diff --git a/spring-cloud-task-batch/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/batch/partition/DeployerPartitionHandlerTests.java b/spring-cloud-task-batch/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/batch/partition/DeployerPartitionHandlerTests.java
index 05f711d8..4dc34b17 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-task-batch/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/batch/partition/DeployerPartitionHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-task-batch/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/batch/partition/DeployerPartitionHandlerTests.java
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ public class DeployerPartitionHandlerTests {
 		validateStepExecutionResults(results);
 
 		assertTrue("Time difference was too small: " + (endTime.getTime() - startTime.getTime()),
-				endTime.getTime() - startTime.getTime() >= 20000);
+				endTime.getTime() - startTime.getTime() >= 19999);
 	}
 
 	@Test(expected = TimeoutException.class)
diff --git a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListener.java b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListener.java
index 8577223f..2051e038 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListener.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListener.java
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ public class TaskLifecycleListener implements ApplicationListener<ApplicationEve
 	public void onApplicationEvent(ApplicationEvent applicationEvent) {
 		if(applicationEvent instanceof ApplicationFailedEvent) {
 			this.applicationFailedEvent = (ApplicationFailedEvent) applicationEvent;
+			doTaskEnd();
 		}
 		else if(applicationEvent instanceof ExitCodeEvent){
 			this.exitCodeEvent = (ExitCodeEvent) applicationEvent;
diff --git a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/TaskCoreTests.java b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/TaskCoreTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b1bf141e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/TaskCoreTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+package org.springframework.cloud.task;
+
+import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Rule;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import org.springframework.boot.CommandLineRunner;
+import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.PropertyPlaceholderAutoConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.boot.builder.SpringApplicationBuilder;
+import org.springframework.boot.test.OutputCapture;
+import org.springframework.cloud.task.configuration.EnableTask;
+import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * Verifies core behavior for Tasks.
+ *
+ * @author Glenn Renfro
+ */
+public class TaskCoreTests {
+
+	private static final String TASK_NAME = "taskEventTest";
+	private static final String EXCEPTION_MESSAGE = "FOO EXCEPTION";
+	private static final String CREATE_TASK_MESSAGE = "Creating: TaskExecution{executionId=";
+	private static final String UPDATE_TASK_MESSAGE = "Updating: TaskExecution with executionId=";
+	private static final String SUCCESS_EXIT_CODE_MESSAGE = "with the following {exitCode=0";
+	private static final String EXCEPTION_EXIT_CODE_MESSAGE = "with the following {exitCode=1";
+	private static final String EXIT_MESSAGE =
+			"exitMessage='java.lang.IllegalStateException: Failed to execute CommandLineRunner";
+
+	private ConfigurableApplicationContext applicationContext;
+
+	@Rule
+	public OutputCapture outputCapture = new OutputCapture();
+
+	@After
+	public void teardown() {
+		if (applicationContext != null && applicationContext.isActive()) {
+			applicationContext.close();
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void successfulTaskTest() {
+		applicationContext = new SpringApplicationBuilder().sources(new Object[]{TaskConfiguration.class,
+				PropertyPlaceholderAutoConfiguration.class}).build().run(new String[]{
+				"--spring.cloud.task.closecontext.enable=false",
+				"--spring.cloud.task.name=" + TASK_NAME,
+				"--spring.main.web-environment=false"});
+
+		String output = this.outputCapture.toString();
+		assertTrue("Test results do not show create task message: " + output,
+				output.contains(CREATE_TASK_MESSAGE));
+		assertTrue("Test results do not show success message: " + output,
+				output.contains(UPDATE_TASK_MESSAGE));
+		assertTrue("Test results have incorrect exit code: " + output,
+				output.contains(SUCCESS_EXIT_CODE_MESSAGE));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void exceptionTaskTest() {
+		boolean exceptionFired = false;
+		try {
+			applicationContext = new SpringApplicationBuilder().sources(new Object[]{TaskExceptionConfiguration.class,
+					PropertyPlaceholderAutoConfiguration.class}).build().run(new String[]{
+					"--spring.cloud.task.closecontext.enable=false",
+					"--spring.cloud.task.name=" + TASK_NAME,
+					"--spring.main.web-environment=false"});
+		}
+		catch (IllegalStateException exception) {
+			exceptionFired = true;
+		}
+		assertTrue("An IllegalStateException should have been thrown", exceptionFired);
+
+		String output = this.outputCapture.toString();
+		assertTrue("Test results do not show create task message: " + output,
+				output.contains(CREATE_TASK_MESSAGE));
+		assertTrue("Test results do not show success message: " + output,
+				output.contains(UPDATE_TASK_MESSAGE));
+		assertTrue("Test results have incorrect exit code: " + output,
+				output.contains(EXCEPTION_EXIT_CODE_MESSAGE));
+		assertTrue("Test results have incorrect exit message: " + output,
+				output.contains(EXIT_MESSAGE));
+		assertTrue("Test results have exception message: " + output,
+				output.contains(EXCEPTION_MESSAGE));
+	}
+
+	@Configuration
+	@EnableTask
+	public static class TaskConfiguration {
+
+		@Bean
+		public CommandLineRunner commandLineRunner() {
+			return new CommandLineRunner() {
+				@Override
+				public void run(String... strings) throws Exception {
+				}
+			};
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Configuration
+	@EnableTask
+	public static class TaskExceptionConfiguration {
+
+		@Bean
+		public CommandLineRunner commandLineRunner() {
+			return new CommandLineRunner() {
+				@Override
+				public void run(String... strings) throws Exception {
+					throw new IllegalStateException(EXCEPTION_MESSAGE);
+				}
+			};
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskExecutionListenerTests.java b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskExecutionListenerTests.java
index c776643a..3ea1f7b0 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskExecutionListenerTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskExecutionListenerTests.java
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ public class TaskExecutionListenerTests {
 		RuntimeException exception = new RuntimeException(EXCEPTION_MESSAGE);
 		setupContextForTaskExecutionListener();
 		SpringApplication application = new SpringApplication();
-		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationFailedEvent(application, new String[0], context, exception));
 		DefaultTaskListenerConfiguration.TestTaskExecutionListener taskExecutionListener =
 				context.getBean(DefaultTaskListenerConfiguration.TestTaskExecutionListener.class);
+		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationFailedEvent(application, new String[0], context, exception));
 		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationReadyEvent(application, new String[0], context));
 
 		TaskExecution taskExecution = new TaskExecution(0, 1, "wombat", new Date(),
@@ -149,9 +149,9 @@ public class TaskExecutionListenerTests {
 		RuntimeException exception = new RuntimeException(EXCEPTION_MESSAGE);
 		setupContextForAnnotatedListener();
 		SpringApplication application = new SpringApplication();
-		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationFailedEvent(application, new String[0], context, exception));
 		DefaultAnnotationConfiguration.AnnotatedTaskListener annotatedListener =
 				context.getBean(DefaultAnnotationConfiguration.AnnotatedTaskListener.class);
+		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationFailedEvent(application, new String[0], context, exception));
 		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationReadyEvent(application, new String[0], context));
 
 		TaskExecution taskExecution = new TaskExecution(0, 1, "wombat", new Date(),
diff --git a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListenerTests.java b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListenerTests.java
index 13b20c34..d1648e1e 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListenerTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListenerTests.java
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ public class TaskLifecycleListenerTests {
 		context.refresh();
 		RuntimeException exception = new RuntimeException("This was expected");
 		SpringApplication application = new SpringApplication();
-		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationFailedEvent(application, new String[0], context, exception));
 		this.taskExplorer = context.getBean(TaskExplorer.class);
+		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationFailedEvent(application, new String[0], context, exception));
 		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationReadyEvent(application, new String[0], context));
 
 		verifyTaskExecution(0, true, 1, exception);
diff --git a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/resources/application.properties b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/resources/application.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..398a1dcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/resources/application.properties
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+logging.level.org.springframework.cloud.task=debug