diff --git a/client/allocrunnerv2/health_hook.go b/client/allocrunnerv2/health_hook.go
index 748adfdb0..43c6ef374 100644
--- a/client/allocrunnerv2/health_hook.go
+++ b/client/allocrunnerv2/health_hook.go
@@ -14,6 +14,31 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
 )
 
+// watchSema acts as a semaphore to allow one watcher at a time.
+type watchSema struct {
+	ch chan int
+}
+
+func newWatchSema() *watchSema {
+	return &watchSema{ch: make(chan int, 1)}
+}
+
+// acquire the semaphore.
+func (w *watchSema) acquire() {
+	w.ch <- 1
+}
+
+// release the semaphore.
+func (w *watchSema) release() {
+	<-w.ch
+}
+
+// wait blocks until the semaphore is free to be acquired.
+func (w *watchSema) wait() {
+	w.acquire()
+	w.release()
+}
+
 // healthMutator is able to set/clear alloc health.
 type healthSetter interface {
 	// Set health via the mutator
@@ -40,17 +65,17 @@ type allocHealthWatcherHook struct {
 	// Update and synchronous hooks.
 	hookLock sync.Mutex
 
-	// watchLock is held by the health watching/setting goroutine to ensure
-	// only one health watching goroutine is running at a time.
-	watchLock sync.Mutex
+	// watchLock is acquired by the health watching/setting goroutine to
+	// ensure only one health watching goroutine is running at a time.
+	watchLock *watchSema
 
 	// ranOnce is set once Prerun or Update have run at least once. This
 	// prevents Prerun from running if an Update has already been
 	// processed. Must hold hookLock to access.
 	ranOnce bool
 
-	// cancelFn stops the health watching/setting goroutine. Grab the
-	// watchLock to block until it exits.
+	// cancelFn stops the health watching/setting goroutine. Wait on
+	// watchLock to block until the watcher exits.
 	cancelFn context.CancelFunc
 
 	// alloc set by new func or Update. Must hold hookLock to access.
@@ -152,10 +177,8 @@ func (h *allocHealthWatcherHook) Update(req *interfaces.RunnerUpdateRequest) err
 	// Cancel the old watcher and create a new one
 	h.cancelFn()
 
-	// Acquire the watchLock to ensure the old watcher has exited before
-	// continuing. Kind of an ugly/easy-to-reuse done chan.
-	h.watchLock.Lock()
-	h.watchLock.Unlock()
+	// Wait until the watcher exits
+	h.watchLock.wait()
 
 	// Deployment has changed, reset status
 	if req.Alloc.DeploymentID != h.alloc.DeploymentID {
@@ -175,10 +198,8 @@ func (h *allocHealthWatcherHook) Destroy() error {
 	h.cancelFn()
 	h.listener.Close()
 
-	// Acquire the watchLock to ensure any existing watcher has exited
-	// before exiting.  Kind of an ugly/easy-to-reuse done chan.
-	h.watchLock.Lock()
-	h.watchLock.Unlock()
+	// Wait until the watcher exits
+	h.watchLock.wait()
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -187,8 +208,8 @@ func (h *allocHealthWatcherHook) Destroy() error {
 // the context is canceled. watchHealth will be canceled and restarted on
 // Updates so calls are serialized with a lock.
 func (h *allocHealthWatcherHook) watchHealth(ctx context.Context, tracker *allochealth.Tracker) {
-	h.watchLock.Lock()
-	defer h.watchLock.Unlock()
+	h.watchLock.acquire()
+	defer h.watchLock.release()
 
 	select {
 	case <-ctx.Done():