diff --git a/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/UpdateJobProcessNotifier.java b/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/UpdateJobProcessNotifier.java
index 2bba7cfc17f..6501c5532b0 100644
--- a/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/UpdateJobProcessNotifier.java
+++ b/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/UpdateJobProcessNotifier.java
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.action.UpdateProcessAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.job.process.autodetect.UpdateParams;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.utils.VolatileCursorIterator;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingQueue;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ClientHelper.ML_ORIGIN;
@@ -81,17 +85,20 @@ public class UpdateJobProcessNotifier extends AbstractComponent implements Local
     }
 
     private void processNextUpdate() {
+        List<UpdateParams> updates = new ArrayList<>(orderedJobUpdates.size());
         try {
-            UpdateParams updateParams = orderedJobUpdates.poll();
-            if (updateParams != null) {
-                executeRemoteJob(updateParams);
-            }
+            orderedJobUpdates.drainTo(updates);
+            executeProcessUpdates(new VolatileCursorIterator<>(updates));
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            logger.error("Unable while processing next job update", e);
+            logger.error("Error while processing next job update", e);
         }
     }
 
-    void executeRemoteJob(UpdateParams update) {
+    void executeProcessUpdates(Iterator<UpdateParams> updatesIterator) {
+        if (updatesIterator.hasNext() == false) {
+            return;
+        }
+        UpdateParams update = updatesIterator.next();
         Request request = new Request(update.getJobId(), update.getModelPlotConfig(), update.getDetectorUpdates(), update.getFilter(),
                 update.isUpdateScheduledEvents());
 
@@ -104,6 +111,7 @@ public class UpdateJobProcessNotifier extends AbstractComponent implements Local
                         } else {
                             logger.error("Failed to update remote job [{}]", update.getJobId());
                         }
+                        executeProcessUpdates(updatesIterator);
                     }
 
                     @Override
@@ -116,7 +124,9 @@ public class UpdateJobProcessNotifier extends AbstractComponent implements Local
                         } else {
                             logger.error("Failed to update remote job [" + update.getJobId() + "]", e);
                         }
+                        executeProcessUpdates(updatesIterator);
                     }
                 });
     }
+
 }