diff --git a/client/allocrunner/taskrunner/logmon_hook.go b/client/allocrunner/taskrunner/logmon_hook.go
index 7c68aa0f7b69..1f58d7e33644 100644
--- a/client/allocrunner/taskrunner/logmon_hook.go
+++ b/client/allocrunner/taskrunner/logmon_hook.go
@@ -95,22 +95,29 @@ func reattachConfigFromHookData(data map[string]string) (*plugin.ReattachConfig,
 func (h *logmonHook) Prestart(ctx context.Context,
 	req *interfaces.TaskPrestartRequest, resp *interfaces.TaskPrestartResponse) error {
 
-	// Create a logmon client by reattaching or launching a new instance
-	if h.logmonPluginClient == nil || h.logmonPluginClient.Exited() {
+	// Attempt to reattach to logmon
+	if h.logmonPluginClient == nil {
 		reattachConfig, err := reattachConfigFromHookData(req.PreviousState)
 		if err != nil {
 			h.logger.Error("failed to load reattach config", "error", err)
 			return err
 		}
+		if reattachConfig != nil {
+			if err := h.launchLogMon(reattachConfig); err != nil {
+				h.logger.Warn("failed to reattach to logmon process", "error", err)
+			}
+		}
+
+	}
 
-		// Launch or reattach logmon instance for the task.
-		if err := h.launchLogMon(reattachConfig); err != nil {
-			// Retry errors launching logmon as logmon may have crashed and
+	// We did not reattach to a plugin and one is still not running.
+	if h.logmonPluginClient == nil || h.logmonPluginClient.Exited() {
+		if err := h.launchLogMon(nil); err != nil {
+			// Retry errors launching logmon as logmon may have crashed on start and
 			// subsequent attempts will start a new one.
 			h.logger.Error("failed to launch logmon process", "error", err)
 			return structs.NewRecoverableError(err, true)
 		}
-
 	}
 
 	err := h.logmon.Start(&logmon.LogConfig{
diff --git a/client/allocrunner/taskrunner/logmon_hook_unix_test.go b/client/allocrunner/taskrunner/logmon_hook_unix_test.go
index 0dac426376fd..582692a27bde 100644
--- a/client/allocrunner/taskrunner/logmon_hook_unix_test.go
+++ b/client/allocrunner/taskrunner/logmon_hook_unix_test.go
@@ -14,14 +14,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/client/allocrunner/interfaces"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/helper/testlog"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/mock"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/testutil"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 // TestTaskRunner_LogmonHook_StartCrashStop simulates logmon crashing while the
 // Nomad client is restarting and asserts failing to reattach to logmon causes
-// a recoverable error (task restart).
+// nomad to spawn a new logmon.
 func TestTaskRunner_LogmonHook_StartCrashStop(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -46,6 +45,7 @@ func TestTaskRunner_LogmonHook_StartCrashStop(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, hook.Prestart(context.Background(), &req, &resp))
 	defer hook.Stop(context.Background(), nil, nil)
 
+	origState := resp.State
 	origHookData := resp.State[logmonReattachKey]
 	require.NotEmpty(t, origHookData)
 
@@ -80,9 +80,8 @@ func TestTaskRunner_LogmonHook_StartCrashStop(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	resp = interfaces.TaskPrestartResponse{}
 	err = hook.Prestart(context.Background(), &req, &resp)
-	require.Error(t, err)
-	require.True(t, structs.IsRecoverable(err))
-	require.Empty(t, resp.State)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotEqual(t, origState, resp.State)
 
 	// Running stop should shutdown logmon
 	require.NoError(t, hook.Stop(context.Background(), nil, nil))