailure).SetDriverError(startErr))
 						goto RESTART
 					}
 
@@ -845,7 +847,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) run() {
 
 				// Log whether the task was successful or not.
 				r.restartTracker.SetWaitResult(waitRes)
-				r.setState(structs.TaskStateDead, r.waitErrorToEvent(waitRes))
+				r.setState("", r.waitErrorToEvent(waitRes))
 				if !waitRes.Successful() {
 					r.logger.Printf("[INFO] client: task %q for alloc %q failed: %v", r.task.Name, r.alloc.ID, waitRes)
 				} else {
@@ -904,6 +906,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) run() {
 
 				r.killTask(killEvent)
 				close(stopCollection)
+				r.setState(structs.TaskStateDead, nil)
 				return
 			}
 		}
@@ -911,6 +914,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) run() {
 	RESTART:
 		restart := r.shouldRestart()
 		if !restart {
+			r.setState(structs.TaskStateDead, nil)
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -1007,7 +1011,7 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) killTask(killingEvent *structs.TaskEvent) {
 	r.runningLock.Unlock()
 
 	// Store that the task has been destroyed and any associated error.
-	r.setState(structs.TaskStateDead, structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskKilled).SetKillError(err))
+	r.setState("", structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskKilled).SetKillError(err))
 }
 
 // startTask creates the driver and starts the task.
diff --git a/client/task_runner_test.go b/client/task_runner_test.go
index d1dc13dd9..f34c9460e 100644
--- a/client/task_runner_test.go
+++ b/client/task_runner_test.go
@@ -38,11 +38,15 @@ type MockTaskStateUpdater struct {
 }
 
 func (m *MockTaskStateUpdater) Update(name, state string, event *structs.TaskEvent) {
-	m.state = state
-	if event.FailsTask {
-		m.failed = true
+	if state != "" {
+		m.state = state
+	}
+	if event != nil {
+		if event.FailsTask {
+			m.failed = true
+		}
+		m.events = append(m.events, event)
 	}
-	m.events = append(m.events, event)
 }
 
 func testTaskRunner(restarts bool) (*MockTaskStateUpdater, *TaskRunner) {