diff --git a/ui/app/components/task-log.js b/ui/app/components/task-log.js
index 277023859068..2cc8617e4363 100644
--- a/ui/app/components/task-log.js
+++ b/ui/app/components/task-log.js
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ import { inject as service } from '@ember/service';
 import Component from '@ember/component';
 import { computed } from '@ember/object';
 import { run } from '@ember/runloop';
+import RSVP from 'rsvp';
 import { task } from 'ember-concurrency';
 import { logger } from 'nomad-ui/utils/classes/log';
 import WindowResizable from 'nomad-ui/mixins/window-resizable';
+import timeout from 'nomad-ui/utils/timeout';
 
 export default Component.extend(WindowResizable, {
   token: service(),
@@ -14,6 +16,15 @@ export default Component.extend(WindowResizable, {
   allocation: null,
   task: null,
 
+  // When true, request logs from the server agent
+  useServer: false,
+
+  // When true, logs cannot be fetched from either the client or the server
+  noConnection: false,
+
+  clientTimeout: 1000,
+  serverTimeout: 5000,
+
   didReceiveAttrs() {
     if (this.get('allocation') && this.get('task')) {
       this.send('toggleStream');
@@ -37,11 +48,12 @@ export default Component.extend(WindowResizable, {
 
   mode: 'stdout',
 
-  logUrl: computed('allocation.id', 'allocation.node.httpAddr', function() {
+  logUrl: computed('allocation.id', 'allocation.node.httpAddr', 'useServer', function() {
     const address = this.get('allocation.node.httpAddr');
     const allocation = this.get('allocation.id');
 
-    return `//${address}/v1/client/fs/logs/${allocation}`;
+    const url = `/v1/client/fs/logs/${allocation}`;
+    return this.get('useServer') ? url : `//${address}${url}`;
   }),
 
   logParams: computed('task', 'mode', function() {
@@ -51,9 +63,23 @@ export default Component.extend(WindowResizable, {
     };
   }),
 
-  logger: logger('logUrl', 'logParams', function() {
-    const token = this.get('token');
-    return token.authorizedRequest.bind(token);
+  logger: logger('logUrl', 'logParams', function logFetch() {
+    // If the log request can't settle in one second, the client
+    // must be unavailable and the server should be used instead
+    const timing = this.get('useServer') ? this.get('serverTimeout') : this.get('clientTimeout');
+    return url =>
+      RSVP.race([this.get('token').authorizedRequest(url), timeout(timing)]).then(
+        response => response,
+        error => {
+          if (this.get('useServer')) {
+            this.set('noConnection', true);
+          } else {
+            this.send('failoverToServer');
+            this.get('stream').perform();
+          }
+          throw error;
+        }
+      );
   }),
 
   head: task(function*() {
@@ -100,5 +126,8 @@ export default Component.extend(WindowResizable, {
         this.get('stream').perform();
       }
     },
+    failoverToServer() {
+      this.set('useServer', true);
+    },
   },
 });
diff --git a/ui/app/models/allocation.js b/ui/app/models/allocation.js
index 617c1d3f7442..fe6cd2d62816 100644
--- a/ui/app/models/allocation.js
+++ b/ui/app/models/allocation.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import attr from 'ember-data/attr';
 import { belongsTo } from 'ember-data/relationships';
 import { fragment, fragmentArray } from 'ember-data-model-fragments/attributes';
 import PromiseObject from '../utils/classes/promise-object';
-import timeout from '../utils/timeout';
 import shortUUIDProperty from '../utils/properties/short-uuid';
 
 const STATUS_ORDER = {
@@ -92,14 +91,11 @@ export default Model.extend({
       });
     }
 
-    const url = `//${this.get('node.httpAddr')}/v1/client/allocation/${this.get('id')}/stats`;
+    const url = `/v1/client/allocation/${this.get('id')}/stats`;
     return PromiseObject.create({
-      promise: RSVP.Promise.race([
-        this.get('token')
-          .authorizedRequest(url)
-          .then(res => res.json()),
-        timeout(2000),
-      ]),
+      promise: this.get('token')
+        .authorizedRequest(url)
+        .then(res => res.json()),
     });
   }),
 
diff --git a/ui/app/templates/components/task-log.hbs b/ui/app/templates/components/task-log.hbs
index ce0d0ae9c870..6c3991a359c2 100644
--- a/ui/app/templates/components/task-log.hbs
+++ b/ui/app/templates/components/task-log.hbs
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+{{#if noConnection}}
+  <div data-test-connection-error class="notification is-error">
+    <h3 class="title is-4">Cannot fetch logs</h3>
+    <p>The logs for this task are inaccessible. Check the condition of the node the allocation is on.</p>
+  </div>
+{{/if}}
 <div class="boxed-section-head">
   <span>
     <button data-test-log-action="stdout" class="button {{if (eq mode "stdout") "is-info"}}" {{action "setMode" "stdout"}}>stdout</button>
diff --git a/ui/app/utils/classes/log.js b/ui/app/utils/classes/log.js
index 5e873182a97d..7791aef49a03 100644
--- a/ui/app/utils/classes/log.js
+++ b/ui/app/utils/classes/log.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import Ember from 'ember';
 import { alias } from '@ember/object/computed';
 import { assert } from '@ember/debug';
 import Evented from '@ember/object/evented';
@@ -10,6 +11,8 @@ import PollLogger from 'nomad-ui/utils/classes/poll-logger';
 
 const MAX_OUTPUT_LENGTH = 50000;
 
+export const fetchFailure = url => () => Ember.Logger.warn(`LOG FETCH: Couldn't connect to ${url}`);
+
 const Log = EmberObject.extend(Evented, {
   // Parameters
 
@@ -74,9 +77,9 @@ const Log = EmberObject.extend(Evented, {
     const url = `${this.get('url')}?${queryParams}`;
 
     this.stop();
-    let text = yield logFetch(url).then(res => res.text());
+    let text = yield logFetch(url).then(res => res.text(), fetchFailure(url));
 
-    if (text.length > MAX_OUTPUT_LENGTH) {
+    if (text && text.length > MAX_OUTPUT_LENGTH) {
       text = text.substr(0, MAX_OUTPUT_LENGTH);
       text += '\n\n---------- TRUNCATED: Click "tail" to view the bottom of the log ----------';
     }
@@ -96,7 +99,7 @@ const Log = EmberObject.extend(Evented, {
     const url = `${this.get('url')}?${queryParams}`;
 
     this.stop();
-    let text = yield logFetch(url).then(res => res.text());
+    let text = yield logFetch(url).then(res => res.text(), fetchFailure(url));
 
     this.set('tail', text);
     this.set('logPointer', 'tail');
diff --git a/ui/app/utils/classes/poll-logger.js b/ui/app/utils/classes/poll-logger.js
index e6c7078a7786..4bc73b14d64b 100644
--- a/ui/app/utils/classes/poll-logger.js
+++ b/ui/app/utils/classes/poll-logger.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import EmberObject from '@ember/object';
 import { task, timeout } from 'ember-concurrency';
 import AbstractLogger from './abstract-logger';
+import { fetchFailure } from './log';
 
 export default EmberObject.extend(AbstractLogger, {
   interval: 1000,
@@ -18,7 +19,14 @@ export default EmberObject.extend(AbstractLogger, {
   poll: task(function*() {
     const { interval, logFetch } = this.getProperties('interval', 'logFetch');
     while (true) {
-      let text = yield logFetch(this.get('fullUrl')).then(res => res.text());
+      const url = this.get('fullUrl');
+      let response = yield logFetch(url).then(res => res, fetchFailure(url));
+
+      if (!response) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      let text = yield response.text();
 
       if (text) {
         const lines = text.replace(/\}\{/g, '}\n{').split('\n');
diff --git a/ui/app/utils/classes/stream-logger.js b/ui/app/utils/classes/stream-logger.js
index ee1018734cb4..da4acc751dac 100644
--- a/ui/app/utils/classes/stream-logger.js
+++ b/ui/app/utils/classes/stream-logger.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import EmberObject, { computed } from '@ember/object';
 import { task } from 'ember-concurrency';
 import TextDecoder from 'nomad-ui/utils/classes/text-decoder';
 import AbstractLogger from './abstract-logger';
+import { fetchFailure } from './log';
 
 export default EmberObject.extend(AbstractLogger, {
   reader: null,
@@ -30,7 +31,11 @@ export default EmberObject.extend(AbstractLogger, {
     let buffer = '';
 
     const decoder = new TextDecoder();
-    const reader = yield logFetch(url).then(res => res.body.getReader());
+    const reader = yield logFetch(url).then(res => res.body.getReader(), fetchFailure(url));
+
+    if (!reader) {
+      return;
+    }
 
     this.set('reader', reader);
 
diff --git a/ui/mirage/config.js b/ui/mirage/config.js
index c17c7d3e5096..b760fb673084 100644
--- a/ui/mirage/config.js
+++ b/ui/mirage/config.js
@@ -178,37 +178,42 @@ export default function() {
     return new Response(403, {}, null);
   });
 
+  const clientAllocationStatsHandler = function({ clientAllocationStats }, { params }) {
+    return this.serialize(clientAllocationStats.find(params.id));
+  };
+
+  const clientAllocationLog = function(server, { params, queryParams }) {
+    const allocation = server.allocations.find(params.allocation_id);
+    const tasks = allocation.taskStateIds.map(id => server.taskStates.find(id));
+
+    if (!tasks.mapBy('name').includes(queryParams.task)) {
+      return new Response(400, {}, 'must include task name');
+    }
+
+    if (queryParams.plain) {
+      return logFrames.join('');
+    }
+
+    return logEncode(logFrames, logFrames.length - 1);
+  };
+
+  // Client requests are available on the server and the client
+  this.get('/client/allocation/:id/stats', clientAllocationStatsHandler);
+  this.get('/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id', clientAllocationLog);
+
+  this.get('/client/v1/client/stats', function({ clientStats }, { queryParams }) {
+    return this.serialize(clientStats.find(queryParams.node_id));
+  });
+
   // TODO: in the future, this hack may be replaceable with dynamic host name
   // support in pretender: https://github.com/pretenderjs/pretender/issues/210
   HOSTS.forEach(host => {
-    this.get(`http://${host}/v1/client/allocation/:id/stats`, function(
-      { clientAllocationStats },
-      { params }
-    ) {
-      return this.serialize(clientAllocationStats.find(params.id));
-    });
+    this.get(`http://${host}/v1/client/allocation/:id/stats`, clientAllocationStatsHandler);
+    this.get(`http://${host}/v1/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id`, clientAllocationLog);
 
     this.get(`http://${host}/v1/client/stats`, function({ clientStats }) {
       return this.serialize(clientStats.find(host));
     });
-
-    this.get(`http://${host}/v1/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id`, function(
-      server,
-      { params, queryParams }
-    ) {
-      const allocation = server.allocations.find(params.allocation_id);
-      const tasks = allocation.taskStateIds.map(id => server.taskStates.find(id));
-
-      if (!tasks.mapBy('name').includes(queryParams.task)) {
-        return new Response(400, {}, 'must include task name');
-      }
-
-      if (queryParams.plain) {
-        return logFrames.join('');
-      }
-
-      return logEncode(logFrames, logFrames.length - 1);
-    });
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/tests/acceptance/task-group-detail-test.js b/ui/tests/acceptance/task-group-detail-test.js
index c9665b96617b..d6b2935730cc 100644
--- a/ui/tests/acceptance/task-group-detail-test.js
+++ b/ui/tests/acceptance/task-group-detail-test.js
@@ -101,9 +101,7 @@ test('/jobs/:id/:task-group first breadcrumb should link to jobs', function(asse
   });
 });
 
-test('/jobs/:id/:task-group second breadcrumb should link to the job for the task group', function(
-  assert
-) {
+test('/jobs/:id/:task-group second breadcrumb should link to the job for the task group', function(assert) {
   click(`[data-test-breadcrumb="${job.name}"]`);
   andThen(() => {
     assert.equal(
@@ -114,9 +112,7 @@ test('/jobs/:id/:task-group second breadcrumb should link to the job for the tas
   });
 });
 
-test('/jobs/:id/:task-group should list one page of allocations for the task group', function(
-  assert
-) {
+test('/jobs/:id/:task-group should list one page of allocations for the task group', function(assert) {
   const pageSize = 10;
 
   server.createList('allocation', 10, {
@@ -185,9 +181,7 @@ test('each allocation should show basic information about the allocation', funct
   });
 });
 
-test('each allocation should show stats about the allocation, retrieved directly from the node', function(
-  assert
-) {
+test('each allocation should show stats about the allocation', function(assert) {
   const allocation = allocations.sortBy('name')[0];
   const allocationRow = find('[data-test-allocation]');
   const allocStats = server.db.clientAllocationStats.find(allocation.id);
@@ -219,14 +213,6 @@ test('each allocation should show stats about the allocation, retrieved directly
     `${formatBytes([allocStats.resourceUsage.MemoryStats.RSS])} / ${memoryUsed} MiB`,
     'Detailed memory information is in a tooltip'
   );
-
-  const node = server.db.nodes.find(allocation.nodeId);
-  const nodeStatsUrl = `//${node.httpAddr}/v1/client/allocation/${allocation.id}/stats`;
-
-  assert.ok(
-    server.pretender.handledRequests.some(req => req.url === nodeStatsUrl),
-    `Requests ${nodeStatsUrl}`
-  );
 });
 
 test('when the allocation search has no matches, there is an empty message', function(assert) {
diff --git a/ui/tests/integration/task-log-test.js b/ui/tests/integration/task-log-test.js
index 62f849ae6b0c..f6a7416fdca0 100644
--- a/ui/tests/integration/task-log-test.js
+++ b/ui/tests/integration/task-log-test.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import Pretender from 'pretender';
 import { logEncode } from '../../mirage/data/logs';
 
 const HOST = '1.1.1.1:1111';
+const allowedConnectionTime = 100;
 const commonProps = {
   interval: 50,
   allocation: {
@@ -16,6 +17,8 @@ const commonProps = {
     },
   },
   task: 'task-name',
+  clientTimeout: allowedConnectionTime,
+  serverTimeout: allowedConnectionTime,
 };
 
 const logHead = ['HEAD'];
@@ -26,30 +29,33 @@ let streamPointer = 0;
 moduleForComponent('task-log', 'Integration | Component | task log', {
   integration: true,
   beforeEach() {
+    const handler = ({ queryParams }) => {
+      const { origin, offset, plain, follow } = queryParams;
+
+      let frames;
+      let data;
+
+      if (origin === 'start' && offset === '0' && plain && !follow) {
+        frames = logHead;
+      } else if (origin === 'end' && plain && !follow) {
+        frames = logTail;
+      } else {
+        frames = streamFrames;
+      }
+
+      if (frames === streamFrames) {
+        data = queryParams.plain ? frames[streamPointer] : logEncode(frames, streamPointer);
+        streamPointer++;
+      } else {
+        data = queryParams.plain ? frames.join('') : logEncode(frames, frames.length - 1);
+      }
+
+      return [200, {}, data];
+    };
+
     this.server = new Pretender(function() {
-      this.get(`http://${HOST}/v1/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id`, ({ queryParams }) => {
-        const { origin, offset, plain, follow } = queryParams;
-
-        let frames;
-        let data;
-
-        if (origin === 'start' && offset === '0' && plain && !follow) {
-          frames = logHead;
-        } else if (origin === 'end' && plain && !follow) {
-          frames = logTail;
-        } else {
-          frames = streamFrames;
-        }
-
-        if (frames === streamFrames) {
-          data = queryParams.plain ? frames[streamPointer] : logEncode(frames, streamPointer);
-          streamPointer++;
-        } else {
-          data = queryParams.plain ? frames.join('') : logEncode(frames, frames.length - 1);
-        }
-
-        return [200, {}, data];
-      });
+      this.get(`http://${HOST}/v1/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id`, handler);
+      this.get('/v1/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id', handler);
     });
   },
   afterEach() {
@@ -174,3 +180,76 @@ test('Clicking stderr switches the log to standard error', function(assert) {
     );
   });
 });
+
+test('When the client is inaccessible, task-log falls back to requesting logs through the server', function(assert) {
+  run.later(run, run.cancelTimers, allowedConnectionTime * 2);
+
+  // override client response to timeout
+  this.server.get(
+    `http://${HOST}/v1/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id`,
+    () => [400, {}, ''],
+    allowedConnectionTime * 2
+  );
+
+  this.setProperties(commonProps);
+  this.render(
+    hbs`{{task-log
+      allocation=allocation
+      task=task
+      clientTimeout=clientTimeout
+      serverTimeout=serverTimeout}}`
+  );
+
+  const clientUrlRegex = new RegExp(`${HOST}/v1/client/fs/logs/${commonProps.allocation.id}`);
+  assert.ok(
+    this.server.handledRequests.filter(req => clientUrlRegex.test(req.url)).length,
+    'Log request was initially made directly to the client'
+  );
+
+  return wait().then(() => {
+    const serverUrl = `/v1/client/fs/logs/${commonProps.allocation.id}`;
+    assert.ok(
+      this.server.handledRequests.filter(req => req.url.startsWith(serverUrl)).length,
+      'Log request was later made to the server'
+    );
+  });
+});
+
+test('When both the client and the server are inaccessible, an error message is shown', function(assert) {
+  run.later(run, run.cancelTimers, allowedConnectionTime * 5);
+
+  // override client and server responses to timeout
+  this.server.get(
+    `http://${HOST}/v1/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id`,
+    () => [400, {}, ''],
+    allowedConnectionTime * 2
+  );
+  this.server.get(
+    '/v1/client/fs/logs/:allocation_id',
+    () => [400, {}, ''],
+    allowedConnectionTime * 2
+  );
+
+  this.setProperties(commonProps);
+  this.render(
+    hbs`{{task-log
+      allocation=allocation
+      task=task
+      clientTimeout=clientTimeout
+      serverTimeout=serverTimeout}}`
+  );
+
+  return wait().then(() => {
+    const clientUrlRegex = new RegExp(`${HOST}/v1/client/fs/logs/${commonProps.allocation.id}`);
+    assert.ok(
+      this.server.handledRequests.filter(req => clientUrlRegex.test(req.url)).length,
+      'Log request was initially made directly to the client'
+    );
+    const serverUrl = `/v1/client/fs/logs/${commonProps.allocation.id}`;
+    assert.ok(
+      this.server.handledRequests.filter(req => req.url.startsWith(serverUrl)).length,
+      'Log request was later made to the server'
+    );
+    assert.ok(find('[data-test-connection-error]'), 'An error message is shown');
+  });
+});