diff --git a/nomad/state/state_store.go b/nomad/state/state_store.go
index 51271cc31ca..ae1d5f5ee07 100644
--- a/nomad/state/state_store.go
+++ b/nomad/state/state_store.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/davecgh/go-spew/spew"
 	log "github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog"
 	memdb "github.com/hashicorp/go-memdb"
 	multierror "github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
@@ -1488,6 +1489,7 @@ func (s *StateStore) upsertJobImpl(index uint64, job *structs.Job, keepVersion b
 
 	// Setup the indexes correctly
 	if existing != nil {
+		spew.Dump("EXISTING!")
 		job.CreateIndex = existing.(*structs.Job).CreateIndex
 		job.ModifyIndex = index
 
@@ -3942,6 +3944,7 @@ func (s *StateStore) updateJobStabilityImpl(index uint64, namespace, jobID strin
 
 	copy := job.Copy()
 	copy.Stable = stable
+	spew.Dump("COPY STABLEEE", copy.Stable)
 	return s.upsertJobImpl(index, copy, true, txn)
 }
 
@@ -4427,6 +4430,10 @@ func (s *StateStore) setJobStatus(index uint64, txn *txn,
 
 	// Capture the current status so we can check if there is a change
 	oldStatus := job.Status
+	// if index == job.CreateIndex {
+	// 	oldStatus = ""
+	// }
+	firstPass := index == job.CreateIndex
 	newStatus := forceStatus
 
 	// If forceStatus is not set, compute the jobs status.
@@ -4440,6 +4447,12 @@ func (s *StateStore) setJobStatus(index uint64, txn *txn,
 
 	// Fast-path if nothing has changed.
 	if oldStatus == newStatus {
+		spew.Dump("DOING THIS THING")
+		if err := s.setJobSummary(txn, job, index, oldStatus, newStatus, firstPass); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		// initialize job summary
+		// initialize / update job summary
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -4457,64 +4470,72 @@ func (s *StateStore) setJobStatus(index uint64, txn *txn,
 	}
 
 	// Update the children summary
-	if updated.ParentID != "" {
-		// Try to update the summary of the parent job summary
-		summaryRaw, err := txn.First("job_summary", "id", updated.Namespace, updated.ParentID)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unable to retrieve summary for parent job: %v", err)
-		}
+	if err := s.setJobSummary(txn, updated, index, oldStatus, newStatus, firstPass); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("job summary update failed %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
 
-		// Only continue if the summary exists. It could not exist if the parent
-		// job was removed
-		if summaryRaw != nil {
-			existing := summaryRaw.(*structs.JobSummary)
-			pSummary := existing.Copy()
-			if pSummary.Children == nil {
-				pSummary.Children = new(structs.JobChildrenSummary)
-			}
+func (s *StateStore) setJobSummary(txn *txn, updated *structs.Job, index uint64, oldStatus, newStatus string, firstPass bool) error {
+	if updated.ParentID == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
 
-			// Determine the transition and update the correct fields
-			children := pSummary.Children
+	// Try to update the summary of the parent job summary
+	summaryRaw, err := txn.First("job_summary", "id", updated.Namespace, updated.ParentID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to retrieve summary for parent job: %v", err)
+	}
 
-			// Decrement old status
-			if oldStatus != "" {
-				switch oldStatus {
-				case structs.JobStatusPending:
-					children.Pending--
-				case structs.JobStatusRunning:
-					children.Running--
-				case structs.JobStatusDead:
-					children.Dead--
-				default:
-					return fmt.Errorf("unknown old job status %q", oldStatus)
-				}
-			}
+	// Only continue if the summary exists. It could not exist if the parent
+	// job was removed
+	if summaryRaw != nil {
+		existing := summaryRaw.(*structs.JobSummary)
+		pSummary := existing.Copy()
+		if pSummary.Children == nil {
+			pSummary.Children = new(structs.JobChildrenSummary)
+		}
+
+		// Determine the transition and update the correct fields
+		children := pSummary.Children
 
-			// Increment new status
-			switch newStatus {
+		// Decrement old status
+		if !firstPass {
+			switch oldStatus {
 			case structs.JobStatusPending:
-				children.Pending++
+				children.Pending--
 			case structs.JobStatusRunning:
-				children.Running++
+				children.Running--
 			case structs.JobStatusDead:
-				children.Dead++
+				children.Dead--
 			default:
-				return fmt.Errorf("unknown new job status %q", newStatus)
+				return fmt.Errorf("unknown old job status %q", oldStatus)
 			}
+		}
+
+		// Increment new status
+		switch newStatus {
+		case structs.JobStatusPending:
+			children.Pending++
+		case structs.JobStatusRunning:
+			children.Running++
+		case structs.JobStatusDead:
+			children.Dead++
+		default:
+			return fmt.Errorf("unknown new job status %q", newStatus)
+		}
 
-			// Update the index
-			pSummary.ModifyIndex = index
+		// Update the index
+		pSummary.ModifyIndex = index
 
-			// Insert the summary
-			if err := txn.Insert("job_summary", pSummary); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("job summary insert failed: %v", err)
-			}
-			if err := txn.Insert("index", &IndexEntry{"job_summary", index}); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("index update failed: %v", err)
-			}
+		// Insert the summary
+		if err := txn.Insert("job_summary", pSummary); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("job summary insert failed: %v", err)
+		}
+		if err := txn.Insert("index", &IndexEntry{"job_summary", index}); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("index update failed: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/nomad/state/state_store_test.go b/nomad/state/state_store_test.go
index 7bff0f1ca71..10f43ac6ad5 100644
--- a/nomad/state/state_store_test.go
+++ b/nomad/state/state_store_test.go
@@ -6855,16 +6855,10 @@ func TestStateStore_UpdateJobStability(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Check that the job was updated properly
 	ws := memdb.NewWatchSet()
-	jout, _ := state.JobByIDAndVersion(ws, job.Namespace, job.ID, 0)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %v", err)
-	}
-	if jout == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", jout)
-	}
-	if !jout.Stable {
-		t.Fatalf("job not marked stable %#v", jout)
-	}
+	jout, err := state.JobByIDAndVersion(ws, job.Namespace, job.ID, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, jout)
+	require.True(t, jout.Stable, "job not marked as stable")
 
 	// Update the stability to false
 	err = state.UpdateJobStability(3, job.Namespace, job.ID, 0, false)
@@ -6873,16 +6867,10 @@ func TestStateStore_UpdateJobStability(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Check that the job was updated properly
-	jout, _ = state.JobByIDAndVersion(ws, job.Namespace, job.ID, 0)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %v", err)
-	}
-	if jout == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", jout)
-	}
-	if jout.Stable {
-		t.Fatalf("job marked stable %#v", jout)
-	}
+	jout, err = state.JobByIDAndVersion(ws, job.Namespace, job.ID, 0)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, jout)
+	require.False(t, jout.Stable)
 }
 
 // Test that nonexistent deployment can't be promoted