diff --git a/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/AbstractTask.java b/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/AbstractTask.java
index 518fb04ab37..502c9838de2 100644
--- a/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/AbstractTask.java
+++ b/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/AbstractTask.java
@@ -111,4 +111,32 @@ public abstract class AbstractTask implements Task
   {
     return TaskStatus.success(getId());
   }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean equals(Object o)
+  {
+    if (this == o) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    AbstractTask that = (AbstractTask) o;
+
+    if (dataSource != null ? !dataSource.equals(that.dataSource) : that.dataSource != null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (groupId != null ? !groupId.equals(that.groupId) : that.groupId != null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (id != null ? !id.equals(that.id) : that.id != null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (interval != null ? !interval.equals(that.interval) : that.interval != null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/VersionConverterTask.java b/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/VersionConverterTask.java
index cebebd218cd..db5234dce5d 100644
--- a/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/VersionConverterTask.java
+++ b/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/VersionConverterTask.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package com.metamx.druid.merger.common.task;
 
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonCreator;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty;
 import com.google.common.base.Function;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
@@ -53,14 +54,37 @@ public class VersionConverterTask extends AbstractTask
   private static final Logger log = new Logger(VersionConverterTask.class);
   private final DataSegment segment;
 
-  public VersionConverterTask(
+  public static VersionConverterTask create(String dataSource, Interval interval)
+  {
+    final String id = makeId(dataSource, interval);
+    return new VersionConverterTask(id, id, dataSource, interval, null);
+  }
+
+  public static VersionConverterTask create(DataSegment segment)
+  {
+    final Interval interval = segment.getInterval();
+    final String dataSource = segment.getDataSource();
+    final String id = makeId(dataSource, interval);
+    return new VersionConverterTask(id, id, dataSource, interval, segment);
+  }
+
+  private static String makeId(String dataSource, Interval interval)
+  {
+    return joinId(TYPE, dataSource, interval.getStart(), interval.getEnd(), new DateTime());
+  }
+
+  @JsonCreator
+  private VersionConverterTask(
+      @JsonProperty("id") String id,
+      @JsonProperty("groupId") String groupId,
       @JsonProperty("dataSource") String dataSource,
       @JsonProperty("interval") Interval interval,
       @JsonProperty("segment") DataSegment segment
   )
   {
     super(
-        joinId(TYPE, dataSource, interval.getStart(), interval.getEnd(), new DateTime()),
+        id,
+        groupId,
         dataSource,
         interval
     );
@@ -74,6 +98,12 @@ public class VersionConverterTask extends AbstractTask
     return TYPE;
   }
 
+  @JsonProperty
+  public DataSegment getSegment()
+  {
+    return segment;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public TaskStatus run(TaskToolbox toolbox) throws Exception
   {
@@ -121,11 +151,31 @@ public class VersionConverterTask extends AbstractTask
     return TaskStatus.success(getId());
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public boolean equals(Object o)
+  {
+    if (this == o) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    VersionConverterTask that = (VersionConverterTask) o;
+
+    if (segment != null ? !segment.equals(that.segment) : that.segment != null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return super.equals(o);
+  }
+
   public static class SubTask extends AbstractTask
   {
     private final DataSegment segment;
 
-    protected SubTask(
+    @JsonCreator
+    public SubTask(
         @JsonProperty("groupId") String groupId,
         @JsonProperty("segment") DataSegment segment
     )
@@ -145,6 +195,12 @@ public class VersionConverterTask extends AbstractTask
       this.segment = segment;
     }
 
+    @JsonProperty
+    public DataSegment getSegment()
+    {
+      return segment;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String getType()
     {
diff --git a/merger/src/test/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/VersionConverterTaskTest.java b/merger/src/test/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/VersionConverterTaskTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8beeae6d411
--- /dev/null
+++ b/merger/src/test/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/common/task/VersionConverterTaskTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+/*
+ * Druid - a distributed column store.
+ * Copyright (C) 2012  Metamarkets Group Inc.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+package com.metamx.druid.merger.common.task;
+
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
+import com.metamx.druid.client.DataSegment;
+import com.metamx.druid.jackson.DefaultObjectMapper;
+import com.metamx.druid.shard.NoneShardSpec;
+import junit.framework.Assert;
+import org.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.joda.time.Interval;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ */
+public class VersionConverterTaskTest
+{
+  @Test
+  public void testSerializationSimple() throws Exception
+  {
+    final String dataSource = "billy";
+    final Interval interval = new Interval(new DateTime().minus(1000), new DateTime());
+
+    DefaultObjectMapper jsonMapper = new DefaultObjectMapper();
+
+    VersionConverterTask task = VersionConverterTask.create(dataSource, interval);
+
+    Task task2 = jsonMapper.readValue(jsonMapper.writerWithDefaultPrettyPrinter().writeValueAsString(task), Task.class);
+    Assert.assertEquals(task, task2);
+
+    DataSegment segment = new DataSegment(
+        dataSource,
+        interval,
+        new DateTime().toString(),
+        ImmutableMap.<String, Object>of(),
+        ImmutableList.<String>of(),
+        ImmutableList.<String>of(),
+        new NoneShardSpec(),
+        9,
+        102937
+    );
+
+    task = VersionConverterTask.create(segment);
+
+    task2 = jsonMapper.readValue(jsonMapper.writerWithDefaultPrettyPrinter().writeValueAsString(task), Task.class);
+    Assert.assertEquals(task, task2);
+  }
+}