diff --git a/manager/orchestrator/global/global.go b/manager/orchestrator/global/global.go
index f5e6b3afc0..b89a105fec 100644
--- a/manager/orchestrator/global/global.go
+++ b/manager/orchestrator/global/global.go
@@ -159,13 +159,13 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 				switch v.Node.Status.State {
 				// NodeStatus_DISCONNECTED is a transient state, no need to make any change
 				case api.NodeStatus_DOWN:
-					g.removeTasksFromNode(ctx, v.Node)
+					g.foreachTaskFromNode(ctx, v.Node, g.shutdownTask)
 				case api.NodeStatus_READY:
 					// node could come back to READY from DOWN or DISCONNECT
 					g.reconcileOneNode(ctx, v.Node)
 				}
 			case api.EventDeleteNode:
-				g.removeTasksFromNode(ctx, v.Node)
+				g.foreachTaskFromNode(ctx, v.Node, g.deleteTask)
 				delete(g.nodes, v.Node.ID)
 			case api.EventUpdateTask:
 				g.handleTaskChange(ctx, v.Task)
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) FixTask(ctx context.Context, batch *store.Batch, t *api.T
 	}
 	// if the node no longer valid, remove the task
 	if t.NodeID == "" || orchestrator.InvalidNode(node) {
-		g.removeTask(ctx, batch, t)
+		g.shutdownTask(ctx, batch, t)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) Stop() {
 	g.restarts.CancelAll()
 }
 
-func (g *Orchestrator) removeTasksFromNode(ctx context.Context, node *api.Node) {
+func (g *Orchestrator) foreachTaskFromNode(ctx context.Context, node *api.Node, cb func(context.Context, *store.Batch, *api.Task)) {
 	var (
 		tasks []*api.Task
 		err   error
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) removeTasksFromNode(ctx context.Context, node *api.Node)
 		tasks, err = store.FindTasks(tx, store.ByNodeID(node.ID))
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("global orchestrator: removeTasksFromNode failed finding tasks")
+		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("global orchestrator: foreachTaskFromNode failed finding tasks")
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -253,13 +253,13 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) removeTasksFromNode(ctx context.Context, node *api.Node)
 		for _, t := range tasks {
 			// Global orchestrator only removes tasks from globalServices
 			if _, exists := g.globalServices[t.ServiceID]; exists {
-				g.removeTask(ctx, batch, t)
+				cb(ctx, batch, t)
 			}
 		}
 		return nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("global orchestrator: removeTasksFromNode failed batching tasks")
+		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("global orchestrator: foreachTaskFromNode failed batching tasks")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) reconcileServices(ctx context.Context, serviceIDs []strin
 				// if restart policy considers this node has finished its task
 				// it should remove all running tasks
 				if _, exists := nodeCompleted[serviceID][nodeID]; exists || !meetsConstraints {
-					g.removeTasks(ctx, batch, ntasks)
+					g.shutdownTasks(ctx, batch, ntasks)
 					continue
 				}
 
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) reconcileServices(ctx context.Context, serviceIDs []strin
 			// These must be associated with nodes that are drained, or
 			// nodes that no longer exist.
 			for _, ntasks := range nodeTasks[serviceID] {
-				g.removeTasks(ctx, batch, ntasks)
+				g.shutdownTasks(ctx, batch, ntasks)
 			}
 		}
 		return nil
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) updateService(service *api.Service) {
 func (g *Orchestrator) reconcileOneNode(ctx context.Context, node *api.Node) {
 	if node.Spec.Availability == api.NodeAvailabilityDrain {
 		log.G(ctx).Debugf("global orchestrator: node %s in drain state, removing tasks from it", node.ID)
-		g.removeTasksFromNode(ctx, node)
+		g.foreachTaskFromNode(ctx, node, g.shutdownTask)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) reconcileServicesOneNode(ctx context.Context, serviceIDs
 			// if restart policy considers this node has finished its task
 			// it should remove all running tasks
 			if completed[serviceID] {
-				g.removeTasks(ctx, batch, tasks[serviceID])
+				g.shutdownTasks(ctx, batch, tasks[serviceID])
 				continue
 			}
 
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) reconcileServicesOneNode(ctx context.Context, serviceIDs
 				} else {
 					dirtyTasks = append(dirtyTasks, cleanTasks[1:]...)
 				}
-				g.removeTasks(ctx, batch, dirtyTasks)
+				g.shutdownTasks(ctx, batch, dirtyTasks)
 			}
 		}
 		return nil
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) tickTasks(ctx context.Context) {
 	g.restartTasks = make(map[string]struct{})
 }
 
-func (g *Orchestrator) removeTask(ctx context.Context, batch *store.Batch, t *api.Task) {
+func (g *Orchestrator) shutdownTask(ctx context.Context, batch *store.Batch, t *api.Task) {
 	// set existing task DesiredState to TaskStateShutdown
 	// TODO(aaronl): optimistic update?
 	err := batch.Update(func(tx store.Tx) error {
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) removeTask(ctx context.Context, batch *store.Batch, t *ap
 		return nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("global orchestrator: removeTask failed to remove %s", t.ID)
+		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("global orchestrator: shutdownTask failed to shut down %s", t.ID)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -572,9 +572,18 @@ func (g *Orchestrator) addTask(ctx context.Context, batch *store.Batch, service
 	}
 }
 
-func (g *Orchestrator) removeTasks(ctx context.Context, batch *store.Batch, tasks []*api.Task) {
+func (g *Orchestrator) shutdownTasks(ctx context.Context, batch *store.Batch, tasks []*api.Task) {
 	for _, t := range tasks {
-		g.removeTask(ctx, batch, t)
+		g.shutdownTask(ctx, batch, t)
+	}
+}
+
+func (g *Orchestrator) deleteTask(ctx context.Context, batch *store.Batch, t *api.Task) {
+	err := batch.Update(func(tx store.Tx) error {
+		return store.DeleteTask(tx, t.ID)
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Errorf("global orchestrator: deleteTask failed to delete %s", t.ID)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/manager/orchestrator/global/global_test.go b/manager/orchestrator/global/global_test.go
index f2ba0c292c..886ed18157 100644
--- a/manager/orchestrator/global/global_test.go
+++ b/manager/orchestrator/global/global_test.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func TestDeleteNode(t *testing.T) {
 
 	deleteNode(t, store, node1)
 	// task should be set to dead
-	observedTask := testutils.WatchShutdownTask(t, watch)
+	observedTask := testutils.WatchTaskDelete(t, watch)
 	assert.Equal(t, observedTask.ServiceAnnotations.Name, "name1")
 	assert.Equal(t, observedTask.NodeID, "nodeid1")
 }