diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index 60f78c741..c7146018c 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -703,20 +703,6 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) prestart(resultCh chan bool) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Build the template manager
-	if r.templateManager == nil {
-		var err error
-		r.templateManager, err = NewTaskTemplateManager(r, r.task.Templates,
-			r.config, r.vaultFuture.Get(), r.taskDir, r.getTaskEnv())
-		if err != nil {
-			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)
-			resultCh <- false
-			return
-		}
-	}
-
 	for {
 		// Download the task's artifacts
 		if !r.artifactsDownloaded && len(r.task.Artifacts) > 0 {
@@ -746,6 +732,20 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) prestart(resultCh chan bool) {
 			return
 		}
 
+		// Build the template manager
+		if r.templateManager == nil {
+			var err error
+			r.templateManager, err = NewTaskTemplateManager(r, r.task.Templates,
+				r.config, r.vaultFuture.Get(), r.taskDir, r.getTaskEnv())
+			if err != nil {
+				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)
+				resultCh <- false
+				return
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Block for consul-template
 		// TODO Hooks should register themselves as blocking and then we can
 		// perioidcally enumerate what we are still blocked on
diff --git a/client/task_runner_test.go b/client/task_runner_test.go
index 7db4f7ef7..adc1ca4fd 100644
--- a/client/task_runner_test.go
+++ b/client/task_runner_test.go
@@ -935,6 +935,84 @@ func TestTaskRunner_Template_Block(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestTaskRunner_Template_Artifact(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("bad: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(http.FileServer(http.Dir(filepath.Join(dir, ".."))))
+	defer ts.Close()
+
+	alloc := mock.Alloc()
+	task := alloc.Job.TaskGroups[0].Tasks[0]
+	task.Driver = "mock_driver"
+	task.Config = map[string]interface{}{
+		"exit_code": "0",
+		"run_for":   "1s",
+	}
+	// Create an allocation that has a task that renders a template from an
+	// artifact
+	f1 := "CHANGELOG.md"
+	artifact := structs.TaskArtifact{
+		GetterSource: fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", ts.URL, f1),
+	}
+	task.Artifacts = []*structs.TaskArtifact{&artifact}
+	task.Templates = []*structs.Template{
+		{
+			SourcePath: "CHANGELOG.md",
+			DestPath:   "local/test",
+			ChangeMode: structs.TemplateChangeModeNoop,
+		},
+	}
+
+	upd, tr := testTaskRunnerFromAlloc(false, alloc)
+	tr.MarkReceived()
+	defer tr.Destroy(structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskKilled))
+	defer tr.ctx.AllocDir.Destroy()
+
+	go tr.Run()
+
+	select {
+	case <-tr.WaitCh():
+	case <-time.After(time.Duration(testutil.TestMultiplier()*15) * time.Second):
+		t.Fatalf("timeout")
+	}
+
+	if len(upd.events) != 4 {
+		t.Fatalf("should have 4 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.TaskReceived {
+		t.Fatalf("First Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[0].Type, structs.TaskReceived)
+	}
+
+	if upd.events[1].Type != structs.TaskDownloadingArtifacts {
+		t.Fatalf("Second Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[1].Type, structs.TaskDownloadingArtifacts)
+	}
+
+	if upd.events[2].Type != structs.TaskStarted {
+		t.Fatalf("Third Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[2].Type, structs.TaskStarted)
+	}
+
+	if upd.events[3].Type != structs.TaskTerminated {
+		t.Fatalf("Fourth Event was %v; want %v", upd.events[3].Type, structs.TaskTerminated)
+	}
+
+	// Check that both files exist.
+	taskDir := tr.ctx.AllocDir.TaskDirs[task.Name]
+	if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(taskDir, f1)); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("%v not downloaded", f1)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(taskDir, allocdir.TaskLocal, "test")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("template not rendered")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTaskRunner_Template_NewVaultToken(t *testing.T) {
 	alloc := mock.Alloc()
 	task := alloc.Job.TaskGroups[0].Tasks[0]