diff --git a/lib/python/ray/services.py b/lib/python/ray/services.py
index cfb71ed62..1fbe39c23 100644
--- a/lib/python/ray/services.py
+++ b/lib/python/ray/services.py
@@ -136,11 +136,11 @@ def start_services_local(num_objstores=1, num_workers_per_objstore=0, worker_pat
     driver_workers = []
     for i in range(num_objstores):
       driver_worker = worker.Worker()
-      ray.connect(scheduler_address, objstore_address, address(IP_ADDRESS, new_worker_port()), driver_worker)
+      ray.connect(scheduler_address, objstore_address, address(IP_ADDRESS, new_worker_port()), is_driver=True, worker=driver_worker)
       driver_workers.append(driver_worker)
       drivers.append(driver_worker)
     time.sleep(0.5)
     return driver_workers
   else:
-    ray.connect(scheduler_address, objstore_addresses[0], address(IP_ADDRESS, new_worker_port()), mode=driver_mode)
+    ray.connect(scheduler_address, objstore_addresses[0], address(IP_ADDRESS, new_worker_port()), is_driver=True, mode=driver_mode)
     time.sleep(0.5)
diff --git a/lib/python/ray/worker.py b/lib/python/ray/worker.py
index b9649c23f..2294f8597 100644
--- a/lib/python/ray/worker.py
+++ b/lib/python/ray/worker.py
@@ -160,10 +160,10 @@ def register_module(module, recursive=False, worker=global_worker):
     # elif recursive and isinstance(val, ModuleType):
     #   register_module(val, recursive, worker)
 
-def connect(scheduler_addr, objstore_addr, worker_addr, worker=global_worker, mode=ray.WORKER_MODE):
+def connect(scheduler_addr, objstore_addr, worker_addr, is_driver=False, worker=global_worker, mode=ray.WORKER_MODE):
   if hasattr(worker, "handle"):
     del worker.handle
-  worker.handle = ray.lib.create_worker(scheduler_addr, objstore_addr, worker_addr)
+  worker.handle = ray.lib.create_worker(scheduler_addr, objstore_addr, worker_addr, is_driver)
   FORMAT = "%(asctime)-15s %(message)s"
   log_basename = os.path.join(LOG_DIRECTORY, (LOG_TIMESTAMP + "-worker-{}").format(datetime.datetime.now(), worker_addr))
   logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG, format=FORMAT, filename=log_basename + ".log")
diff --git a/protos/ray.proto b/protos/ray.proto
index 7b5bf862b..1c6be5a5b 100644
--- a/protos/ray.proto
+++ b/protos/ray.proto
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ message AckReply {
 message RegisterWorkerRequest {
   string worker_address = 1; // IP address of the worker being registered
   string objstore_address = 2; // IP address of the object store the worker is connected to
+  bool is_driver = 3; // True if the worker is a driver, and false otherwise
 }
 
 message RegisterWorkerReply {
diff --git a/src/raylib.cc b/src/raylib.cc
index 2c2ff279b..c6a9cddae 100644
--- a/src/raylib.cc
+++ b/src/raylib.cc
@@ -594,13 +594,15 @@ PyObject* create_worker(PyObject* self, PyObject* args) {
   const char* scheduler_addr;
   const char* objstore_addr;
   const char* worker_addr;
-  if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "sss", &scheduler_addr, &objstore_addr, &worker_addr)) {
+  PyObject* is_driver_obj;
+  if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "sssO", &scheduler_addr, &objstore_addr, &worker_addr, &is_driver_obj)) {
     return NULL;
   }
+  bool is_driver = PyObject_IsTrue(is_driver_obj);
   auto scheduler_channel = grpc::CreateChannel(scheduler_addr, grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials());
   auto objstore_channel = grpc::CreateChannel(objstore_addr, grpc::InsecureChannelCredentials());
   Worker* worker = new Worker(std::string(worker_addr), scheduler_channel, objstore_channel);
-  worker->register_worker(std::string(worker_addr), std::string(objstore_addr));
+  worker->register_worker(std::string(worker_addr), std::string(objstore_addr), is_driver);
   return PyCapsule_New(static_cast<void*>(worker), "worker", &WorkerCapsule_Destructor);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/scheduler.cc b/src/scheduler.cc
index 13898a26e..ba4548859 100644
--- a/src/scheduler.cc
+++ b/src/scheduler.cc
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ Status SchedulerService::RegisterObjStore(ServerContext* context, const Register
 }
 
 Status SchedulerService::RegisterWorker(ServerContext* context, const RegisterWorkerRequest* request, RegisterWorkerReply* reply) {
-  std::pair<WorkerId, ObjStoreId> info = register_worker(request->worker_address(), request->objstore_address());
+  std::pair<WorkerId, ObjStoreId> info = register_worker(request->worker_address(), request->objstore_address(), request->is_driver());
   WorkerId workerid = info.first;
   ObjStoreId objstoreid = info.second;
   RAY_LOG(RAY_INFO, "registered worker with workerid " << workerid);
@@ -139,31 +139,32 @@ Status SchedulerService::ObjReady(ServerContext* context, const ObjReadyRequest*
 }
 
 Status SchedulerService::ReadyForNewTask(ServerContext* context, const ReadyForNewTaskRequest* request, AckReply* reply) {
-  RAY_LOG(RAY_INFO, "worker " << request->workerid() << " is ready for a new task");
+  WorkerId workerid = request->workerid();
+  OperationId operationid = (*workers_.get())[workerid].current_task;
+  RAY_LOG(RAY_INFO, "worker " << workerid << " is ready for a new task");
+  RAY_CHECK(operationid != ROOT_OPERATION, "A driver appears to have called ReadyForNewTask.");
   if (request->has_previous_task_info()) {
-    OperationId operationid;
-    operationid = (*workers_.get())[request->workerid()].current_task;
+    RAY_CHECK(operationid != NO_OPERATION, "request->has_previous_task_info() should not be true if operationid == NO_OPERATION.");
     std::string task_name;
     task_name = computation_graph_.get()->get_task(operationid).name();
     TaskStatus info;
     {
       auto workers = workers_.get();
-      operationid = (*workers)[request->workerid()].current_task;
       info.set_operationid(operationid);
       info.set_function_name(task_name);
-      info.set_worker_address((*workers)[request->workerid()].worker_address);
+      info.set_worker_address((*workers)[workerid].worker_address);
       info.set_error_message(request->previous_task_info().error_message());
-      (*workers)[request->workerid()].current_task = NO_OPERATION; // clear operation ID
+      (*workers)[workerid].current_task = NO_OPERATION; // clear operation ID
     }
     if (!request->previous_task_info().task_succeeded()) {
-      RAY_LOG(RAY_INFO, "Error: Task " << info.operationid() << " executing function " << info.function_name() << " on worker " << request->workerid() << " failed with error message: " << info.error_message());
+      RAY_LOG(RAY_INFO, "Error: Task " << info.operationid() << " executing function " << info.function_name() << " on worker " << workerid << " failed with error message: " << info.error_message());
       failed_tasks_.get()->push_back(info);
     } else {
       successful_tasks_.get()->push_back(info.operationid());
     }
     // TODO(rkn): Handle task failure
   }
-  avail_workers_.get()->push_back(request->workerid());
+  avail_workers_.get()->push_back(workerid);
   schedule();
   return Status::OK;
 }
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ Status SchedulerService::TaskInfo(ServerContext* context, const TaskInfoRequest*
   }
   for (int i = 0; i < workers->size(); ++i) {
     OperationId operationid = (*workers)[i].current_task;
-    if (operationid != NO_OPERATION) {
+    if (operationid != NO_OPERATION && operationid != ROOT_OPERATION) {
       const Task& task = computation_graph->get_task(operationid);
       TaskStatus* info = reply->add_running_task();
       info->set_operationid(operationid);
@@ -337,7 +338,7 @@ bool SchedulerService::can_run(const Task& task) {
   return true;
 }
 
-std::pair<WorkerId, ObjStoreId> SchedulerService::register_worker(const std::string& worker_address, const std::string& objstore_address) {
+std::pair<WorkerId, ObjStoreId> SchedulerService::register_worker(const std::string& worker_address, const std::string& objstore_address, bool is_driver) {
   RAY_LOG(RAY_INFO, "registering worker " << worker_address << " connected to object store " << objstore_address);
   ObjStoreId objstoreid = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max();
   // TODO: HACK: num_attempts is a hack
@@ -363,7 +364,11 @@ std::pair<WorkerId, ObjStoreId> SchedulerService::register_worker(const std::str
     (*workers)[workerid].objstoreid = objstoreid;
     (*workers)[workerid].worker_stub = WorkerService::NewStub(channel);
     (*workers)[workerid].worker_address = worker_address;
-    (*workers)[workerid].current_task = NO_OPERATION;
+    if (is_driver) {
+      (*workers)[workerid].current_task = ROOT_OPERATION; // We use this field to identify which workers are drivers.
+    } else {
+      (*workers)[workerid].current_task = NO_OPERATION;
+    }
   }
   return std::make_pair(workerid, objstoreid);
 }
diff --git a/src/scheduler.h b/src/scheduler.h
index 5b907f805..aad0ff8d0 100644
--- a/src/scheduler.h
+++ b/src/scheduler.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public:
   // checks if the dependencies of the task are met
   bool can_run(const Task& task);
   // register a worker and its object store (if it has not been registered yet)
-  std::pair<WorkerId, ObjStoreId> register_worker(const std::string& worker_address, const std::string& objstore_address);
+  std::pair<WorkerId, ObjStoreId> register_worker(const std::string& worker_address, const std::string& objstore_address, bool is_driver);
   // register a new object with the scheduler and return its object reference
   ObjRef register_new_object();
   // register the location of the object reference in the object table
diff --git a/src/worker.cc b/src/worker.cc
index d79060430..6423da92f 100644
--- a/src/worker.cc
+++ b/src/worker.cc
@@ -43,10 +43,11 @@ SubmitTaskReply Worker::submit_task(SubmitTaskRequest* request, int max_retries,
   return reply;
 }
 
-void Worker::register_worker(const std::string& worker_address, const std::string& objstore_address) {
+void Worker::register_worker(const std::string& worker_address, const std::string& objstore_address, bool is_driver) {
   RegisterWorkerRequest request;
   request.set_worker_address(worker_address);
   request.set_objstore_address(objstore_address);
+  request.set_is_driver(is_driver);
   RegisterWorkerReply reply;
   ClientContext context;
   Status status = scheduler_stub_->RegisterWorker(&context, request, &reply);
diff --git a/src/worker.h b/src/worker.h
index d52332e6a..95697e78f 100644
--- a/src/worker.h
+++ b/src/worker.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class Worker {
   // and try to resubmit the task to the scheduler up to max_retries more times.
   SubmitTaskReply submit_task(SubmitTaskRequest* request, int max_retries = 120, int retry_wait_milliseconds = 500);
   // send request to the scheduler to register this worker
-  void register_worker(const std::string& worker_address, const std::string& objstore_address);
+  void register_worker(const std::string& worker_address, const std::string& objstore_address, bool is_driver);
   // get a new object reference that is registered with the scheduler
   ObjRef get_objref();
   // request an object to be delivered to the local object store