diff --git a/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/k8splugin_state.go b/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/k8splugin_state.go
index 28e527c5b..24ad2c070 100644
--- a/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/k8splugin_state.go
+++ b/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/k8splugin_state.go
@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ func retrieveK8sObjectStatus(customState map[string]interface{}) (K8sObjectStatu
 		return k8sObjectUnknown, types.TaskPhaseUnknown, nil
 	}
 
-	status := k8sObjectUnknown
-	terminalTaskPhase := types.TaskPhaseUnknown
+	status := int(k8sObjectUnknown)
+	terminalTaskPhase := int(types.TaskPhaseUnknown)
 	foundStatus := false
 	foundPhase := false
 	for k, v := range customState {
 		if k == statusKey {
-			status, foundStatus = v.(K8sObjectStatus)
+			status, foundStatus = v.(int)
 		} else if k == terminalTaskPhaseKey {
-			terminalTaskPhase, foundPhase = v.(types.TaskPhase)
+			terminalTaskPhase, foundPhase = v.(int)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -51,16 +51,17 @@ func retrieveK8sObjectStatus(customState map[string]interface{}) (K8sObjectStatu
 		return k8sObjectUnknown, types.TaskPhaseUnknown, fmt.Errorf("invalid custom state %v", mapToString(customState))
 	}
 
-	return status, terminalTaskPhase, nil
+	return K8sObjectStatus(status), types.TaskPhase(terminalTaskPhase), nil
 }
 
 func storeK8sObjectStatus(status K8sObjectStatus, phase types.TaskPhase) map[string]interface{} {
 	customState := make(map[string]interface{})
-	customState[statusKey] = status
-	customState[terminalTaskPhaseKey] = phase
+	customState[statusKey] = int(status)
+	customState[terminalTaskPhaseKey] = int(phase)
 	return customState
 }
 
+//invalid custom state os=\"2\"\ntp=\"4\"\n","ts":"2019-10-11T00:29:24Z"}
 func mapToString(m map[string]interface{}) string {
 	b := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	for key, value := range m {
diff --git a/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/k8splugin_state_test.go b/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/k8splugin_state_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d6acde33b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/k8splugin_state_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package flytek8s
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/lyft/flyteplugins/go/tasks/v1/types"
+)
+
+func TestRetrieveK8sObjectStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	status := k8sObjectExists
+	phase := types.TaskPhaseRunning
+	customState := storeK8sObjectStatus(status, phase)
+
+	retrievedStatus, retrievedPhase, err := retrieveK8sObjectStatus(customState)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, status, retrievedStatus)
+	assert.Equal(t, phase, retrievedPhase)
+}
+
+func TestRetrieveK8sObjectStatus2(t *testing.T) {
+	status := 2
+	phase := 4
+	customState := make(map[string]interface{})
+	customState[statusKey] = status
+	customState[terminalTaskPhaseKey] = phase
+
+	retrievedStatus, retrievedPhase, err := retrieveK8sObjectStatus(customState)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, status, int(retrievedStatus))
+	assert.Equal(t, phase, int(retrievedPhase))
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/plugin_executor_test.go b/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/plugin_executor_test.go
index a38048811..c255b4acc 100755
--- a/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/plugin_executor_test.go
+++ b/go/tasks/v1/flytek8s/plugin_executor_test.go
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ func TestK8sTaskExecutor_CheckTaskStatus(t *testing.T) {
 		s, err := k.CheckTaskStatus(ctx, tctx, nil)
 		// first time after termination, we expect phase to not change but have custom state populated
 		assert.NotNil(t, s.State)
-		assert.Equal(t, flytek8s.k8sObjectStatus(2), s.State["os"])
+		assert.Equal(t, flytek8s.K8sObjectStatus(2), s.State["os"])
 		assert.Equal(t, types.TaskPhase(3), s.State["tp"])
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Equal(t, types.TaskPhaseQueued, s.Phase)