diff --git a/client/alloc_runner.go b/client/alloc_runner.go
index 3e3976264..372c5abba 100644
--- a/client/alloc_runner.go
+++ b/client/alloc_runner.go
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ const (
 	// allocSyncRetryIntv is the interval on which we retry updating
 	// the status of the allocation
 	allocSyncRetryIntv = 15 * time.Second
+
+	// taskPendingSyncLimit is how long the client will wait before sending that
+	// a task was received to the server. If the task was received transitions
+	// to any other state the server will receive the update. This limit is just
+	// then for the pathological case in which no other transistion occurs.
+	taskPendingSyncLimit = 30 * time.Second
 )
 
 // AllocStateUpdater is used to update the status of an allocation
@@ -45,7 +51,12 @@ type AllocRunner struct {
 	restored   map[string]struct{}
 	taskLock   sync.RWMutex
 
-	taskStatusLock sync.RWMutex
+	// taskPendingTimer is used to mitigate updates sent to the server because
+	// we expect that shortly after receiving an alloc it will transistion
+	// state. We use a timer to send the update if this hasn't happened after a
+	// reasonable time.
+	taskPendingTimer *time.Timer
+	taskStatusLock   sync.RWMutex
 
 	updateCh chan *structs.Allocation
 
@@ -323,6 +334,24 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) setTaskState(taskName, state string, event *structs.TaskEv
 	taskState.State = state
 	r.appendTaskEvent(taskState, event)
 
+	// We don't immediately mark ourselves as dirty, since in most cases there
+	// will immediately be another state transistion. This reduces traffic to
+	// the server.
+	if state == structs.TaskStatePending {
+		if r.taskPendingTimer == nil {
+			r.taskPendingTimer = time.AfterFunc(taskPendingSyncLimit, func() {
+				// Send a dirty signal to sync our state.
+				r.dirtyCh <- struct{}{}
+			})
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Cancel any existing pending state timer.
+	if r.taskPendingTimer != nil {
+		r.taskPendingTimer.Stop()
+	}
+
 	select {
 	case r.dirtyCh <- struct{}{}:
 	default:
diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index 3d1b6f5dd..2a683ed9c 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ func NewTaskRunner(logger *log.Logger, config *config.Config,
 		destroyCh:      make(chan struct{}),
 		waitCh:         make(chan struct{}),
 	}
+
+	// Set the state to pending.
+	tc.updater(task.Name, structs.TaskStatePending, structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskReceived))
 	return tc
 }
 
diff --git a/client/task_runner_test.go b/client/task_runner_test.go
index c757c5893..f31348560 100644
--- a/client/task_runner_test.go
+++ b/client/task_runner_test.go
@@ -68,20 +68,24 @@ func TestTaskRunner_SimpleRun(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("timeout")
 	}
 
-	if len(upd.events) != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("should have 2 updates: %#v", upd.events)
+	if len(upd.events) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("should have 3 updates: %#v", upd.events)
 	}
 
 	if upd.state != structs.TaskStateDead {
 		t.Fatalf("TaskState %v; want %v", upd.state, structs.TaskStateDead)
 	}
 
-	if upd.events[0].Type != structs.TaskStarted {
-		t.Fatalf("First Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[0].Type, structs.TaskStarted)
+	if upd.events[0].Type != structs.TaskReceived {
+		t.Fatalf("First Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[0].Type, structs.TaskReceived)
 	}
 
-	if upd.events[1].Type != structs.TaskTerminated {
-		t.Fatalf("First Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[1].Type, structs.TaskTerminated)
+	if upd.events[1].Type != structs.TaskStarted {
+		t.Fatalf("Second Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[1].Type, structs.TaskStarted)
+	}
+
+	if upd.events[2].Type != structs.TaskTerminated {
+		t.Fatalf("Third Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[2].Type, structs.TaskTerminated)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -107,20 +111,24 @@ func TestTaskRunner_Destroy(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("timeout")
 	}
 
-	if len(upd.events) != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("should have 2 updates: %#v", upd.events)
+	if len(upd.events) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("should have 3 updates: %#v", upd.events)
 	}
 
 	if upd.state != structs.TaskStateDead {
 		t.Fatalf("TaskState %v; want %v", upd.state, structs.TaskStateDead)
 	}
 
-	if upd.events[0].Type != structs.TaskStarted {
-		t.Fatalf("First Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[0].Type, structs.TaskStarted)
+	if upd.events[0].Type != structs.TaskReceived {
+		t.Fatalf("First Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[0].Type, structs.TaskReceived)
 	}
 
-	if upd.events[1].Type != structs.TaskKilled {
-		t.Fatalf("First Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[1].Type, structs.TaskKilled)
+	if upd.events[1].Type != structs.TaskStarted {
+		t.Fatalf("Second Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[1].Type, structs.TaskStarted)
+	}
+
+	if upd.events[2].Type != structs.TaskKilled {
+		t.Fatalf("Third Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[2].Type, structs.TaskKilled)
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/nomad/leader.go b/nomad/leader.go
index 229a9f219..88a62802f 100644
--- a/nomad/leader.go
+++ b/nomad/leader.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (s *Server) establishLeadership(stopCh chan struct{}) error {
 	// evaluation broker
 	if numWorkers := len(s.workers); numWorkers > 1 {
 		// Disabling half the workers frees half the CPUs.
-		for i := 0; i < numWorkers / 2; i++ {
+		for i := 0; i < numWorkers/2; i++ {
 			s.workers[i].SetPause(true)
 		}
 	}
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ func (s *Server) revokeLeadership() error {
 
 	// Unpause our worker if we paused previously
 	if len(s.workers) > 1 {
-		for i := 0; i < len(s.workers) / 2; i++ {
+		for i := 0; i < len(s.workers)/2; i++ {
 			s.workers[i].SetPause(false)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs.go b/nomad/structs/structs.go
index e2f733e6d..93f43f57a 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs.go
@@ -1687,6 +1687,10 @@ const (
 	// failure in the driver.
 	TaskDriverFailure = "Driver Failure"
 
+	// Task Received signals that the task has been pulled by the client at the
+	// given timestamp.
+	TaskReceived = "Received"
+
 	// Task Started signals that the task was started and its timestamp can be
 	// used to determine the running length of the task.
 	TaskStarted = "Started"