diff --git a/python/ray/worker.py b/python/ray/worker.py
index a54fc4277..4299956ff 100644
--- a/python/ray/worker.py
+++ b/python/ray/worker.py
@@ -1729,7 +1729,8 @@ def wait(object_ids, num_returns=1, timeout=None, worker=global_worker):
     return ready_ids, remaining_ids
 
 
-def wait_for_function(function_id, driver_id, timeout=5, worker=global_worker):
+def wait_for_function(function_id, driver_id, timeout=10,
+                      worker=global_worker):
   """Wait until the function to be executed is present on this worker.
 
   This method will simply loop until the import thread has imported the
diff --git a/src/common/lib/python/common_extension.cc b/src/common/lib/python/common_extension.cc
index 384dab91e..633be8e46 100644
--- a/src/common/lib/python/common_extension.cc
+++ b/src/common/lib/python/common_extension.cc
@@ -99,8 +99,7 @@ PyObject *PyTask_from_string(PyObject *self, PyObject *args) {
   PyTask *result = PyObject_New(PyTask, &PyTaskType);
   result = (PyTask *) PyObject_Init((PyObject *) result, &PyTaskType);
   result->size = size;
-  result->spec = (TaskSpec *) malloc(size);
-  memcpy(result->spec, data, size);
+  result->spec = TaskSpec_copy((TaskSpec *) data, size);
   /* TODO(pcm): Use flatbuffers validation here. */
   return (PyObject *) result;
 }
diff --git a/src/common/task.cc b/src/common/task.cc
index 7b1b7426d..1f3a1e5fb 100644
--- a/src/common/task.cc
+++ b/src/common/task.cc
@@ -288,6 +288,12 @@ bool TaskSpec_is_dependent_on(TaskSpec *spec, ObjectID object_id) {
   return false;
 }
 
+TaskSpec *TaskSpec_copy(TaskSpec *spec, int64_t task_spec_size) {
+  TaskSpec *copy = (TaskSpec *) malloc(task_spec_size);
+  memcpy(copy, spec, task_spec_size);
+  return copy;
+}
+
 void TaskSpec_free(TaskSpec *spec) {
   free(spec);
 }
diff --git a/src/common/task.h b/src/common/task.h
index 986717860..5bb4f3fee 100644
--- a/src/common/task.h
+++ b/src/common/task.h
@@ -291,6 +291,15 @@ ObjectID task_compute_put_id(TaskID task_id, int64_t put_index);
  */
 void TaskSpec_print(TaskSpec *spec, UT_string *output);
 
+/**
+ * Create a copy of the task spec. Must be freed with TaskSpec_free after use.
+ *
+ * @param spec The task specification that will be copied.
+ * @param task_spec_size The size of the task specification in bytes.
+ * @returns Pointer to the copy of the task specification.
+ */
+TaskSpec *TaskSpec_copy(TaskSpec *spec, int64_t task_spec_size);
+
 /**
  * Free a task_spec.
  *
@@ -355,7 +364,7 @@ Task *Task_alloc(TaskSpec *spec,
                  DBClientID local_scheduler_id);
 
 /**
- * Create a copy of the task. Must be freed with free_task after use.
+ * Create a copy of the task. Must be freed with Task_free after use.
  *
  * @param other The task that will be copied.
  * @returns Pointer to the copy of the task.
diff --git a/src/local_scheduler/local_scheduler_algorithm.cc b/src/local_scheduler/local_scheduler_algorithm.cc
index 874bef5c7..a78ab6df8 100644
--- a/src/local_scheduler/local_scheduler_algorithm.cc
+++ b/src/local_scheduler/local_scheduler_algorithm.cc
@@ -112,8 +112,7 @@ struct SchedulingAlgorithmState {
 
 TaskQueueEntry TaskQueueEntry_init(TaskSpec *spec, int64_t task_spec_size) {
   TaskQueueEntry elt;
-  elt.spec = (TaskSpec *) malloc(task_spec_size);
-  memcpy(elt.spec, spec, task_spec_size);
+  elt.spec = TaskSpec_copy(spec, task_spec_size);
   elt.task_spec_size = task_spec_size;
   return elt;
 }
@@ -833,8 +832,9 @@ void handle_task_submitted(LocalSchedulerState *state,
 
 void handle_actor_task_submitted(LocalSchedulerState *state,
                                  SchedulingAlgorithmState *algorithm_state,
-                                 TaskSpec *spec,
+                                 TaskSpec *task_spec,
                                  int64_t task_spec_size) {
+  TaskSpec *spec = TaskSpec_copy(task_spec, task_spec_size);
   ActorID actor_id = TaskSpec_actor_id(spec);
   CHECK(!ActorID_equal(actor_id, NIL_ACTOR_ID));
 
@@ -865,6 +865,7 @@ void handle_actor_task_submitted(LocalSchedulerState *state,
         state, algorithm_state, spec, task_spec_size,
         state->actor_mapping[actor_id].local_scheduler_id);
   }
+  TaskSpec_free(spec);
 }
 
 void handle_actor_creation_notification(
diff --git a/src/local_scheduler/local_scheduler_client.cc b/src/local_scheduler/local_scheduler_client.cc
index ca8955bfd..c2605eb3c 100644
--- a/src/local_scheduler/local_scheduler_client.cc
+++ b/src/local_scheduler/local_scheduler_client.cc
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ TaskSpec *local_scheduler_get_task(LocalSchedulerConnection *conn,
   auto reply_message = flatbuffers::GetRoot<GetTaskReply>(message);
   /* Create a copy of the task spec so we can free the reply. */
   *task_size = reply_message->task_spec()->size();
-  TaskSpec *spec = (TaskSpec *) malloc(*task_size);
-  memcpy(spec, reply_message->task_spec()->data(), *task_size);
+  TaskSpec *data = (TaskSpec *) reply_message->task_spec()->data();
+  TaskSpec *spec = TaskSpec_copy(data, *task_size);
   /* Free the original message from the local scheduler. */
   free(message);
   /* Return the copy of the task spec and pass ownership to the caller. */