diff --git a/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/coordinator/RemoteTaskRunner.java b/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/coordinator/RemoteTaskRunner.java
index 42e70abef08..b344700a51a 100644
--- a/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/coordinator/RemoteTaskRunner.java
+++ b/merger/src/main/java/com/metamx/druid/merger/coordinator/RemoteTaskRunner.java
@@ -405,37 +405,18 @@ public class RemoteTaskRunner implements TaskRunner
             @Override
             public void childEvent(CuratorFramework client, PathChildrenCacheEvent event) throws Exception
             {
-              log.info("Event: %s", event.getType());
-              if (event.getData() != null) {
-                log.info("Data: %s", event.getData().getPath());
-              }
               try {
                 if (event.getType().equals(PathChildrenCacheEvent.Type.CHILD_ADDED) ||
                     event.getType().equals(PathChildrenCacheEvent.Type.CHILD_UPDATED)) {
-
                   final String taskId = ZKPaths.getNodeFromPath(event.getData().getPath());
-                  final TaskStatus taskStatus;
+                  final TaskStatus taskStatus = jsonMapper.readValue(
+                      event.getData().getData(), TaskStatus.class
+                  );
 
                   // This can fail if a worker writes a bogus status. Retry if so.
-                  try {
-                    taskStatus = jsonMapper.readValue(
-                        event.getData().getData(), TaskStatus.class
-                    );
-
-                    if (!taskStatus.getId().equals(taskId)) {
-                      // Sanity check
-                      throw new ISE(
-                          "Worker[%s] status id does not match payload id: %s != %s",
-                          worker.getHost(),
-                          taskId,
-                          taskStatus.getId()
-                      );
-                    }
-                  }
-                  catch (Exception e) {
-                    log.warn(e, "Worker[%s] wrote bogus status for task: %s", worker.getHost(), taskId);
+                  if (!taskStatus.getId().equals(taskId)) {
                     retryTask(runningTasks.get(taskId), worker.getHost());
-                    throw Throwables.propagate(e);
+                    return;
                   }
 
                   log.info(
@@ -526,7 +507,10 @@ public class RemoteTaskRunner implements TaskRunner
         for (String taskId : tasksToRetry) {
           TaskRunnerWorkItem taskRunnerWorkItem = runningTasks.get(taskId);
           if (taskRunnerWorkItem != null) {
-            cf.delete().guaranteed().forPath(JOINER.join(config.getTaskPath(), worker.getHost(), taskId));
+            String taskPath = JOINER.join(config.getTaskPath(), worker.getHost(), taskId);
+            if (cf.checkExists().forPath(taskPath) != null) {
+              cf.delete().guaranteed().forPath(taskPath);
+            }
             retryTask(taskRunnerWorkItem, worker.getHost());
           } else {
             log.warn("RemoteTaskRunner has no knowledge of task %s", taskId);