diff --git a/agent/worker.go b/agent/worker.go
index efe538afa7..d5cfbb4e1a 100644
--- a/agent/worker.go
+++ b/agent/worker.go
@@ -278,8 +278,14 @@ func reconcileTaskState(ctx context.Context, w *worker, assignments []*api.Assig
 
 	removeTaskAssignment := func(taskID string) error {
 		ctx := log.WithLogger(ctx, log.G(ctx).WithField("task.id", taskID))
-		if err := SetTaskAssignment(tx, taskID, false); err != nil {
-			log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Error("error setting task assignment in database")
+		// if a task is no longer assigned, then we do not have to keep track
+		// of it. a task will only be unassigned when it is deleted on the
+		// manager. insteaad of SetTaskAssginment to true, we'll just remove
+		// the task now.
+		if err := DeleteTask(tx, taskID); err != nil {
+			log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf(
+				"error removing de-assigned task %v", taskID,
+			)
 		}
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/agent/worker_test.go b/agent/worker_test.go
index 53295cb585..560ab88874 100644
--- a/agent/worker_test.go
+++ b/agent/worker_test.go
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ func TestWorkerAssign(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			expectedTasks: []*api.Task{
-				{ID: "task-1"},
 				{ID: "task-2"},
 			},
 			expectedSecrets: []*api.Secret{
@@ -153,15 +152,14 @@ func TestWorkerAssign(t *testing.T) {
 				{ID: "config-2"},
 			},
 			expectedAssigned: []*api.Task{
+				// task-1 should be cleaned up and deleted.
 				{ID: "task-2"},
 			},
 		},
 		{
 			// remove assigned tasks, secret and config no longer present
-			expectedTasks: []*api.Task{
-				{ID: "task-1"},
-				{ID: "task-2"},
-			},
+			// there should be no tasks in the tasks db after this.
+			expectedTasks: nil,
 		},
 
 		// TODO(stevvooe): There are a few more states here we need to get
@@ -173,6 +171,7 @@ func TestWorkerAssign(t *testing.T) {
 			tasks    []*api.Task
 			assigned []*api.Task
 		)
+
 		assert.NoError(t, worker.db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 			return WalkTasks(tx, func(task *api.Task) error {
 				tasks = append(tasks, task)
@@ -491,7 +490,6 @@ func TestWorkerUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			expectedTasks: []*api.Task{
-				{ID: "task-1"},
 				{ID: "task-2"},
 			},
 			expectedSecrets: []*api.Secret{
@@ -556,10 +554,6 @@ func TestWorkerUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 					Action: api.AssignmentChange_AssignmentActionRemove,
 				},
 			},
-			expectedTasks: []*api.Task{
-				{ID: "task-1"},
-				{ID: "task-2"},
-			},
 		},
 	} {
 		assert.NoError(t, worker.Update(ctx, testcase.changeSet))
diff --git a/direct.mk b/direct.mk
index 4e1f4bf216..7a069deec5 100644
--- a/direct.mk
+++ b/direct.mk
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ uninstall:
 coverage: ## generate coverprofiles from the unit tests
 	@echo "🐳 $@"
 	@( for pkg in $(filter-out ${INTEGRATION_PACKAGE},${PACKAGES}); do \
-		go test ${RACE} -tags "${DOCKER_BUILDTAGS}" -test.short -coverprofile="../../../$$pkg/coverage.txt" -covermode=atomic $$pkg || exit; \
+		go test -v ${RACE} -tags "${DOCKER_BUILDTAGS}" -test.short -coverprofile="../../../$$pkg/coverage.txt" -covermode=atomic $$pkg || exit; \
 		go test ${RACE} -tags "${DOCKER_BUILDTAGS}" -test.short -coverprofile="../../../$$pkg/coverage.txt" -covermode=atomic $$pkg || exit; \
 	done )