diff --git a/src/appdb.js b/src/appdb.js
index 0ca9057fb..5d5d648b3 100644
--- a/src/appdb.js
+++ b/src/appdb.js
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ function setHealth(appId, health, healthTime, callback) {
     assert(util.types.isDate(healthTime));
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    var values = { health, healthTime };
+    const values = { health, healthTime };
 
     updateWithConstraints(appId, values, '', callback);
 }
@@ -474,7 +474,9 @@ function setTask(appId, values, options, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    if (!options.requireNullTaskId)  return updateWithConstraints(appId, values, '', callback);
+    values.ts = new Date();
+
+    if (!options.requireNullTaskId) return updateWithConstraints(appId, values, '', callback);
 
     if (options.requiredState === null) {
         updateWithConstraints(appId, values, 'AND taskId IS NULL', callback);