diff --git a/manager/scheduler/revision_recovery_test.go b/manager/scheduler/revision_recovery_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fcda2b6e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manager/scheduler/revision_recovery_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package scheduler
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/api"
+	"github.com/moby/swarmkit/v2/manager/state/store"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestPendingOldRevisionRecoversWhenNodeReturns(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	state := store.NewMemoryStore(nil)
+	defer state.Close()
+	service := &api.Service{ID: "service", SpecVersion: &api.Version{Index: 2}}
+	task := &api.Task{
+		ID: "pending", ServiceID: service.ID, SpecVersion: &api.Version{Index: 1},
+		DesiredState: api.TaskStateRunning, Status: api.TaskStatus{State: api.TaskStatePending},
+		Spec: api.TaskSpec{Runtime: &api.TaskSpec_Container{Container: &api.ContainerSpec{Image: "busybox:1.37"}}},
+	}
+	// A service-level metadata update changes the revision, not the task spec.
+	service.Spec.Task = task.Spec
+	node := &api.Node{
+		ID: "worker", Spec: api.NodeSpec{Availability: api.NodeAvailabilityActive},
+		Status: api.NodeStatus{State: api.NodeStatus_DOWN}, Description: &api.NodeDescription{},
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, state.Update(func(tx store.Tx) error {
+		require.NoError(t, store.CreateService(tx, service))
+		require.NoError(t, store.CreateTask(tx, task))
+		return store.CreateNode(tx, node)
+	}))
+	scheduler := New(state)
+	state.View(func(tx store.ReadTx) { require.NoError(t, scheduler.setupTasksList(tx)) })
+	scheduler.tick(ctx)
+	require.Contains(t, scheduler.unassignedTasks, task.ID,
+		"an older spec revision must not discard a task that is still desired running")
+	node.Status.State = api.NodeStatus_READY
+	require.NoError(t, state.Update(func(tx store.Tx) error { return store.UpdateNode(tx, node) }))
+	scheduler.createOrUpdateNode(node)
+	scheduler.tick(ctx)
+	state.View(func(tx store.ReadTx) {
+		recovered := store.GetTask(tx, task.ID)
+		require.Equal(t, api.TaskStateAssigned, recovered.Status.State)
+		require.Equal(t, node.ID, recovered.NodeID)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/manager/scheduler/scheduler.go b/manager/scheduler/scheduler.go
index 135deff74c..f7bee51dcf 100644
--- a/manager/scheduler/scheduler.go
+++ b/manager/scheduler/scheduler.go
@@ -943,7 +943,9 @@ func (s *Scheduler) noSuitableNode(ctx context.Context, taskGroup map[string]*ap
 		newT.Status.Timestamp = ptypes.MustTimestampProto(time.Now())
 		sv := service.SpecVersion
 		tv := newT.SpecVersion
-		if sv != nil && tv != nil && sv.Index > tv.Index {
+		// A metadata-only service update can leave a valid task on an older
+		// revision. Keep retrying it until the orchestrator requests shutdown.
+		if sv != nil && tv != nil && sv.Index > tv.Index && t.DesiredState >= api.TaskStateShutdown {
 			log.G(ctx).WithField("task.id", t.ID).Debug(
 				"task belongs to old revision of service",
 			)