diff --git a/client/alloc_runner.go b/client/alloc_runner.go
index e2705a341793..00d76746422e 100644
--- a/client/alloc_runner.go
+++ b/client/alloc_runner.go
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ type AllocRunner struct {
 	destroyCh   chan struct{}
 	destroyLock sync.Mutex
 	waitCh      chan struct{}
+
+	// serialize saveAllocRunnerState calls
+	persistLock sync.Mutex
 }
 
 // allocRunnerState is used to snapshot the state of the alloc runner
@@ -74,7 +77,6 @@ type allocRunnerState struct {
 	Alloc                  *structs.Allocation
 	AllocClientStatus      string
 	AllocClientDescription string
-	TaskStates             map[string]*structs.TaskState
 	Context                *driver.ExecContext
 }
 
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) RestoreState() error {
 	r.ctx = snap.Context
 	r.allocClientStatus = snap.AllocClientStatus
 	r.allocClientDescription = snap.AllocClientDescription
-	r.taskStates = snap.TaskStates
+	r.taskStates = snap.Alloc.TaskStates
 
 	var snapshotErrors multierror.Error
 	if r.alloc == nil {
@@ -179,12 +181,12 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) SaveState() error {
 }
 
 func (r *AllocRunner) saveAllocRunnerState() error {
-	// Create the snapshot.
-	r.taskStatusLock.RLock()
-	states := copyTaskStates(r.taskStates)
-	r.taskStatusLock.RUnlock()
+	r.persistLock.Lock()
+	defer r.persistLock.Unlock()
 
+	// Create the snapshot.
 	alloc := r.Alloc()
+
 	r.allocLock.Lock()
 	allocClientStatus := r.allocClientStatus
 	allocClientDescription := r.allocClientDescription
@@ -200,7 +202,6 @@ func (r *AllocRunner) saveAllocRunnerState() error {
 		Context:                ctx,
 		AllocClientStatus:      allocClientStatus,
 		AllocClientDescription: allocClientDescription,
-		TaskStates:             states,
 	}
 	return persistState(r.stateFilePath(), &snap)
 }
diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index 208f2ab25cd1..b68fbeb65c6c 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ type TaskRunner struct {
 	destroyLock  sync.Mutex
 	destroyEvent *structs.TaskEvent
 	waitCh       chan struct{}
+
+	// serialize SaveState calls
+	persistLock sync.Mutex
 }
 
 // taskRunnerState is used to snapshot the state of the task runner
@@ -186,6 +189,9 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) RestoreState() error {
 
 // SaveState is used to snapshot our state
 func (r *TaskRunner) SaveState() error {
+	r.persistLock.Lock()
+	defer r.persistLock.Unlock()
+
 	snap := taskRunnerState{
 		Task:               r.task,
 		Version:            r.config.Version,
diff --git a/client/util.go b/client/util.go
index 369b5f059613..ff2fa3d2559b 100644
--- a/client/util.go
+++ b/client/util.go
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ func persistState(path string, data interface{}) error {
 	if err := os.Rename(tmpPath, path); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to rename tmp to path: %v", err)
 	}
+
+	// Sanity check since users have reported empty state files on disk
+	if stat, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to stat state file %s: %v", path, err)
+	} else if stat.Size() == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("persisted invalid state file %s; see https://github.com/hashicorp/nomad/issues/1367")
+	}
 	return nil
 }