diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index f9d15767c1cc..56df71f619ae 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -958,14 +958,34 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) run() {
 				}
 
 			case se := <-r.signalCh:
-				r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: task being signalled with %v: %s", se.s, se.e.TaskSignalReason)
+				r.runningLock.Lock()
+				running := r.running
+				r.runningLock.Unlock()
+				common := fmt.Sprintf("signal %v to task %v for alloc %q", se.s, r.task.Name, r.alloc.ID)
+				if !running {
+					// Send no error
+					r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: skipping %s", common)
+					se.result <- nil
+					continue
+				}
+
+				r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: sending %s", common)
 				r.setState(structs.TaskStateRunning, se.e)
 
 				res := r.handle.Signal(se.s)
 				se.result <- res
 
 			case event := <-r.restartCh:
-				r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: task being restarted: %s", event.RestartReason)
+				r.runningLock.Lock()
+				running := r.running
+				r.runningLock.Unlock()
+				common := fmt.Sprintf("task %v for alloc %q", r.task.Name, r.alloc.ID)
+				if !running {
+					r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: skipping restart of %v: task isn't running", common)
+					continue
+				}
+
+				r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: restarting %s: %v", common, event.RestartReason)
 				r.setState(structs.TaskStateRunning, event)
 				r.killTask(nil)
 
@@ -1365,23 +1385,9 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) handleDestroy() (destroyed bool, err error) {
 
 // Restart will restart the task
 func (r *TaskRunner) Restart(source, reason string) {
-
 	reasonStr := fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", source, reason)
 	event := structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskRestartSignal).SetRestartReason(reasonStr)
 
-	r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: restarting task %v for alloc %q: %v",
-		r.task.Name, r.alloc.ID, reasonStr)
-
-	r.runningLock.Lock()
-	running := r.running
-	r.runningLock.Unlock()
-
-	// Drop the restart event
-	if !running {
-		r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: skipping restart since task isn't running")
-		return
-	}
-
 	select {
 	case r.restartCh <- event:
 	case <-r.waitCh:
@@ -1394,24 +1400,13 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) Signal(source, reason string, s os.Signal) error {
 	reasonStr := fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", source, reason)
 	event := structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskSignaling).SetTaskSignal(s).SetTaskSignalReason(reasonStr)
 
-	r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: sending signal %v to task %v for alloc %q", s, r.task.Name, r.alloc.ID)
-
-	r.runningLock.Lock()
-	running := r.running
-	r.runningLock.Unlock()
-
-	// Drop the restart event
-	if !running {
-		r.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] client: skipping signal since task isn't running")
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	resCh := make(chan error)
 	se := SignalEvent{
 		s:      s,
 		e:      event,
 		result: resCh,
 	}
+
 	select {
 	case r.signalCh <- se:
 	case <-r.waitCh:
diff --git a/client/task_runner_test.go b/client/task_runner_test.go
index 2282f3921559..8d2dab2bd41d 100644
--- a/client/task_runner_test.go
+++ b/client/task_runner_test.go
@@ -316,10 +316,10 @@ func TestTaskRunner_Update(t *testing.T) {
 			return false, fmt.Errorf("Task not copied")
 		}
 		if ctx.tr.restartTracker.policy.Mode != newMode {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("restart policy not ctx.upd.ted")
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("restart policy not ctx.updated")
 		}
 		if ctx.tr.handle.ID() == oldHandle {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("handle not ctx.upd.ted")
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("handle not ctx.updated")
 		}
 		return true, nil
 	}, func(err error) {
@@ -645,6 +645,66 @@ func TestTaskRunner_RestartTask(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// This test is just to make sure we are resilient to failures when a restart or
+// signal is triggered and the task is not running.
+func TestTaskRunner_RestartSignalTask_NotRunning(t *testing.T) {
+	alloc := mock.Alloc()
+	task := alloc.Job.TaskGroups[0].Tasks[0]
+	task.Driver = "mock_driver"
+	task.Config = map[string]interface{}{
+		"exit_code": "0",
+		"run_for":   "100s",
+	}
+
+	// Use vault to block the start
+	task.Vault = &structs.Vault{Policies: []string{"default"}}
+
+	ctx := testTaskRunnerFromAlloc(t, true, alloc)
+	ctx.tr.MarkReceived()
+	defer ctx.Cleanup()
+
+	// Control when we get a Vault token
+	token := "1234"
+	waitCh := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(waitCh)
+	handler := func(*structs.Allocation, []string) (map[string]string, error) {
+		<-waitCh
+		return map[string]string{task.Name: token}, nil
+	}
+	ctx.tr.vaultClient.(*vaultclient.MockVaultClient).DeriveTokenFn = handler
+	go ctx.tr.Run()
+
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.tr.WaitCh():
+		t.Fatalf("premature exit")
+	case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+	}
+
+	// Send a signal and restart
+	if err := ctx.tr.Signal("test", "don't panic", syscall.SIGCHLD); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Signalling errored: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Send a restart
+	ctx.tr.Restart("test", "don't panic")
+
+	if len(ctx.upd.events) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("should have 2 ctx.updates: %#v", ctx.upd.events)
+	}
+
+	if ctx.upd.state != structs.TaskStatePending {
+		t.Fatalf("TaskState %v; want %v", ctx.upd.state, structs.TaskStatePending)
+	}
+
+	if ctx.upd.events[0].Type != structs.TaskReceived {
+		t.Fatalf("First Event was %v; want %v", ctx.upd.events[0].Type, structs.TaskReceived)
+	}
+
+	if ctx.upd.events[1].Type != structs.TaskSetup {
+		t.Fatalf("Second Event was %v; want %v", ctx.upd.events[1].Type, structs.TaskSetup)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTaskRunner_KillTask(t *testing.T) {
 	alloc := mock.Alloc()
 	task := alloc.Job.TaskGroups[0].Tasks[0]
@@ -1148,7 +1208,7 @@ func TestTaskRunner_Template_NewVaultToken(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		if originalManager == ctx.tr.templateManager {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("Template manager not ctx.upd.ted")
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("Template manager not ctx.updated")
 		}
 
 		return true, nil