diff --git a/src/appdb.js b/src/appdb.js
index e122c5f5e..89a724d9d 100644
--- a/src/appdb.js
+++ b/src/appdb.js
@@ -238,8 +238,8 @@ function add(id, appStoreId, manifest, location, domain, portBindings, data, cal
     const accessRestriction = data.accessRestriction || null;
     const accessRestrictionJson = JSON.stringify(accessRestriction);
     const memoryLimit = data.memoryLimit || 0;
-    const installationState = data.installationState || 'pending_install'; // FIXME
-    const runState = data.runState || 'running'; // FIXME
+    const installationState = data.installationState;
+    const runState = data.runState;
     const sso = 'sso' in data ? data.sso : null;
     const robotsTxt = 'robotsTxt' in data ? data.robotsTxt : null;
     const debugModeJson = data.debugMode ? JSON.stringify(data.debugMode) : null;
@@ -454,15 +454,16 @@ function setHealth(appId, health, healthTime, callback) {
     updateWithConstraints(appId, values, '', callback);
 }
 
-function setTask(appId, values, callback) {
+function setTask(appId, values, requiredState, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof appId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof values, 'object');
+    assert(requiredState === null || typeof requiredState === 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    if (values.installationState === 'pending_uninstall') { // FIXME
+    if (requiredState === null) {
         updateWithConstraints(appId, values, 'AND taskId IS NULL', callback);
     } else {
-        updateWithConstraints(appId, values, 'AND taskId IS NULL AND installationState != "error"', callback);
+        updateWithConstraints(appId, values, `AND taskId IS NULL AND installationState = "${requiredState}"`, callback);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/apps.js b/src/apps.js
index f56f69719..1f7bfb137 100644
--- a/src/apps.js
+++ b/src/apps.js
@@ -629,13 +629,13 @@ function scheduleTask(appId, installationState, task, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     const { args, values } = task;
+    // by default, a task can only run on installed state. if it's null, it can be run on any state
+    const requiredState = 'requiredState' in task ? task.requiredState : exports.ISTATE_INSTALLED;
 
     tasks.add(tasks.TASK_APP, [ appId, args ], function (error, taskId) {
         if (error) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-        values.error = null;
-
-        appdb.setTask(appId, _.extend({ installationState, taskId }, values), function (error) {
+        appdb.setTask(appId, _.extend({ installationState, taskId, error: null }, values), requiredState, function (error) {
             if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.ALREADY_EXISTS) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.ALREADY_EXISTS, error.message));
             if (error && error.reason === DatabaseError.NOT_FOUND) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.BAD_STATE, 'Another task is scheduled for this app')); // could be because app went away OR a taskId exists
             if (error) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ function scheduleTask(appId, installationState, task, callback) {
                     boxError.details.stopped = error.code === tasks.ESTOPPED;
                     boxError.details.task = { args, installationState }; // see also apptask makeTaskError
                     appdb.update(appId, { installationState: exports.ISTATE_ERROR, error: boxError.toPlainObject(), taskId: null }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
-                } else if (installationState !== exports.ISTATE_PENDING_UNINSTALL) { // clear out taskId since it's done
+                } else if (!(installationState === exports.ISTATE_PENDING_UNINSTALL && !error)) { // clear out taskId except for successful uninstall
                     appdb.update(appId, { taskId: null }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
                 }
             });
@@ -786,7 +786,8 @@ function install(data, user, auditSource, callback) {
                 env: env,
                 label: label,
                 tags: tags,
-                runState: exports.RSTATE_RUNNING
+                runState: exports.RSTATE_RUNNING,
+                installationState: exports.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL
             };
 
             appdb.add(appId, appStoreId, manifest, location, domain, translatePortBindings(portBindings, manifest), data, function (error) {
@@ -806,7 +807,8 @@ function install(data, user, auditSource, callback) {
                     const restoreConfig = backupId ? { backupId: backupId, backupFormat: backupFormat } : null;
                     const task = {
                         args: { restoreConfig, overwriteDns },
-                        values: { }
+                        values: { },
+                        requiredState: exports.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL
                     };
 
                     scheduleTask(appId, exports.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL, task, function (error, result) {
@@ -1384,7 +1386,7 @@ function repair(appId, data, auditSource, callback) {
         args.restoreConfig = data.backupId ? { backupId: data.backupId, backupFormat: data.backupFormat, oldManifest: app.manifest } : null; // when null, apptask simply reinstalls
         args.overwriteDns = 'overwriteDns' in data ? data.overwriteDns : false;
 
-        scheduleTask(appId, newState, { args, values }, function (error, result) {
+        scheduleTask(appId, newState, { args, values, requiredState: exports.ISTATE_ERROR }, function (error, result) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
 
             eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_APP_REPAIR, auditSource, { taskId: result.taskId, app, newState });
@@ -1525,6 +1527,7 @@ function clone(appId, data, user, auditSource, callback) {
 
                 var data = {
                     installationState: exports.ISTATE_PENDING_CLONE,
+                    runState: exports.RSTATE_RUNNING,
                     memoryLimit: app.memoryLimit,
                     accessRestriction: app.accessRestriction,
                     sso: !!app.sso,
@@ -1544,7 +1547,8 @@ function clone(appId, data, user, auditSource, callback) {
                         const restoreConfig = { backupId: backupId, backupFormat: backupInfo.format };
                         const task = {
                             args: { restoreConfig, overwriteDns },
-                            values: {}
+                            values: {},
+                            requiredState: exports.ISTATE_PENDING_CLONE
                         };
                         scheduleTask(newAppId, exports.ISTATE_PENDING_CLONE, task, function (error, result) {
                             if (error) return callback(error);
@@ -1583,7 +1587,8 @@ function uninstall(appId, auditSource, callback) {
 
             const task = {
                 args: {},
-                values: {}
+                values: {},
+                requiredState: null // can run in any state, as long as no task is active
             };
             scheduleTask(appId, exports.ISTATE_PENDING_UNINSTALL, task, function (error, result) {
                 if (error) return callback(error);