diff --git a/frestq/decorators.py b/frestq/decorators.py
index 1370e5a..774a925 100644
--- a/frestq/decorators.py
+++ b/frestq/decorators.py
@@ -54,11 +54,18 @@ def decorator(view_func):
         if view_func is not None and not isfunction(view_func):
             view_func.action = action
             view_func.queue_name = queue
+            wrapper_func = view_func
+        else:
+            def wrapper_func(*args, **kwargs):
+                print(f"task: Starting task")
+                ret = view_func(*args, **kwargs)
+                print(f"task: Finished task")
+                return ret
 
-        ActionHandlers.add_action_handler(action, queue, view_func, kwargs)
+        ActionHandlers.add_action_handler(action, queue, wrapper_func, kwargs)
         FScheduler.reserve_scheduler(queue)
 
-        return view_func
+        return wrapper_func
 
     return decorator
 
@@ -91,7 +98,11 @@ def __call__(self, *args):
         local_ssl_cert = app.config['SSL_CERT_STRING']
         if certs_differ(sender_ssl_cert, local_ssl_cert):
             raise SecurityException()
-        return self.func(*args)
+
+        print(f"local_task: Starting task.id={task.task_model.id}")
+        ret = self.func(*args)
+        print(f"local_task: Finished task.id={task.task_model.id}")
+        return ret
 
 def internal_task(name, **kwargs):
     """
diff --git a/frestq/protocol.py b/frestq/protocol.py
index e39df3c..7bd629b 100644
--- a/frestq/protocol.py
+++ b/frestq/protocol.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def update_task(msg):
 
     # fixed broken FK bug, when taskid exists in a non local db
     # task = msg.task
-    task = db.session.query(ModelTask).filter(ModelTask.id == msg.task_id).first()
+    task = db.session.query(ModelTask).filter(ModelTask.id == msg.task_id).with_for_update(of=ModelTask).first()
 
     logging.debug("UPDATING TASK with id %s" % task.id)
     if not task or\
@@ -77,14 +77,32 @@ def update_task(msg):
         raise  SecurityException()
 
     keys = ['output_data', 'status']
+
     for key in keys:
-        if key in msg.input_data:
-            if isinstance(msg.input_data[key], str):
-                logging.debug("SETTING TASK FIELD '%s' to '%s'" % (key,
-                    msg.input_data[key]))
-            else:
-                logging.debug("SETTING TASK FIELD '%s' to: %s" % (key,
-                    dumps(msg.input_data[key])))
+        if key not in msg.input_data:
+            continue
+        str_data = (
+            msg.input_data[key]
+            if isinstance(msg.input_data[key], str)
+            else dumps(msg.input_data[key])
+        )
+        if (
+            key == 'status' and
+            hasattr(task, key) and
+            task.status == 'finished'
+        ):
+            logging.debug(
+                f"({task.id}) **NOT** SETTING TASK FIELD '{key}' to "
+                f"'{str_data}' because it's already 'finished'"
+            )
+            # do next (it might be a task with a parent task)
+            receiver_task = BaseTask.instance_by_model(task)
+            receiver_task.execute()
+            return
+        else:
+            logging.debug(
+                f"({task.id}) SETTING TASK FIELD '{key}' to '{str_data}'"
+            )
             setattr(task, key, msg.input_data[key])
     task.last_modified_date = datetime.utcnow()
     db.session.add(task)
diff --git a/frestq/utils.py b/frestq/utils.py
index 6d12258..fb57520 100644
--- a/frestq/utils.py
+++ b/frestq/utils.py
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ def traverse_tasktree(task, visitor_func, visitor_kwargs):
 def show_task(args):
     from .app import db
     from .models import Task
-    task_id = unicode(args.show_task)
+    task_id = str(args.show_task)
     task_model = db.session.query(Task).filter(Task.id.startswith(task_id)).all()
     if not task_model:
         print("task %s not found" % task_id)
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ def show_activity(args):
 def show_message(args):
     from .app import db
     from .models import Message
-    msg_id = unicode(args.show_message)
+    msg_id = str(args.show_message)
     msg_model = db.session.query(Message).filter(Message.id.startswith(msg_id)).all()
     if not msg_model:
         print("message %s not found" % msg_id)
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ def get_external_task(args):
     from .app import db
     from .models import Task
 
-    task_id = unicode(args.show_external)
+    task_id = str(args.show_external)
     task_model = db.session.query(Task).filter(Task.id.startswith(task_id)).all()
 
     return task_model
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ def get_external_task(args):
 # drb
 def show_external_task(args):
 
-    task_id = unicode(args.show_external)
+    task_id = str(args.show_external)
     task_model = get_external_task(args)
 
     if not task_model:
@@ -302,9 +302,9 @@ def finish_task(args):
     from .models import Task
     from .tasks import ExternalTask
 
-    task_id = unicode(args.finish[0])
+    task_id = str(args.finish[0])
     try:
-        finish_data = loads(unicode(args.finish[1]))
+        finish_data = loads(str(args.finish[1]))
     except:
         print("error loading the json finish data")
         return
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ def deny_task(args):
 def task_tree(args):
     from .app import db
     from .models import Task
-    task_id = unicode(args.tree)
+    task_id = str(args.tree)
     task_model = db.session.query(Task).filter(Task.id.startswith(task_id)).all()
     if not task_model:
         print("task %s not found" % task_id)
@@ -356,7 +356,12 @@ class DecoratorBase(object):
     func = None
 
     def __init__(self, func):
-        self.func = func
+        def wrapper_func(*args, **kwargs):
+            print(f"DecoratorBase: Starting task")
+            ret = func(*args, **kwargs)
+            print(f"DecoratorBase: Finished task")
+            return ret
+        self.func = wrapper_func
 
     def __getattribute__(self, name):
         if name == "func":