diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index dd1baa851de3..04851e29a254 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -1100,7 +1100,9 @@ func (c *Client) watchAllocations(updates chan *allocUpdates) {
 // watchNodeUpdates periodically checks for changes to the node attributes or meta map
 func (c *Client) watchNodeUpdates() {
 	c.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: periodically checking for node changes at duration %v", nodeUpdateRetryIntv)
-	var attrHash, metaHash uint64
+
+	// Initialize the hashes
+	_, attrHash, metaHash := c.hasNodeChanged(0, 0)
 	var changed bool
 	for {
 		select {
diff --git a/nomad/node_endpoint.go b/nomad/node_endpoint.go
index 51e041a7550f..67d3d5c29a6c 100644
--- a/nomad/node_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/node_endpoint.go
@@ -74,6 +74,16 @@ func (n *Node) Register(args *structs.NodeRegisterRequest, reply *structs.NodeUp
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to computed node class: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	// Look for the node so we can detect a state transistion
+	snap, err := n.srv.fsm.State().Snapshot()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	originalNode, err := snap.NodeByID(args.Node.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Commit this update via Raft
 	_, index, err := n.srv.raftApply(structs.NodeRegisterRequestType, args)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -83,7 +93,12 @@ func (n *Node) Register(args *structs.NodeRegisterRequest, reply *structs.NodeUp
 	reply.NodeModifyIndex = index
 
 	// Check if we should trigger evaluations
-	if structs.ShouldDrainNode(args.Node.Status) {
+	originalStatus := structs.NodeStatusInit
+	if originalNode != nil {
+		originalStatus = originalNode.Status
+	}
+	transitionToReady := transitionedToReady(args.Node.Status, originalStatus)
+	if structs.ShouldDrainNode(args.Node.Status) || transitionToReady {
 		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(args.Node.ID, index)
 		if err != nil {
 			n.srv.logger.Printf("[ERR] nomad.client: eval creation failed: %v", err)
@@ -105,7 +120,7 @@ func (n *Node) Register(args *structs.NodeRegisterRequest, reply *structs.NodeUp
 
 	// Set the reply index
 	reply.Index = index
-	snap, err := n.srv.fsm.State().Snapshot()
+	snap, err = n.srv.fsm.State().Snapshot()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -236,9 +251,7 @@ func (n *Node) UpdateStatus(args *structs.NodeUpdateStatusRequest, reply *struct
 	}
 
 	// Check if we should trigger evaluations
-	initToReady := node.Status == structs.NodeStatusInit && args.Status == structs.NodeStatusReady
-	terminalToReady := node.Status == structs.NodeStatusDown && args.Status == structs.NodeStatusReady
-	transitionToReady := initToReady || terminalToReady
+	transitionToReady := transitionedToReady(args.Status, node.Status)
 	if structs.ShouldDrainNode(args.Status) || transitionToReady {
 		evalIDs, evalIndex, err := n.createNodeEvals(args.NodeID, index)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -271,6 +284,14 @@ func (n *Node) UpdateStatus(args *structs.NodeUpdateStatusRequest, reply *struct
 	return nil
 }
 
+// transitionedToReady is a helper that takes a nodes new and old status and
+// returns whether it has transistioned to ready.
+func transitionedToReady(newStatus, oldStatus string) bool {
+	initToReady := oldStatus == structs.NodeStatusInit && newStatus == structs.NodeStatusReady
+	terminalToReady := oldStatus == structs.NodeStatusDown && newStatus == structs.NodeStatusReady
+	return initToReady || terminalToReady
+}
+
 // UpdateDrain is used to update the drain mode of a client node
 func (n *Node) UpdateDrain(args *structs.NodeUpdateDrainRequest,
 	reply *structs.NodeDrainUpdateResponse) error {
diff --git a/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go b/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
index e796b194c4c7..e8ad81a6aa83 100644
--- a/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/nomad/node_endpoint_test.go
@@ -153,6 +153,98 @@ func TestClientEndpoint_UpdateStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestClientEndpoint_Register_GetEvals(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	codec := rpcClient(t, s1)
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	// Register a system job.
+	job := mock.SystemJob()
+	state := s1.fsm.State()
+	if err := state.UpsertJob(1, job); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Create the register request going directly to ready
+	node := mock.Node()
+	node.Status = structs.NodeStatusReady
+	reg := &structs.NodeRegisterRequest{
+		Node:         node,
+		WriteRequest: structs.WriteRequest{Region: "global"},
+	}
+
+	// Fetch the response
+	var resp structs.NodeUpdateResponse
+	if err := msgpackrpc.CallWithCodec(codec, "Node.Register", reg, &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Check for heartbeat interval
+	ttl := resp.HeartbeatTTL
+	if ttl < s1.config.MinHeartbeatTTL || ttl > 2*s1.config.MinHeartbeatTTL {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", ttl)
+	}
+
+	// Check for an eval caused by the system job.
+	if len(resp.EvalIDs) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected one eval; got %#v", resp.EvalIDs)
+	}
+
+	evalID := resp.EvalIDs[0]
+	eval, err := state.EvalByID(evalID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("could not get eval %v", evalID)
+	}
+
+	if eval.Type != "system" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected eval type; got %v; want %q", eval.Type, "system")
+	}
+
+	// Check for the node in the FSM
+	out, err := state.NodeByID(node.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+	if out == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected node")
+	}
+	if out.ModifyIndex != resp.Index {
+		t.Fatalf("index mis-match")
+	}
+
+	// Transistion it to down and then ready
+	node.Status = structs.NodeStatusDown
+	reg = &structs.NodeRegisterRequest{
+		Node:         node,
+		WriteRequest: structs.WriteRequest{Region: "global"},
+	}
+
+	// Fetch the response
+	if err := msgpackrpc.CallWithCodec(codec, "Node.Register", reg, &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(resp.EvalIDs) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected one eval; got %#v", resp.EvalIDs)
+	}
+
+	node.Status = structs.NodeStatusReady
+	reg = &structs.NodeRegisterRequest{
+		Node:         node,
+		WriteRequest: structs.WriteRequest{Region: "global"},
+	}
+
+	// Fetch the response
+	if err := msgpackrpc.CallWithCodec(codec, "Node.Register", reg, &resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(resp.EvalIDs) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected one eval; got %#v", resp.EvalIDs)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestClientEndpoint_UpdateStatus_GetEvals(t *testing.T) {
 	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
 	defer s1.Shutdown()