diff --git a/client/alloc_runner.go b/client/alloc_runner.go
index d81fca216..584a031e1 100644
--- a/client/alloc_runner.go
+++ b/client/alloc_runner.go
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ OUTER:
 						break FOUND
 					}
 				}
-				tr.Update(task)
+				tr.Update(update)
 			}
 			r.taskLock.RUnlock()
 
diff --git a/client/driver/docker.go b/client/driver/docker.go
index 631babdfd..ba2d49407 100644
--- a/client/driver/docker.go
+++ b/client/driver/docker.go
@@ -614,6 +614,9 @@ func (h *DockerHandle) WaitCh() chan *cstructs.WaitResult {
 }
 
 func (h *DockerHandle) Update(task *structs.Task) error {
+	// Store the updated kill timeout.
+	h.killTimeout = task.KillTimeout
+
 	// Update is not possible
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/client/driver/driver.go b/client/driver/driver.go
index 5fd1238b3..f92b84fad 100644
--- a/client/driver/driver.go
+++ b/client/driver/driver.go
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ type DriverHandle interface {
 	// WaitCh is used to return a channel used wait for task completion
 	WaitCh() chan *cstructs.WaitResult
 
-	// Update is used to update the task if possible
+	// Update is used to update the task if possible and update task related
+	// configurations.
 	Update(task *structs.Task) error
 
 	// Kill is used to stop the task
diff --git a/client/driver/exec.go b/client/driver/exec.go
index efa846619..fb24f021f 100644
--- a/client/driver/exec.go
+++ b/client/driver/exec.go
@@ -173,6 +173,9 @@ func (h *execHandle) WaitCh() chan *cstructs.WaitResult {
 }
 
 func (h *execHandle) Update(task *structs.Task) error {
+	// Store the updated kill timeout.
+	h.killTimeout = task.KillTimeout
+
 	// Update is not possible
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/client/driver/java.go b/client/driver/java.go
index 2a7cb5a30..3cb32679c 100644
--- a/client/driver/java.go
+++ b/client/driver/java.go
@@ -221,6 +221,9 @@ func (h *javaHandle) WaitCh() chan *cstructs.WaitResult {
 }
 
 func (h *javaHandle) Update(task *structs.Task) error {
+	// Store the updated kill timeout.
+	h.killTimeout = task.KillTimeout
+
 	// Update is not possible
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/client/driver/qemu.go b/client/driver/qemu.go
index 76cd5aa42..df36b4cd3 100644
--- a/client/driver/qemu.go
+++ b/client/driver/qemu.go
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ func (h *qemuHandle) WaitCh() chan *cstructs.WaitResult {
 }
 
 func (h *qemuHandle) Update(task *structs.Task) error {
+	// Store the updated kill timeout.
+	h.killTimeout = task.KillTimeout
+
 	// Update is not possible
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/client/driver/raw_exec.go b/client/driver/raw_exec.go
index 376d0b626..5c870e80f 100644
--- a/client/driver/raw_exec.go
+++ b/client/driver/raw_exec.go
@@ -170,6 +170,9 @@ func (h *rawExecHandle) WaitCh() chan *cstructs.WaitResult {
 }
 
 func (h *rawExecHandle) Update(task *structs.Task) error {
+	// Store the updated kill timeout.
+	h.killTimeout = task.KillTimeout
+
 	// Update is not possible
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/client/driver/rkt.go b/client/driver/rkt.go
index 764e17fb1..2b0f6218a 100644
--- a/client/driver/rkt.go
+++ b/client/driver/rkt.go
@@ -278,6 +278,9 @@ func (h *rktHandle) WaitCh() chan *cstructs.WaitResult {
 }
 
 func (h *rktHandle) Update(task *structs.Task) error {
+	// Store the updated kill timeout.
+	h.killTimeout = task.KillTimeout
+
 	// Update is not possible
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/client/restarts.go b/client/restarts.go
index a7ac78f34..8e6af3bf4 100644
--- a/client/restarts.go
+++ b/client/restarts.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package client
 
 import (
 	"math/rand"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
@@ -29,9 +30,22 @@ type RestartTracker struct {
 	startTime time.Time // When the interval began
 	policy    *structs.RestartPolicy
 	rand      *rand.Rand
+	lock      sync.Mutex
 }
 
+// SetPolicy updates the policy used to determine restarts.
+func (r *RestartTracker) SetPolicy(policy *structs.RestartPolicy) {
+	r.lock.Lock()
+	defer r.lock.Unlock()
+	r.policy = policy
+}
+
+// NextRestart takes the exit code from the last attempt and returns whether the
+// task should be restarted and the duration to wait.
 func (r *RestartTracker) NextRestart(exitCode int) (bool, time.Duration) {
+	r.lock.Lock()
+	defer r.lock.Unlock()
+
 	// Hot path if no attempts are expected
 	if r.policy.Attempts == 0 {
 		return false, 0
diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index aa185c51e..3d2b5c7c2 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ type TaskRunner struct {
 	consulService  *ConsulService
 
 	task     *structs.Task
-	updateCh chan *structs.Task
+	updateCh chan *structs.Allocation
 	handle   driver.DriverHandle
 
 	destroy     bool
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func NewTaskRunner(logger *log.Logger, config *config.Config,
 		ctx:            ctx,
 		alloc:          alloc,
 		task:           task,
-		updateCh:       make(chan *structs.Task, 8),
+		updateCh:       make(chan *structs.Allocation, 8),
 		destroyCh:      make(chan struct{}),
 		waitCh:         make(chan struct{}),
 	}
@@ -239,10 +239,8 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) run() {
 			case waitRes = <-r.handle.WaitCh():
 				break OUTER
 			case update := <-r.updateCh:
-				// Update
-				r.task = update
-				if err := r.handle.Update(update); err != nil {
-					r.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: failed to update task '%s' for alloc '%s': %v", r.task.Name, r.alloc.ID, err)
+				if err := r.handleUpdate(update); err != nil {
+					r.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: update to task %q failed: %v", r.task.Name, err)
 				}
 			case <-r.destroyCh:
 				// Avoid destroying twice
@@ -311,6 +309,49 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) run() {
 	return
 }
 
+// handleUpdate takes an updated allocation and updates internal state to
+// reflect the new config for the task.
+func (r *TaskRunner) handleUpdate(update *structs.Allocation) error {
+	// Extract the task group from the alloc.
+	tg := update.Job.LookupTaskGroup(update.TaskGroup)
+	if tg == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("alloc '%s' missing task group '%s'", update.ID, update.TaskGroup)
+	}
+
+	// Extract the task.
+	var task *structs.Task
+	for _, t := range tg.Tasks {
+		if t.Name == r.task.Name {
+			task = t
+		}
+	}
+	if task == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("task group %q doesn't contain task %q", tg.Name, r.task.Name)
+	}
+	r.task = task
+
+	// Update will update resources and store the new kill timeout.
+	if r.handle != nil {
+		if err := r.handle.Update(task); err != nil {
+			r.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: failed to update task '%s' for alloc '%s': %v", r.task.Name, r.alloc.ID, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Update the restart policy.
+	if r.restartTracker != nil {
+		r.restartTracker.SetPolicy(tg.RestartPolicy)
+	}
+
+	/* TODO
+	// Re-register the task to consul and store the updated alloc.
+	r.consulService.Deregister(r.task, r.alloc)
+	r.alloc = update
+	r.consulService.Register(r.task, r.alloc)
+	*/
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Helper function for converting a WaitResult into a TaskTerminated event.
 func (r *TaskRunner) waitErrorToEvent(res *cstructs.WaitResult) *structs.TaskEvent {
 	return structs.NewTaskEvent(structs.TaskTerminated).
@@ -320,12 +361,12 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) waitErrorToEvent(res *cstructs.WaitResult) *structs.TaskEve
 }
 
 // Update is used to update the task of the context
-func (r *TaskRunner) Update(update *structs.Task) {
+func (r *TaskRunner) Update(update *structs.Allocation) {
 	select {
 	case r.updateCh <- update:
 	default:
 		r.logger.Printf("[ERR] client: dropping task update '%s' (alloc '%s')",
-			update.Name, r.alloc.ID)
+			r.task.Name, r.alloc.ID)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/client/task_runner_test.go b/client/task_runner_test.go
index 3b0bc3086..9b009e035 100644
--- a/client/task_runner_test.go
+++ b/client/task_runner_test.go
@@ -137,14 +137,34 @@ func TestTaskRunner_Update(t *testing.T) {
 	defer tr.ctx.AllocDir.Destroy()
 
 	// Update the task definition
-	newTask := new(structs.Task)
-	*newTask = *tr.task
+	updateAlloc := tr.alloc.Copy()
+
+	// Update the restart policy
+	newTG := updateAlloc.Job.TaskGroups[0]
+	newMode := "foo"
+	newTG.RestartPolicy.Mode = newMode
+
+	newTask := updateAlloc.Job.TaskGroups[0].Tasks[0]
 	newTask.Driver = "foobar"
-	tr.Update(newTask)
+
+	// Update the kill timeout
+	oldHandle := tr.handle.ID()
+	newTask.KillTimeout = time.Hour
+
+	tr.Update(updateAlloc)
 
 	// Wait for update to take place
 	testutil.WaitForResult(func() (bool, error) {
-		return tr.task == newTask, nil
+		if tr.task != newTask {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("task not updated")
+		}
+		if tr.restartTracker.policy.Mode != newMode {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("restart policy not updated")
+		}
+		if tr.handle.ID() == oldHandle {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("handle not updated")
+		}
+		return true, nil
 	}, func(err error) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	})