diff --git a/lib/travis/hub/handler.rb b/lib/travis/hub/handler.rb
index ee2f8bda1..6321490d4 100644
--- a/lib/travis/hub/handler.rb
+++ b/lib/travis/hub/handler.rb
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 require 'travis/hub/helper/context'
+require 'travis/hub/helper/hash'
 require 'travis/hub/helper/string'
 require 'travis/hub/service'
 
 module Travis
   module Hub
     class Handler
-      include Helper::Context, Helper::String
+      include Helper::Context, Helper::Hash, Helper::String
 
       attr_reader :context, :type, :event, :payload, :object
 
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ def normalize_event(event)
         end
 
         def normalize_payload(payload)
-          payload = payload.symbolize_keys
+          payload = deep_symbolize_keys(payload)
           payload = normalize_state(payload)
           normalize_timestamps(payload)
         end
diff --git a/lib/travis/hub/helper/hash.rb b/lib/travis/hub/helper/hash.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..78d1507a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/travis/hub/helper/hash.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+module Travis
+  module Hub
+    module Helper
+      module Hash
+        def deep_symbolize_keys(hash)
+          hash.map do |key, obj|
+            obj = case obj
+            when Array
+              obj.map { |obj| deep_symbolize_keys(obj) }
+            when ::Hash
+              deep_symbolize_keys(obj)
+            else
+              obj
+            end
+            [key.to_sym, obj]
+          end.to_h
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/travis/hub/service/state_update.rb b/lib/travis/hub/service/state_update.rb
index 82ccebcc3..cd4051429 100644
--- a/lib/travis/hub/service/state_update.rb
+++ b/lib/travis/hub/service/state_update.rb
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 module Travis
   module Hub
     module Service
-      class StateUpdate < Struct.new(:event, :data)
+      class StateUpdate < Struct.new(:event, :data, :block)
         class Counter < Struct.new(:job_id, :redis)
-          TTL = 3600 * 12
+          TTL = 3600 * 24
 
           def count
             @count ||= redis.get(key).to_i
           end
 
-          def increment
-            count = redis.incr(key)
+          def store(count)
+            redis.set(key, count)
             redis.expire(key, TTL)
-            count
           end
 
           private
@@ -29,47 +28,63 @@ def key
         MSGS = {
           missing:   'Received state update (%p) with no count for job id=%p, last known count: %p.',
           ordered:   'Received state update %p (%p) for job id=%p, last known count: %p',
-          unordered: 'Received state update %p (%p) for job id=%p, last known count: %p. %s',
-          skip:      'Skipping the message.'
+          unordered: 'Received state update %p (%p) for job id=%p, last known count: %p. Skipping the message.',
         }
 
-        def apply?
-          return true if out_of_band? # TODO we need to increment the counter here, don't we?
-          return missing unless given?
-          apply = ordered? ? ordered : unordered
-          return true unless ENV['UPDATE_COUNT']
-          apply
+        def apply
+          if !enabled? || out_of_band?
+            call
+          elsif missing?
+            missing
+          elsif ordered?
+            ordered
+          else
+            unordered
+          end
         end
 
         private
 
+          def call
+            block.call
+          end
+
+          def enabled?
+            !!ENV['UPDATE_COUNT']
+          end
+
           def out_of_band?
             OUT_OF_BAND.include?(event)
           end
 
-          def given?
-            !count.nil?
+          def missing?
+            count.nil?
           end
 
           def missing
             warn :missing, event, job_id, counter.count
-            true
+            call
+            store
           end
 
           def ordered
             info :ordered, count, event, job_id, counter.count
-            true
+            call
+            store
           end
 
           def unordered
-            warn :unordered, count, event, job_id, counter.count, ENV['UPDATE_COUNT'] ? MSGS[:skip] : ''
-            false
+            warn :unordered, count, event, job_id, counter.count
           end
 
           def ordered?
             count >= counter.count
           end
 
+          def store
+            counter.store(count)
+          end
+
           def counter
             @counter ||= Counter.new(job_id, redis)
           end
diff --git a/lib/travis/hub/service/update_job.rb b/lib/travis/hub/service/update_job.rb
index 46ffdb964..278123096 100644
--- a/lib/travis/hub/service/update_job.rb
+++ b/lib/travis/hub/service/update_job.rb
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ class UpdateJob < Struct.new(:event, :data)
         def run
           exclusive do
             validate
-            update_job
-            notify
+            with_state_update do
+              update_job
+              notify
+            end
           end
         end
         instrument :run
@@ -38,7 +40,6 @@ def job
         private
 
           def update_job
-            return skipped unless apply_state_update?
             return error_job if event == :reset && resets.limited? && !job.finished?
             return recancel if recancel?
             return skipped if skip_canceled?
@@ -74,8 +75,8 @@ def skipped
             warn :skipped, event, job.id, job.state, data[:state], data
           end
 
-          def apply_state_update?
-            StateUpdate.new(context, event, data).apply?
+          def with_state_update(&block)
+            StateUpdate.new(context, event, data, block).apply
           end
 
           def resets
diff --git a/spec/travis/hub/service/update_job_spec.rb b/spec/travis/hub/service/update_job_spec.rb
index 96262921d..0f0e77427 100644
--- a/spec/travis/hub/service/update_job_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/travis/hub/service/update_job_spec.rb
@@ -270,7 +270,6 @@ def recieve(msg)
 
         it { expect(job.reload.state).to eq :received }
         it { expect(log).to include "W Received state update 2 (:start) for job id=#{job.id}, last known count: 3. Skipping the message." }
-        it { expect(log).to include "W Skipped event job:start for <Job id=#{job.id}> trying to update state from :received to :started" }
       end
     end
   end