diff --git a/hrun/include/hrun/hrun_types.h b/hrun/include/hrun/hrun_types.h
index d167add46..29a7183e1 100644
--- a/hrun/include/hrun/hrun_types.h
+++ b/hrun/include/hrun/hrun_types.h
@@ -114,12 +114,13 @@ struct DomainId {
   /** Domain has the local node */
   HSHM_ALWAYS_INLINE
   bool IsRemote(size_t num_hosts, u32 this_node) const {
-    if (num_hosts == 1) {
+    if (num_hosts == 1 && !flags_.Any(kNoLocal)) {
       return false;
     } else {
-      return (flags_.Any(kGlobal | kSet) || (flags_.Any(kNode) && id_ != this_node));
+      return
+      (flags_.Any(kGlobal | kSet | kNoLocal) ||
+      (flags_.Any(kNode) && id_ != this_node));
     }
-    // return flags_.Any(kGlobal | kSet | kNode);
   }
 
   /** DomainId representing the local node */
diff --git a/hrun/include/hrun/task_registry/task.h b/hrun/include/hrun/task_registry/task.h
index c8723a1eb..8c4540e71 100644
--- a/hrun/include/hrun/task_registry/task.h
+++ b/hrun/include/hrun/task_registry/task.h
@@ -402,21 +402,6 @@ struct Task : public hipc::ShmContainer {
     task_flags_.UnsetBits(TASK_LANE_ALL);
   }
 
-  /** This task is a root task */
-  HSHM_ALWAYS_INLINE bool IsRoot() {
-    return task_flags_.Any(TASK_IS_ROOT);
-  }
-
-  /** Set this task as a root task */
-  HSHM_ALWAYS_INLINE void SetRoot() {
-    task_flags_.SetBits(TASK_IS_ROOT);
-  }
-
-  /** Unset this task a sa root task */
-  HSHM_ALWAYS_INLINE void UnsetRoot() {
-    task_flags_.UnsetBits(TASK_IS_ROOT);
-  }
-
   /** Set period in nanoseconds */
   HSHM_ALWAYS_INLINE void SetPeriodNs(double ns) {
     period_ns_ = ns;
diff --git a/hrun/include/hrun/work_orchestrator/worker.h b/hrun/include/hrun/work_orchestrator/worker.h
index 9070713ad..f0e0ac9a0 100644
--- a/hrun/include/hrun/work_orchestrator/worker.h
+++ b/hrun/include/hrun/work_orchestrator/worker.h
@@ -487,14 +487,7 @@ class Worker {
             task->SetStarted();
           }
         } else {
-          try {
-            exec->Run(task->method_, task, rctx);
-          } catch (std::exception &e) {
-            HELOG(kError, "(node {}) Worker {} caught an exception: {}", HRUN_CLIENT->node_id_, id_, e.what());
-          } catch (...) {
-            HELOG(kError, "(node {}) Worker {} caught an unknown exception", HRUN_CLIENT->node_id_, id_);
-
-          }
+          exec->Run(task->method_, task, rctx);
           task->SetStarted();
         }
         task->DidRun(work_entry.cur_time_);
diff --git a/hrun/tasks_required/hrun_admin/include/hrun_admin/hrun_admin.h b/hrun/tasks_required/hrun_admin/include/hrun_admin/hrun_admin.h
index ad05c76db..b95faced4 100644
--- a/hrun/tasks_required/hrun_admin/include/hrun_admin/hrun_admin.h
+++ b/hrun/tasks_required/hrun_admin/include/hrun_admin/hrun_admin.h
@@ -178,9 +178,14 @@ class Client : public TaskLibClient {
   }
   HRUN_TASK_NODE_ADMIN_ROOT(StopRuntime);
   void StopRuntimeRoot() {
+    HILOG(kInfo, "Beginning to flush the runtime.\n"
+                 "If you did async I/O, this may take some time.\n"
+                 "All unflushed data will be written to the PFS.")
     FlushRoot(DomainId::GetGlobal());
+    HILOG(kInfo, "Stopping the runtime")
     AsyncStopRuntimeRoot(DomainId::GetGlobalMinusLocal());
     AsyncStopRuntimeRoot(DomainId::GetLocal());
+    HILOG(kInfo, "All done!")
   }
 
   /** Set work orchestrator queue policy */
diff --git a/hrun/tasks_required/proc_queue/src/proc_queue.cc b/hrun/tasks_required/proc_queue/src/proc_queue.cc
index d576e6dc8..993c85ac4 100644
--- a/hrun/tasks_required/proc_queue/src/proc_queue.cc
+++ b/hrun/tasks_required/proc_queue/src/proc_queue.cc
@@ -47,9 +47,6 @@ class Server : public TaskLib {
           ptr->UnsetFireAndForget();
           task->is_fire_forget_ = true;
         }
-        if (ptr->task_node_.IsRoot() || task->task_node_.IsRoot()) {
-          ptr->SetRoot();
-        }
         MultiQueue *real_queue = HRUN_CLIENT->GetQueue(QueueId(ptr->task_state_));
         bool ret = real_queue->EmplaceFrac(
             ptr->prio_, ptr->lane_hash_, task->sub_run_.shm_);
diff --git a/hrun/tasks_required/remote_queue/include/remote_queue/remote_queue.h b/hrun/tasks_required/remote_queue/include/remote_queue/remote_queue.h
index 358643f95..9f26996a5 100644
--- a/hrun/tasks_required/remote_queue/include/remote_queue/remote_queue.h
+++ b/hrun/tasks_required/remote_queue/include/remote_queue/remote_queue.h
@@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ class Client : public TaskLibClient {
     LPointer<PushTask> push_task = HRUN_CLIENT->NewTask<PushTask>(
         orig_task->task_node_ + 1, DomainId::GetLocal(), id_,
         domain_ids, orig_task, exec, orig_task->method_, xfer);
-    if (orig_task->IsRoot()) {
-      push_task->SetRoot();
-    }
     MultiQueue *queue = HRUN_CLIENT->GetQueue(queue_id_);
     queue->Emplace(push_task->prio_, 0, push_task.shm_);
   }
diff --git a/hrun/tasks_required/remote_queue/src/remote_queue.cc b/hrun/tasks_required/remote_queue/src/remote_queue.cc
index b9a440f6b..2034014c4 100644
--- a/hrun/tasks_required/remote_queue/src/remote_queue.cc
+++ b/hrun/tasks_required/remote_queue/src/remote_queue.cc
@@ -395,7 +395,6 @@ class Server : public TaskLib {
     orig_task->UnsetStarted();
     orig_task->UnsetDataOwner();
     orig_task->UnsetLongRunning();
-    orig_task->UnsetRoot();
     orig_task->task_flags_.SetBits(TASK_REMOTE_DEBUG_MARK);
 
     // Execute task