diff --git a/src/tasks.js b/src/tasks.js
index 1506f4d0a..10e5502ac 100644
--- a/src/tasks.js
+++ b/src/tasks.js
@@ -59,9 +59,13 @@ function postProcess(result) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof result, 'object');
 
     result.active = !!gTasks[result.id];
+
     // we rely on 'percent' to determine success. maybe this can become a db field
     result.success = result.percent === 100 && !result.error;
 
+    // we rely on 'percent' to determine pending. maybe this can become a db field
+    result.pending = result.percent === 1;
+
     // the error in db will be empty if we didn't get a chance to handle task exit
     if (!result.active && result.percent !== 100 && !result.error) {
         result.error = { message: 'Cloudron crashed/stopped', code: exports.ECRASHED };
@@ -127,7 +131,7 @@ function add(type, args, callback) {
     assert(Array.isArray(args));
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    taskdb.add({ type: type, percent: 1, message: 'Queued', args: args }, function (error, taskId) {
+    taskdb.add({ type: type, percent: 0, message: 'Queued', args: args }, function (error, taskId) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
 
         callback(null, taskId);
@@ -273,6 +277,6 @@ function getLogs(taskId, options, callback) {
 
 // removes all fields that are strictly private and should never be returned by API calls
 function removePrivateFields(task) {
-    var result = _.pick(task, 'id', 'type', 'percent', 'message', 'error', 'active', 'creationTime', 'result', 'ts', 'success');
+    var result = _.pick(task, 'id', 'type', 'percent', 'message', 'error', 'active', 'pending', 'creationTime', 'result', 'ts', 'success');
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/src/taskworker.js b/src/taskworker.js
index 3c298822e..fbff783c9 100755
--- a/src/taskworker.js
+++ b/src/taskworker.js
@@ -72,24 +72,32 @@ async.series([
     tasks.get(taskId, function (error, task) {
         if (error) return process.exit(50);
 
-        const progressCallback = (progress, cb) => tasks.update(taskId, progress, cb || NOOP_CALLBACK);
-        const resultCallback = (error, result) => {
-            // Error object has properties with enumerable: false (https://mattcbaker.com/posts/stringify-javascript-error/)
-            const progress = {
-                result: result || null,
-                error: error ? JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(error, Object.getOwnPropertyNames(error))) : null
+        tasks.update(taskId, { percent: 2, error: null }, function (error) {
+            if (error) {
+                console.error(error);
+                return process.exit(50);
+            }
+
+            const progressCallback = (progress, cb) => tasks.update(taskId, progress, cb || NOOP_CALLBACK);
+            const resultCallback = (error, result) => {
+                // Error object has properties with enumerable: false (https://mattcbaker.com/posts/stringify-javascript-error/)
+                const progress = {
+                    result: result || null,
+                    error: error ? JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(error, Object.getOwnPropertyNames(error))) : null
+                };
+
+                debug(`Task took ${(new Date() - startTime)/1000} seconds`);
+
+                tasks.setCompleted(taskId, progress, () => process.exit(error ? 50 : 0));
             };
 
-            debug(`Task took ${(new Date() - startTime)/1000} seconds`);
+            try {
+                TASKS[task.type].apply(null, task.args.concat(progressCallback).concat(resultCallback));
+            } catch (error) {
+                debug('Uncaught exception in task', error);
+                process.exit(1); // do not call setCompleted() intentionally. the task code must be resilient enough to handle it
+            }
+        });
 
-            tasks.setCompleted(taskId, progress, () => process.exit(error ? 50 : 0));
-        };
-
-        try {
-            TASKS[task.type].apply(null, task.args.concat(progressCallback).concat(resultCallback));
-        } catch (error) {
-            debug('Uncaught exception in task', error);
-            process.exit(1); // do not call setCompleted() intentionally. the task code must be resilient enough to handle it
-        }
     });
 });