diff --git a/src/routes/tasks.js b/src/routes/tasks.js
index 73b971b51..9239c7349 100644
--- a/src/routes/tasks.js
+++ b/src/routes/tasks.js
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 'use strict';
 
 exports = module.exports = {
+    load,
     get,
-    stopTask,
     list,
 
+    stopTask,
+
     getLogs,
     getLogStream
 };
@@ -16,23 +18,21 @@ const assert = require('assert'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
     tasks = require('../tasks.js');
 
-async function stopTask(req, res, next) {
+async function load(req, res, next) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof req.params.taskId, 'string');
 
-    const [error] = await safe(tasks.stopTask(req.params.taskId));
+    const [error, result] = await safe(tasks.get(req.params.taskId));
     if (error) return next(BoxError.toHttpError(error));
+    if (!result) return next(new HttpError(404, 'Task not found'));
 
-    next(new HttpSuccess(204, {}));
+    req.task = result;
+    next();
 }
 
 async function get(req, res, next) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof req.params.taskId, 'string');
 
-    const [error, task] = await safe(tasks.get(req.params.taskId));
-    if (error) return next(BoxError.toHttpError(error));
-    if (!task) return next(new HttpError(404, 'task not found'));
-
-    next(new HttpSuccess(200, tasks.removePrivateFields(task)));
+    next(new HttpSuccess(200, tasks.removePrivateFields(req.task)));
 }
 
 async function list(req, res, next) {
@@ -52,8 +52,17 @@ async function list(req, res, next) {
     next(new HttpSuccess(200, { tasks: result }));
 }
 
+async function stopTask(req, res, next) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof req.task, 'object');
+
+    const [error] = await safe(tasks.stopTask(req.task.id));
+    if (error) return next(BoxError.toHttpError(error));
+
+    next(new HttpSuccess(204, {}));
+}
+
 async function getLogs(req, res, next) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof req.params.taskId, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof req.task, 'object');
 
     const lines = 'lines' in req.query ? parseInt(req.query.lines, 10) : 10; // we ignore last-event-id
     if (isNaN(lines)) return next(new HttpError(400, 'lines must be a number'));
@@ -64,11 +73,12 @@ async function getLogs(req, res, next) {
         format: req.query.format || 'json'
     };
 
-    const logStream = tasks.getLogs(req.params.taskId, options);
+    const [error, logStream] = await safe(tasks.getLogs(req.task, options));
+    if (error) return next(BoxError.toHttpError(error));
 
     res.writeHead(200, {
         'Content-Type': 'application/x-logs',
-        'Content-Disposition': `attachment; filename="task-${req.params.taskId}.log"`,
+        'Content-Disposition': `attachment; filename="task-${req.task.id}.log"`,
         'Cache-Control': 'no-cache',
         'X-Accel-Buffering': 'no' // disable nginx buffering
     });
@@ -77,7 +87,7 @@ async function getLogs(req, res, next) {
 
 // this route is for streaming logs
 async function getLogStream(req, res, next) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof req.params.taskId, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof req.task, 'object');
 
     const lines = 'lines' in req.query ? parseInt(req.query.lines, 10) : 10; // we ignore last-event-id
     if (isNaN(lines)) return next(new HttpError(400, 'lines must be a valid number'));
@@ -92,7 +102,8 @@ async function getLogStream(req, res, next) {
         format: 'json'
     };
 
-    const logStream = tasks.getLogs(req.params.taskId, options);
+    const [error, logStream] = await safe(tasks.getLogs(req.task, options));
+    if (error) return next(BoxError.toHttpError(error));
 
     res.writeHead(200, {
         'Content-Type': 'text/event-stream',
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index 70509cf45..a0da5e54f 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -133,10 +133,10 @@ async function initializeExpressSync() {
 
     // task routes
     router.get ('/api/v1/tasks',                         token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.list);
-    router.get ('/api/v1/tasks/:taskId',                 token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.get);
-    router.get ('/api/v1/tasks/:taskId/logs',            token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.getLogs);
-    router.get ('/api/v1/tasks/:taskId/logstream',       token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.getLogStream);
-    router.post('/api/v1/tasks/:taskId/stop',      json, token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.stopTask);
+    router.get ('/api/v1/tasks/:taskId',                 token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.load, routes.tasks.get);
+    router.get ('/api/v1/tasks/:taskId/logs',            token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.load, routes.tasks.getLogs);
+    router.get ('/api/v1/tasks/:taskId/logstream',       token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.load, routes.tasks.getLogStream);
+    router.post('/api/v1/tasks/:taskId/stop',      json, token, authorizeAdmin, routes.tasks.load, routes.tasks.stopTask);
 
     // notification routes (these are server level)
     router.get ('/api/v1/notifications',                       token, authorizeAdmin, routes.notifications.list);
diff --git a/src/tasks.js b/src/tasks.js
index 51a7c8cbd..62fed762c 100644
--- a/src/tasks.js
+++ b/src/tasks.js
@@ -258,18 +258,20 @@ async function listByTypePaged(type, page, perPage) {
     return  results;
 }
 
-function getLogs(taskId, options) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof taskId, 'string');
+async function getLogs(task, options) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof task, 'object');
     assert(options && typeof options === 'object');
 
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options.lines, 'number');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options.format, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options.follow, 'boolean');
 
-    debug(`Getting logs for ${taskId}`);
+    const logFile = `${paths.TASKS_LOG_DIR}/${task.id}.log`;
 
-    const cp = logs.tail([`${paths.TASKS_LOG_DIR}/${taskId}.log`], { lines: options.lines, follow: options.follow });
-    const logStream = new logs.LogStream({ format: options.format || 'json', source: taskId });
+    if (!task.active && !safe.fs.existsSync(logFile)) throw new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, 'Log file removed/missing'); // logrotated
+
+    const cp = logs.tail([`${paths.TASKS_LOG_DIR}/${task.id}.log`], { lines: options.lines, follow: options.follow });
+    const logStream = new logs.LogStream({ format: options.format || 'json', source: task.id });
     logStream.close = cp.kill.bind(cp, 'SIGKILL'); // hook for caller. closing stream kills the child process
 
     cp.stdout.pipe(logStream);