diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/tasks/TransportPendingClusterTasksAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/tasks/TransportPendingClusterTasksAction.java
index 29b18db8500..105d596bad8 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/tasks/TransportPendingClusterTasksAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/tasks/TransportPendingClusterTasksAction.java
@@ -27,11 +27,14 @@ import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.block.ClusterBlockException;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.block.ClusterBlockLevel;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.IndexNameExpressionResolver;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.PendingClusterTask;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportService;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  */
 public class TransportPendingClusterTasksAction extends TransportMasterNodeReadAction<PendingClusterTasksRequest, PendingClusterTasksResponse> {
@@ -63,6 +66,9 @@ public class TransportPendingClusterTasksAction extends TransportMasterNodeReadA
 
     @Override
     protected void masterOperation(PendingClusterTasksRequest request, ClusterState state, ActionListener<PendingClusterTasksResponse> listener) {
-        listener.onResponse(new PendingClusterTasksResponse(clusterService.pendingTasks()));
+        logger.trace("fetching pending tasks from cluster service");
+        final List<PendingClusterTask> pendingTasks = clusterService.pendingTasks();
+        logger.trace("done fetching pending tasks from cluster service");
+        listener.onResponse(new PendingClusterTasksResponse(pendingTasks));
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterServiceIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterServiceIT.java
index cc3cae8606b..f5c99fd5f7e 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterServiceIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterServiceIT.java
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ public class ClusterServiceIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         assertThat(processedLatch.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS), equalTo(true));
     }
 
+    @TestLogging("_root:debug,action.admin.cluster.tasks:trace")
     public void testPendingUpdateTask() throws Exception {
         Settings settings = settingsBuilder()
                 .put("discovery.type", "local")