diff --git a/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/overlord/RemoteTaskRunner.java b/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/overlord/RemoteTaskRunner.java
index 51ed6a5a12ea..a54d9abb8cf9 100644
--- a/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/overlord/RemoteTaskRunner.java
+++ b/indexing-service/src/main/java/io/druid/indexing/overlord/RemoteTaskRunner.java
@@ -249,7 +249,14 @@ public void onFailure(Throwable throwable)
         }
       }
       // Schedule cleanup for task status of the workers that might have disconnected while overlord was not running
-      for (String worker : cf.getChildren().forPath(indexerZkConfig.getStatusPath())) {
+      List<String> workers;
+      try {
+        workers = cf.getChildren().forPath(indexerZkConfig.getStatusPath());
+      } catch (KeeperException.NoNodeException e) {
+        // statusPath doesn't exist yet; can occur if no middleManagers have started.
+        workers = ImmutableList.of();
+      }
+      for (String worker : workers) {
         if (!zkWorkers.containsKey(worker)
             && cf.checkExists().forPath(JOINER.join(indexerZkConfig.getAnnouncementsPath(), worker)) == null) {
           scheduleTasksCleanupForWorker(
diff --git a/indexing-service/src/test/java/io/druid/indexing/overlord/RemoteTaskRunnerTest.java b/indexing-service/src/test/java/io/druid/indexing/overlord/RemoteTaskRunnerTest.java
index 4f2fd718e7f5..974c1d7da503 100644
--- a/indexing-service/src/test/java/io/druid/indexing/overlord/RemoteTaskRunnerTest.java
+++ b/indexing-service/src/test/java/io/druid/indexing/overlord/RemoteTaskRunnerTest.java
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@
 import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListenableFuture;
-import com.metamx.common.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorFactory;
 import com.metamx.common.concurrent.ScheduledExecutors;
-import com.metamx.common.lifecycle.Lifecycle;
 import com.metamx.emitter.EmittingLogger;
 import com.metamx.emitter.service.ServiceEmitter;
 import io.druid.common.guava.DSuppliers;
@@ -63,7 +61,6 @@
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
-import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
@@ -84,7 +81,6 @@ public class RemoteTaskRunnerTest
   private TestMergeTask task;
 
   private Worker worker;
-  private RemoteTaskRunnerConfig config;
 
   @Before
   public void setUp() throws Exception
@@ -100,8 +96,6 @@ public void setUp() throws Exception
     cf.start();
     cf.create().creatingParentsIfNeeded().forPath(basePath);
     cf.create().creatingParentsIfNeeded().forPath(tasksPath);
-    cf.create().creatingParentsIfNeeded().forPath(statusPath);
-
 
     task = TestMergeTask.createDummyTask("task");
   }
@@ -131,6 +125,12 @@ public void testRun() throws Exception
     Assert.assertEquals(TaskStatus.Status.SUCCESS, result.get().getStatusCode());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testStartWithNoWorker() throws Exception
+  {
+    makeRemoteTaskRunner(new TestRemoteTaskRunnerConfig(new Period("PT1S")));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testRunExistingTaskThatHasntStartedRunning() throws Exception
   {
@@ -191,15 +191,33 @@ public void testRunSameAvailabilityGroup() throws Exception
   {
     doSetup();
 
-    TestRealtimeTask task1 = new TestRealtimeTask("rt1", new TaskResource("rt1", 1), "foo", TaskStatus.running("rt1"), jsonMapper);
+    TestRealtimeTask task1 = new TestRealtimeTask(
+        "rt1",
+        new TaskResource("rt1", 1),
+        "foo",
+        TaskStatus.running("rt1"),
+        jsonMapper
+    );
     remoteTaskRunner.run(task1);
     Assert.assertTrue(taskAnnounced(task1.getId()));
     mockWorkerRunningTask(task1);
 
-    TestRealtimeTask task2 = new TestRealtimeTask("rt2", new TaskResource("rt1", 1), "foo", TaskStatus.running("rt2"), jsonMapper);
+    TestRealtimeTask task2 = new TestRealtimeTask(
+        "rt2",
+        new TaskResource("rt1", 1),
+        "foo",
+        TaskStatus.running("rt2"),
+        jsonMapper
+    );
     remoteTaskRunner.run(task2);
 
-    TestRealtimeTask task3 = new TestRealtimeTask("rt3", new TaskResource("rt2", 1), "foo", TaskStatus.running("rt3"), jsonMapper);
+    TestRealtimeTask task3 = new TestRealtimeTask(
+        "rt3",
+        new TaskResource("rt2", 1),
+        "foo",
+        TaskStatus.running("rt3"),
+        jsonMapper
+    );
     remoteTaskRunner.run(task3);
 
     Assert.assertTrue(
@@ -236,15 +254,33 @@ public void testRunWithCapacity() throws Exception
   {
     doSetup();
 
-    TestRealtimeTask task1 = new TestRealtimeTask("rt1", new TaskResource("rt1", 1), "foo", TaskStatus.running("rt1"), jsonMapper);
+    TestRealtimeTask task1 = new TestRealtimeTask(
+        "rt1",
+        new TaskResource("rt1", 1),
+        "foo",
+        TaskStatus.running("rt1"),
+        jsonMapper
+    );
     remoteTaskRunner.run(task1);
     Assert.assertTrue(taskAnnounced(task1.getId()));
     mockWorkerRunningTask(task1);
 
-    TestRealtimeTask task2 = new TestRealtimeTask("rt2", new TaskResource("rt2", 3), "foo", TaskStatus.running("rt2"), jsonMapper);
+    TestRealtimeTask task2 = new TestRealtimeTask(
+        "rt2",
+        new TaskResource("rt2", 3),
+        "foo",
+        TaskStatus.running("rt2"),
+        jsonMapper
+    );
     remoteTaskRunner.run(task2);
 
-    TestRealtimeTask task3 = new TestRealtimeTask("rt3", new TaskResource("rt3", 2), "foo", TaskStatus.running("rt3"), jsonMapper);
+    TestRealtimeTask task3 = new TestRealtimeTask(
+        "rt3",
+        new TaskResource("rt3", 2),
+        "foo",
+        TaskStatus.running("rt3"),
+        jsonMapper
+    );
     remoteTaskRunner.run(task3);
     Assert.assertTrue(taskAnnounced(task3.getId()));
     mockWorkerRunningTask(task3);
@@ -507,7 +543,9 @@ private void mockWorkerRunningTask(final Task task) throws Exception
     cf.delete().forPath(joiner.join(tasksPath, task.getId()));
 
     TaskAnnouncement taskAnnouncement = TaskAnnouncement.create(task, TaskStatus.running(task.getId()));
-    cf.create().forPath(joiner.join(statusPath, task.getId()), jsonMapper.writeValueAsBytes(taskAnnouncement));
+    cf.create()
+      .creatingParentsIfNeeded()
+      .forPath(joiner.join(statusPath, task.getId()), jsonMapper.writeValueAsBytes(taskAnnouncement));
   }
 
   private void mockWorkerCompleteSuccessfulTask(final Task task) throws Exception