diff --git a/nomad/core_sched_test.go b/nomad/core_sched_test.go
index f0d6c4165ec..ae9aebc8fbc 100644
--- a/nomad/core_sched_test.go
+++ b/nomad/core_sched_test.go
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_EvalGC(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC)
-	gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC, 2000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -112,8 +111,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_EvalGC_Partial(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC)
-	gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC, 2000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -173,8 +171,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_EvalGC_Batch_NoAllocs(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC)
-	gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC, 2000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -235,8 +232,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_EvalGC_Batch_Allocs_WithJob(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC)
-	gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC, 2000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -296,8 +292,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_EvalGC_Batch_Allocs_NoJob(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC)
-	gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC, 2000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -344,7 +339,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_EvalGC_Force(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobForceGC)
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobForceGC, 1001)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -394,8 +389,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_NodeGC(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobNodeGC)
-	gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobNodeGC, 2000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -444,8 +438,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_NodeGC_TerminalAllocs(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobNodeGC)
-	gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobNodeGC, 2000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -496,8 +489,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_NodeGC_RunningAllocs(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobNodeGC)
-	gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobNodeGC, 2000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -535,7 +527,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_NodeGC_Force(t *testing.T) {
 	core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 	// Attempt the GC
-	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobForceGC)
+	gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobForceGC, 1000)
 	err = core.Process(gc)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -621,8 +613,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_JobGC(t *testing.T) {
 		core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 		// Attempt the GC
-		gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobJobGC)
-		gc.ModifyIndex = 2000
+		gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobJobGC, 2000)
 		err = core.Process(gc)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("test(%s) err: %v", test.test, err)
@@ -721,7 +712,7 @@ func TestCoreScheduler_JobGC_Force(t *testing.T) {
 		core := NewCoreScheduler(s1, snap)
 
 		// Attempt the GC
-		gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobForceGC)
+		gc := s1.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobForceGC, 1002)
 		err = core.Process(gc)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("test(%s) err: %v", test.test, err)
diff --git a/nomad/leader.go b/nomad/leader.go
index f1e10b71d40..b3964cf8ffc 100644
--- a/nomad/leader.go
+++ b/nomad/leader.go
@@ -251,14 +251,33 @@ func (s *Server) schedulePeriodic(stopCh chan struct{}) {
 	jobGC := time.NewTicker(s.config.JobGCInterval)
 	defer jobGC.Stop()
 
+	// getLatest grabs the latest index from the state store. It returns true if
+	// the index was retrieved successfully.
+	getLatest := func() (uint64, bool) {
+		snapshotIndex, err := s.fsm.State().LatestIndex()
+		if err != nil {
+			s.logger.Printf("[ERR] nomad: failed to determine state store's index: %v", err)
+			return 0, false
+		}
+
+		return snapshotIndex, true
+	}
+
 	for {
+
 		select {
 		case <-evalGC.C:
-			s.evalBroker.Enqueue(s.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC))
+			if index, ok := getLatest(); ok {
+				s.evalBroker.Enqueue(s.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobEvalGC, index))
+			}
 		case <-nodeGC.C:
-			s.evalBroker.Enqueue(s.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobNodeGC))
+			if index, ok := getLatest(); ok {
+				s.evalBroker.Enqueue(s.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobNodeGC, index))
+			}
 		case <-jobGC.C:
-			s.evalBroker.Enqueue(s.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobJobGC))
+			if index, ok := getLatest(); ok {
+				s.evalBroker.Enqueue(s.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobJobGC, index))
+			}
 		case <-stopCh:
 			return
 		}
@@ -266,7 +285,7 @@ func (s *Server) schedulePeriodic(stopCh chan struct{}) {
 }
 
 // coreJobEval returns an evaluation for a core job
-func (s *Server) coreJobEval(job string) *structs.Evaluation {
+func (s *Server) coreJobEval(job string, modifyIndex uint64) *structs.Evaluation {
 	return &structs.Evaluation{
 		ID:          structs.GenerateUUID(),
 		Priority:    structs.CoreJobPriority,
@@ -274,7 +293,7 @@ func (s *Server) coreJobEval(job string) *structs.Evaluation {
 		TriggeredBy: structs.EvalTriggerScheduled,
 		JobID:       job,
 		Status:      structs.EvalStatusPending,
-		ModifyIndex: s.raft.AppliedIndex(),
+		ModifyIndex: modifyIndex,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/nomad/system_endpoint.go b/nomad/system_endpoint.go
index 510dfef1ae9..3c3e4529d52 100644
--- a/nomad/system_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/system_endpoint.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package nomad
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
 )
 
@@ -16,6 +18,12 @@ func (s *System) GarbageCollect(args *structs.GenericRequest, reply *structs.Gen
 		return err
 	}
 
-	s.srv.evalBroker.Enqueue(s.srv.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobForceGC))
+	// Get the states current index
+	snapshotIndex, err := s.srv.fsm.State().LatestIndex()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to determine state store's index: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	s.srv.evalBroker.Enqueue(s.srv.coreJobEval(structs.CoreJobForceGC, snapshotIndex))
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/nomad/system_endpoint_test.go b/nomad/system_endpoint_test.go
index 4302d9435dc..9f4cc1f9d6b 100644
--- a/nomad/system_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/nomad/system_endpoint_test.go
@@ -11,9 +11,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestSystemEndpoint_GarbageCollect(t *testing.T) {
-	//s1 := testServer(t, func(c *Config) {
-	//c.NumSchedulers = 0 // Prevent automatic dequeue
-	//})
 	s1 := testServer(t, nil)
 	defer s1.Shutdown()
 	codec := rpcClient(t, s1)
@@ -23,7 +20,7 @@ func TestSystemEndpoint_GarbageCollect(t *testing.T) {
 	state := s1.fsm.State()
 	job := mock.Job()
 	job.Type = structs.JobTypeBatch
-	if err := state.UpsertJob(0, job); err != nil {
+	if err := state.UpsertJob(1000, job); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("UpsertAllocs() failed: %v", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/nomad/worker.go b/nomad/worker.go
index 9326f112e44..0c414fc900e 100644
--- a/nomad/worker.go
+++ b/nomad/worker.go
@@ -212,12 +212,21 @@ func (w *Worker) sendAck(evalID, token string, ack bool) {
 // state (attempt to allocate to a failed/dead node), we may need
 // to sync our state again and do the planning with more recent data.
 func (w *Worker) waitForIndex(index uint64, timeout time.Duration) error {
+	// XXX: Potential optimization is to set up a watch on the state stores
+	// index table and only unblock via a trigger rather than timing out and
+	// checking.
+
 	start := time.Now()
 	defer metrics.MeasureSince([]string{"nomad", "worker", "wait_for_index"}, start)
 CHECK:
+	// Get the states current index
+	snapshotIndex, err := w.srv.fsm.State().LatestIndex()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to determine state store's index: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	// We only need the FSM state to be as recent as the given index
-	appliedIndex := w.srv.raft.AppliedIndex()
-	if index <= appliedIndex {
+	if index <= snapshotIndex {
 		w.backoffReset()
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/nomad/worker_test.go b/nomad/worker_test.go
index 52b557bba6e..0a04a92cbf5 100644
--- a/nomad/worker_test.go
+++ b/nomad/worker_test.go
@@ -203,7 +203,10 @@ func TestWorker_waitForIndex(t *testing.T) {
 	// Cause an increment
 	go func() {
 		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
-		s1.raft.Barrier(0)
+		n := mock.Node()
+		if err := s1.fsm.state.UpsertNode(index+1, n); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to upsert node: %v", err)
+		}
 	}()
 
 	// Wait for a future index