diff --git a/command/alloc_logs.go b/command/alloc_logs.go
index a5feba45ba3c..96b5bb89cad8 100644
--- a/command/alloc_logs.go
+++ b/command/alloc_logs.go
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ Logs Specific Options:
   -verbose
     Show full information.
 
+  -task <task-name>
+    Sets the task to view the logs.
+
   -job <job-id>
     Use a random allocation from the specified job ID.
 
@@ -76,6 +79,7 @@ func (c *AllocLogsCommand) AutocompleteFlags() complete.Flags {
 		complete.Flags{
 			"-stderr":  complete.PredictNothing,
 			"-verbose": complete.PredictNothing,
+			"-task":    complete.PredictAnything,
 			"-job":     complete.PredictAnything,
 			"-f":       complete.PredictNothing,
 			"-tail":    complete.PredictAnything,
@@ -104,6 +108,7 @@ func (l *AllocLogsCommand) Name() string { return "alloc logs" }
 func (l *AllocLogsCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	var verbose, job, tail, stderr, follow bool
 	var numLines, numBytes int64
+	var task string
 
 	flags := l.Meta.FlagSet(l.Name(), FlagSetClient)
 	flags.Usage = func() { l.Ui.Output(l.Help()) }
@@ -114,6 +119,7 @@ func (l *AllocLogsCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	flags.BoolVar(&stderr, "stderr", false, "")
 	flags.Int64Var(&numLines, "n", -1, "")
 	flags.Int64Var(&numBytes, "c", -1, "")
+	flags.StringVar(&task, "task", "", "")
 
 	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return 1
@@ -186,22 +192,25 @@ func (l *AllocLogsCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	var task string
-	if len(args) >= 2 {
-		task = args[1]
-		if task == "" {
-			l.Ui.Error("Task name required")
-			return 1
-		}
-
+	// If -task isn't provided fallback to reading the task name
+	// from args.
+	if task != "" {
+		err = validateTaskExistsInAllocation(task, alloc)
 	} else {
-		task, err = lookupAllocTask(alloc)
-
-		if err != nil {
-			l.Ui.Error(err.Error())
-			return 1
+		if len(args) >= 2 {
+			task = args[1]
+			if task == "" {
+				l.Ui.Error("Task name required")
+				return 1
+			}
+		} else {
+			task, err = lookupAllocTask(alloc)
 		}
 	}
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to validate task: %s", err))
+		return 1
+	}
 
 	logType := "stdout"
 	if stderr {