diff --git a/ara/api/migrations/0001_initial.py b/ara/api/migrations/0001_initial.py
index bb2b4561..6fac4d09 100644
--- a/ara/api/migrations/0001_initial.py
+++ b/ara/api/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Generated by Django 2.1.3 on 2018-11-14 19:34
+# Generated by Django 2.1.3 on 2018-11-14 19:40
 
 from django.db import migrations, models
 import django.db.models.deletion
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
                 ('lineno', models.IntegerField()),
                 ('tags', models.BinaryField(max_length=4294967295)),
                 ('handler', models.BooleanField()),
-                ('completed', models.BooleanField(default=False)),
+                ('status', models.CharField(choices=[('unknown', 'unknown'), ('running', 'running'), ('completed', 'completed')], default='unknown', max_length=25)),
                 ('file', models.ForeignKey(on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE, related_name='tasks', to='api.File')),
                 ('play', models.ForeignKey(on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE, related_name='tasks', to='api.Play')),
                 ('playbook', models.ForeignKey(on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.CASCADE, related_name='tasks', to='api.Playbook')),
diff --git a/ara/api/models.py b/ara/api/models.py
index 3af1f37e..72892425 100644
--- a/ara/api/models.py
+++ b/ara/api/models.py
@@ -177,12 +177,19 @@ class Task(Duration):
     class Meta:
         db_table = "tasks"
 
+    # A task in ARA can be running (in progress) or completed (regardless of success or failure)
+    # Actual task statuses (such as failed, skipped, etc.) are actually in the Results table.
+    UNKNOWN = "unknown"
+    RUNNING = "running"
+    COMPLETED = "completed"
+    STATUS = ((UNKNOWN, "unknown"), (RUNNING, "running"), (COMPLETED, "completed"))
+
     name = models.TextField(blank=True, null=True)
     action = models.TextField()
     lineno = models.IntegerField()
     tags = models.BinaryField(max_length=(2 ** 32) - 1)
     handler = models.BooleanField()
-    completed = models.BooleanField(default=False)
+    status = models.CharField(max_length=25, choices=STATUS, default=UNKNOWN)
 
     play = models.ForeignKey(Play, on_delete=models.CASCADE, related_name="tasks")
     file = models.ForeignKey(File, on_delete=models.CASCADE, related_name="tasks")
diff --git a/ara/api/tests/factories.py b/ara/api/tests/factories.py
index 92e0fc25..33616532 100644
--- a/ara/api/tests/factories.py
+++ b/ara/api/tests/factories.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class TaskFactory(factory.DjangoModelFactory):
         model = models.Task
 
     name = "test task"
-    completed = True
+    status = "running"
     action = "setup"
     lineno = 2
     handler = False
diff --git a/ara/api/tests/tests_task.py b/ara/api/tests/tests_task.py
index 3bc84dba..bb0c1c2e 100644
--- a/ara/api/tests/tests_task.py
+++ b/ara/api/tests/tests_task.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class TaskTestCase(APITestCase):
                 "name": "serializer",
                 "action": "test",
                 "lineno": 2,
-                "completed": True,
+                "status": "completed",
                 "handler": False,
                 "play": play.id,
                 "file": file.id,
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class TaskTestCase(APITestCase):
         task = serializer.save()
         task.refresh_from_db()
         self.assertEqual(task.name, "serializer")
+        self.assertEqual(task.status, "completed")
 
     def test_task_serializer_compress_tags(self):
         play = factories.PlayFactory()
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ class TaskTestCase(APITestCase):
                 "name": "compress",
                 "action": "test",
                 "lineno": 2,
-                "completed": True,
+                "status": "running",
                 "handler": False,
                 "play": play.id,
                 "file": file.id,
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ class TaskTestCase(APITestCase):
                 "action": "test",
                 "lineno": 2,
                 "handler": False,
-                "completed": True,
+                "status": "running",
                 "play": play.id,
                 "file": file.id,
                 "playbook": play.playbook.id,
@@ -140,3 +141,11 @@ class TaskTestCase(APITestCase):
         task = factories.TaskFactory(started=started, ended=ended)
         request = self.client.get("/api/v1/tasks/%s" % task.id)
         self.assertEqual(request.data["duration"], datetime.timedelta(0, 3600))
+
+    def test_update_wrong_task_status(self):
+        task = factories.TaskFactory()
+        self.assertNotEqual("wrong", task.status)
+        request = self.client.patch("/api/v1/tasks/%s" % task.id, {"status": "wrong"})
+        self.assertEqual(400, request.status_code)
+        task_updated = models.Task.objects.get(id=task.id)
+        self.assertNotEqual("wrong", task_updated.status)