diff --git a/src/appdb.js b/src/appdb.js
index 89a724d9d..7ebcc683a 100644
--- a/src/appdb.js
+++ b/src/appdb.js
@@ -454,16 +454,18 @@ function setHealth(appId, health, healthTime, callback) {
     updateWithConstraints(appId, values, '', callback);
 }
 
-function setTask(appId, values, requiredState, callback) {
+function setTask(appId, values, options, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof appId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof values, 'object');
-    assert(requiredState === null || typeof requiredState === 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof options, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    if (requiredState === null) {
+    if (!options.requireNullTaskId)  return updateWithConstraints(appId, values, '', callback);
+
+    if (options.requiredState === null) {
         updateWithConstraints(appId, values, 'AND taskId IS NULL', callback);
     } else {
-        updateWithConstraints(appId, values, `AND taskId IS NULL AND installationState = "${requiredState}"`, callback);
+        updateWithConstraints(appId, values, `AND taskId IS NULL AND installationState = "${options.requiredState}"`, callback);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/apps.js b/src/apps.js
index ab65bc4fe..ccdc40189 100644
--- a/src/apps.js
+++ b/src/apps.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 
     restoreInstalledApps: restoreInstalledApps,
     configureInstalledApps: configureInstalledApps,
-    resumeTasks: resumeTasks,
+    schedulePendingTasks: schedulePendingTasks,
 
     getDataDir: getDataDir,
     getIconPath: getIconPath,
@@ -655,16 +655,18 @@ function addTask(appId, installationState, task, callback) {
     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;
+    const scheduleNow = 'scheduleNow' in task ? task.scheduleNow : true;
+    const requireNullTaskId = 'requireNullTaskId' in task ? task.requireNullTaskId : true;
 
     tasks.add(tasks.TASK_APP, [ appId, args ], function (error, taskId) {
         if (error) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
-        appdb.setTask(appId, _.extend({ installationState, taskId, error: null }, values), requiredState, function (error) {
+        appdb.setTask(appId, _.extend({ installationState, taskId, error: null }, values), { requiredState, requireNullTaskId }, 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));
 
-            scheduleTask(appId, installationState, taskId, NOOP_CALLBACK);
+            if (scheduleNow) scheduleTask(appId, installationState, taskId, NOOP_CALLBACK);
 
             callback(null, { taskId });
         });
@@ -1843,21 +1845,25 @@ function restoreInstalledApps(callback) {
     getAll(function (error, apps) {
         if (error) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
         apps = apps.filter(app => app.installationState !== exports.ISTATE_ERROR); // remove errored apps. let them be 'repaired' by hand
+        apps = apps.filter(app => app.installationState !== exports.ISTATE_PENDING_RESTORE); // safeguard against tasks being created non-stop if we crash on startup
 
-        async.map(apps, function (app, iteratorDone) {
+        async.eachSeries(apps, function (app, iteratorDone) {
             backups.getByAppIdPaged(1, 1, app.id, function (error, results) {
                 const restoreConfig = !error && results.length ? { backupId: results[0].id, backupFormat: results[0].format, oldManifest: app.manifest } : null;
+                const task = {
+                    args: { restoreConfig, overwriteDns: true },
+                    values: {},
+                    scheduleNow: false, // task will be scheduled by autoRestartTasks when platform is ready
+                    requireNullTaskId: false // ignore existing stale taskId
+                };
 
-                debug(`marking ${app.fqdn} for restore using restore config ${JSON.stringify(restoreConfig)}`);
+                debug(`restoreInstalledApps: marking ${app.fqdn} for restore using restore config ${JSON.stringify(restoreConfig)}`);
 
-                appdb.update(app.id, { taskId: null, error: null }, function (error) { // clear any stale taskId
-                    if (error) debug(`Error marking ${app.fqdn} for restore: ${JSON.stringify(error)}`);
+                addTask(app.id, exports.ISTATE_PENDING_RESTORE, task, function (error, result) {
+                    if (error) debug(`restoreInstalledApps: error marking ${app.fqdn} for restore: ${JSON.stringify(error)}`);
+                    else debug(`restoreInstalledApps: marked ${app.id} for restore with taskId ${result.taskId}`);
 
-                    const task = {
-                        args: { restoreConfig, overwriteDns: true },
-                        values: {}
-                    };
-                    addTask(app.id, exports.ISTATE_PENDING_RESTORE, task, () => iteratorDone()); // always succeed
+                    iteratorDone(); // ignore error
                 });
             });
         }, callback);
@@ -1870,31 +1876,34 @@ function configureInstalledApps(callback) {
     getAll(function (error, apps) {
         if (error) return callback(new AppsError(AppsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
         apps = apps.filter(app => app.installationState !== exports.ISTATE_ERROR); // remove errored apps. let them be 'repaired' by hand
+        apps = apps.filter(app => app.installationState !== exports.ISTATE_PENDING_CONFIGURE); // safeguard against tasks being created non-stop if we crash on startup
 
-        async.map(apps, function (app, iteratorDone) {
-            debug(`marking ${app.fqdn} for reconfigure`);
+        async.eachSeries(apps, function (app, iteratorDone) {
+            debug(`configureInstalledApps: marking ${app.fqdn} for reconfigure`);
 
-            appdb.update(app.id, { taskId: null, error: null }, function (error) { // clear any stale taskId
-                if (error) debug(`Error marking ${app.fqdn} for reconfigure: ${JSON.stringify(error)}`);
+            const oldConfig = _.pick(app, 'location', 'domain', 'fqdn', 'alternateDomains', 'portBindings');
+            const task = {
+                args: { oldConfig },
+                values: {},
+                scheduleNow: false, // task will be scheduled by autoRestartTasks when platform is ready
+                requireNullTaskId: false // ignore existing stale taskId
+            };
 
-                const oldConfig = _.pick(app, 'location', 'domain', 'fqdn', 'alternateDomains', 'portBindings');
-                const task = {
-                    args: { oldConfig },
-                    values: {}
-                };
-                addTask(app.id, exports.ISTATE_PENDING_CONFIGURE, task,  () => iteratorDone()); // always succeed
+            addTask(app.id, exports.ISTATE_PENDING_CONFIGURE, task,  function (error, result) {
+                if (error) debug(`configureInstalledApps: error marking ${app.fqdn} for configure: ${JSON.stringify(error)}`);
+                else debug(`configureInstalledApps: marked ${app.id} for re-configure with taskId ${result.taskId}`);
+
+                iteratorDone(); // ignore error
             });
         }, callback);
     });
 }
 
-// resume app tasks when platform is ready or after a crash
-function resumeTasks(callback) {
+// auto-restart app tasks after a crash
+function schedulePendingTasks(callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    debug('resuming tasks');
-
-    appTaskManager.initializeSync();
+    debug('schedulePendingTasks: scheduling app tasks');
 
     getAll(function (error, result) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
@@ -1902,7 +1911,7 @@ function resumeTasks(callback) {
         result.forEach(function (app) {
             if (!app.taskId) return; // if not in any pending state, do nothing
 
-            debug(`resumeTask: schedule task for ${app.fqdn} ${app.id}: state=${app.installationState},taskId=${app.taskId}`);
+            debug(`schedulePendingTasks: schedule task for ${app.fqdn} ${app.id}: state=${app.installationState},taskId=${app.taskId}`);
 
             scheduleTask(app.id, app.installationState, app.taskId, NOOP_CALLBACK);
         });
diff --git a/src/apptaskmanager.js b/src/apptaskmanager.js
index 587e292bb..ed2d507cd 100644
--- a/src/apptaskmanager.js
+++ b/src/apptaskmanager.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 exports = module.exports = {
-    initializeSync: initializeSync,
     scheduleTask: scheduleTask
 };
 
@@ -16,6 +15,7 @@ let assert = require('assert'),
 
 let gActiveTasks = { }; // indexed by app id
 let gPendingTasks = [ ];
+let gInitialized = false;
 
 const TASK_CONCURRENCY = 3;
 const NOOP_CALLBACK = function (error) { if (error) debug(error); };
@@ -28,12 +28,19 @@ function waitText(lockOperation) {
     return ''; // cannot happen
 }
 
+function initializeSync() {
+    gInitialized = true;
+    locker.on('unlocked', startNextTask);
+}
+
 // callback is called when task is finished
 function scheduleTask(appId, taskId, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof appId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof taskId, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
+    if (!gInitialized) initializeSync();
+
     if (appId in gActiveTasks) {
         return callback(new Error(`Task for %s is already active: ${appId}`));
     }
@@ -77,6 +84,3 @@ function startNextTask() {
     scheduleTask(t.appId, t.taskId, t.callback);
 }
 
-function initializeSync() {
-    locker.on('unlocked', startNextTask);
-}
diff --git a/src/platform.js b/src/platform.js
index 1b9293fdf..84876e5e1 100644
--- a/src/platform.js
+++ b/src/platform.js
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ function stop(callback) {
 function onPlatformReady() {
     debug('onPlatformReady: platform is ready');
     exports._isReady = true;
-    apps.resumeTasks(NOOP_CALLBACK);
+
+    apps.schedulePendingTasks(NOOP_CALLBACK);
 
     applyPlatformConfig(NOOP_CALLBACK);
     pruneInfraImages(NOOP_CALLBACK);
diff --git a/src/routes/test/backups-test.js b/src/routes/test/backups-test.js
index 3dd9fee42..8e34aefa0 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/backups-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/backups-test.js
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ function setup(done) {
 
         function addApp(callback) {
             var manifest = { version: '0.0.1', manifestVersion: 1, dockerImage: 'foo', healthCheckPath: '/', httpPort: 3, title: 'ok', addons: { } };
-            appdb.add('appid', 'appStoreId', manifest, 'location', DOMAIN_0.domain, [ ] /* portBindings */, { }, callback);
+            appdb.add('appid', 'appStoreId', manifest, 'location', DOMAIN_0.domain, [ ] /* portBindings */, { installationState: 'installed', runState: 'running' }, callback);
         },
 
         function createSettings(callback) {
diff --git a/src/routes/test/oauth2-test.js b/src/routes/test/oauth2-test.js
index 44451d85b..2424d37c2 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/oauth2-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/oauth2-test.js
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ describe('OAuth2', function () {
             domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
             portBindings: {},
             accessRestriction: null,
-            memoryLimit: 0
+            memoryLimit: 0,
+            installationState: 'pending_install',
+            runState: 'running'
         };
 
         var APP_1 = {
@@ -77,7 +79,9 @@ describe('OAuth2', function () {
             domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
             portBindings: {},
             accessRestriction: { users: [ 'foobar' ] },
-            memoryLimit: 0
+            memoryLimit: 0,
+            installationState: 'pending_install',
+            runState: 'running'
         };
 
         var APP_2 = {
@@ -88,7 +92,9 @@ describe('OAuth2', function () {
             domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
             portBindings: {},
             accessRestriction: { users: [ USER_0.id ] },
-            memoryLimit: 0
+            memoryLimit: 0,
+            installationState: 'pending_install',
+            runState: 'running'
         };
 
         var APP_3 = {
@@ -99,7 +105,9 @@ describe('OAuth2', function () {
             domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
             portBindings: {},
             accessRestriction: { groups: [ 'someothergroup', 'admin', 'anothergroup' ] },
-            memoryLimit: 0
+            memoryLimit: 0,
+            installationState: 'pending_install',
+            runState: 'running'
         };
 
         // unknown app
diff --git a/src/test/apps-test.js b/src/test/apps-test.js
index c89916415..392acf0da 100644
--- a/src/test/apps-test.js
+++ b/src/test/apps-test.js
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ describe('Apps', function () {
         env: {
             'CUSTOM_KEY': 'CUSTOM_VALUE'
         },
-        dataDir: ''
+        dataDir: '',
+        installationState: 'installed',
+        runState: 'running'
     };
 
     var APP_1 = {
@@ -135,7 +137,9 @@ describe('Apps', function () {
         accessRestriction: { users: [ 'someuser' ], groups: [ GROUP_0.id ] },
         memoryLimit: 0,
         env: {},
-        dataDir: ''
+        dataDir: '',
+        installationState: 'installed',
+        runState: 'running'
     };
 
     var APP_2 = {
@@ -154,7 +158,9 @@ describe('Apps', function () {
         robotsTxt: null,
         sso: false,
         env: {},
-        dataDir: ''
+        dataDir: '',
+        installationState: 'installed',
+        runState: 'running'
     };
 
     before(function (done) {
@@ -396,7 +402,7 @@ describe('Apps', function () {
             ], done);
         });
 
-        it('can mark apps for reconfigure', function (done) {
+        it('can mark apps for restore', function (done) {
             apps.restoreInstalledApps(function (error) {
                 expect(error).to.be(null);
 
diff --git a/src/test/apptask-test.js b/src/test/apptask-test.js
index 899f5d70a..1fcf191df 100644
--- a/src/test/apptask-test.js
+++ b/src/test/apptask-test.js
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ var APP = {
     id: 'appid',
     appStoreId: 'appStoreId',
     installationState: apps.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
-    runState: null,
+    runState: 'running',
     location: 'applocation',
     domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
     fqdn: DOMAIN_0.domain + '.' + 'applocation',
diff --git a/src/test/updatechecker-test.js b/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
index a4f1b7831..fc75959fe 100644
--- a/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
+++ b/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - manual (email)', function () {
         appStoreId: 'io.cloudron.app',
         installationState: apps.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
         error: null,
-        runState: null,
+        runState: 'running',
         location: 'some-location-0',
         domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
         manifest: {
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - automatic (no email)', function () {
         appStoreId: 'io.cloudron.app',
         installationState: apps.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
         error: null,
-        runState: null,
+        runState: 'running',
         location: 'some-location-0',
         domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
         manifest: {
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - automatic free (email)', function () {
         appStoreId: 'io.cloudron.app',
         installationState: apps.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
         error: null,
-        runState: null,
+        runState: 'running',
         location: 'some-location-0',
         domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
         manifest: {