diff --git a/src/worker/src/controller_connector.c b/src/worker/src/controller_connector.c
index fada7598..aec314f7 100755
--- a/src/worker/src/controller_connector.c
+++ b/src/worker/src/controller_connector.c
@@ -1390,10 +1390,15 @@ static int handle_runtasks(xce_request_t* request)
         task_ctx->xce_jobid = runmsg->jobid;
         task_ctx->clientidx = runmsg->clientidx;
 
+        /* bug-1955: like a head-host start (bug-1908), from here until the
+         * task runs a signal for it is kept instead of being dropped */
+        pending_signal_start(runmsg->jobid);
+
         if (submit_fork_task(cc_ctx->thread_pool, task_ctx) != 0) {
             XCECD_LOG(XCE_LOG_ERROR, "Failed to add task to thread pool");
             free_startinfo(task_ctx->startinfo);
             FREEUP(task_ctx);
+            (void)pending_signal_take(runmsg->jobid, NULL, NULL);
             xcecd_task_fail(runmsg->jobid, runmsg->clientidx, -1, -ENOMEM);
             return -1;
         } else {
diff --git a/src/worker/testsuite/test_controller_connector.c b/src/worker/testsuite/test_controller_connector.c
index 6a15436e..079c07ac 100644
--- a/src/worker/testsuite/test_controller_connector.c
+++ b/src/worker/testsuite/test_controller_connector.c
@@ -1595,6 +1595,49 @@ static void test_jobcontrol_signal_for_unknown_job_fails(void)
     TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, pending_signal_count());
 }
 
+/* bug-1955: a kill for a remote task this host accepted (runtasks) but has
+ * not registered yet is kept like a head-host start (bug-1908), not dropped
+ * with "Failed to find worker". */
+static void test_jobcontrol_signal_for_queued_remote_task_is_kept(void)
+{
+    controller_connector_ctx_t fake_cc          = { 0 };
+    void*                      worker_list_head = NULL;
+    fake_cc.running                             = true;
+    fake_cc.worker_list                         = &worker_list_head;
+    cc_ctx                                      = &fake_cc;
+
+    char           host[]   = "rt-host";
+    char           cmd[]    = "sleep 60";
+    char           user[]   = "nobody";
+    xce_taskhost_t th       = { .host = host, .ntasks = 1, .execuser = user,
+                                .cmdline = cmd };
+    xce_taskhost_t* ths[1]  = { &th };
+    xce_taskrun_t  run      = { .jobid = 4545, .nhosts = 1, .clientidx = 0,
+                                .taskhosts = ths };
+    xce_request_t  runreq   = { 0 };
+    xce_signal_t   sig      = { .signo = 9, .force = 1 };
+    xce_jobctrl_t  ctrl     = { .action = JobControl_u_siginfo, .jobid = 4545 };
+    xce_request_t  sigreq   = { 0 };
+    char*          old_from = xce_client_cfg.from;
+    int            signo    = 0;
+    bool           force    = false;
+
+    xce_client_cfg.from    = host;
+    runreq.body.runtaskmsg = &run;
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, handle_runtasks(&runreq));
+
+    ctrl.u.siginfo         = &sig;
+    sigreq.body.jobctrlmsg = &ctrl;
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT_MESSAGE(0, handle_jobcontrol(&sigreq),
+                                  "the kill must not be dropped");
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE_MESSAGE(pending_signal_take(4545, &signo, &force),
+                             "the kill must be kept for the queued task");
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(9, signo);
+    TEST_ASSERT_TRUE(force);
+
+    xce_client_cfg.from = old_from;
+}
+
 int main(void)
 {
     xce_init_xcecd_log("/tmp/test_controller_connector.log", 1024 * 1024, 2);
@@ -1604,6 +1647,7 @@ int main(void)
     RUN_TEST(test_build_cluster_config_no_peers_synthesizes_single_candidate);
     RUN_TEST(test_jobcontrol_signal_for_queued_start_is_kept);
     RUN_TEST(test_jobcontrol_signal_for_unknown_job_fails);
+    RUN_TEST(test_jobcontrol_signal_for_queued_remote_task_is_kept);
     RUN_TEST(
         test_build_cluster_config_single_entry_peers_matches_synthesized_shape);
     RUN_TEST(test_build_cluster_config_multi_candidate_passthrough);