diff --git a/magic-scheduler/src/main/java/place/sita/magicscheduler/scheduler/TaskStateRepository.java b/magic-scheduler/src/main/java/place/sita/magicscheduler/scheduler/TaskStateRepository.java
index 25be7c1..d2fe45d 100644
--- a/magic-scheduler/src/main/java/place/sita/magicscheduler/scheduler/TaskStateRepository.java
+++ b/magic-scheduler/src/main/java/place/sita/magicscheduler/scheduler/TaskStateRepository.java
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package place.sita.magicscheduler.scheduler;
 
 import org.jooq.DSLContext;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Repository;
 import place.sita.labelle.core.persistence.ex.UnexpectedDatabaseReplyException;
 import place.sita.labelle.jooq.enums.TaskExecutionResult;
@@ -16,6 +18,8 @@
 @Repository
 public class TaskStateRepository {
 
+    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(TaskStateRepository.class);
+
     private final DSLContext dslContext;
 
     public TaskStateRepository(DSLContext dslContext) {
@@ -33,6 +37,18 @@ public void assignState(UUID id, TaskStatus status) {
             .where(TASK.ID.eq(id))
             .execute();
         if (u != 1) {
+            boolean exists = dslContext
+                .fetchExists(TASK, TASK.ID.eq(id));
+            if (exists) {
+                TaskStatus currentStatus = dslContext
+                    .select(TASK.STATUS)
+                    .from(TASK)
+                    .where(TASK.ID.eq(id))
+                    .fetchOne(TASK.STATUS);
+                log.error("Failed to update task status for task {} with status {} to status {}", id, currentStatus, status);
+            } else {
+                log.error("Failed to update task status for task {} to status {} - it does not exist", id, status);
+            }
             throw new UnexpectedDatabaseReplyException();
         }
     }
diff --git a/magic-scheduler/src/main/java/place/sita/magicscheduler/scheduler/environment/SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment.java b/magic-scheduler/src/main/java/place/sita/magicscheduler/scheduler/environment/SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment.java
index aea4f72..dfe7de8 100644
--- a/magic-scheduler/src/main/java/place/sita/magicscheduler/scheduler/environment/SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment.java
+++ b/magic-scheduler/src/main/java/place/sita/magicscheduler/scheduler/environment/SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package place.sita.magicscheduler.scheduler.environment;
 
+import org.jooq.DSLContext;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@
 import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.UUID;
 
+import static place.sita.labelle.jooq.Tables.TASK;
+
 @Component
 public class SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment {
     private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment.class);
@@ -24,6 +27,7 @@ public class SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment {
     private final PlatformTransactionManager platformTransactionManager;
     private final ExecutionResultsSubmitter executionResultsSubmitter;
     private final TaskExecutionEnvironment taskExecutionEnvironment;
+    private final DSLContext dslContext;
 
     public SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment(
 	    InternalTaskSubmitter internalTaskSubmitter,
@@ -31,16 +35,23 @@ public SchedulerAwareTaskExecutionEnvironment(
 	    SoftToHardFailPolicy softToHardFailPolicy,
 	    PlatformTransactionManager platformTransactionManager,
 	    ExecutionResultsSubmitter executionResultsSubmitter,
-        TaskExecutionEnvironment taskExecutionEnvironment) {
+	    TaskExecutionEnvironment taskExecutionEnvironment,
+        DSLContext dslContext) {
         this.internalTaskSubmitter = internalTaskSubmitter;
         this.taskStateRepository = taskStateRepository;
         this.softToHardFailPolicy = softToHardFailPolicy;
         this.platformTransactionManager = platformTransactionManager;
         this.executionResultsSubmitter = executionResultsSubmitter;
 	    this.taskExecutionEnvironment = taskExecutionEnvironment;
+	    this.dslContext = dslContext;
     }
 
     public <ParameterT, AcceptedContextT, ResultT> ApiTaskExecutionResult executeTask(UUID taskId, TaskType<ParameterT, AcceptedContextT, ResultT> type, ParameterT parameter, int failsSoFar) {
+        boolean exists = dslContext
+            .fetchExists(TASK, TASK.ID.eq(taskId));
+        if (!exists) {
+            log.error("Task {} does not exist in the database", taskId);
+        }
         taskStateRepository.assignState(taskId, TaskStatus.IN_PROGRESS);
 
         Instant start = Instant.now();