diff --git a/django_q/cluster.py b/django_q/cluster.py
index e63ed30..e98460b 100644
--- a/django_q/cluster.py
+++ b/django_q/cluster.py
@@ -315,7 +315,13 @@ def pusher(task_queue, event, list_key=Conf.Q_LIST, r=redis_client):
             sleep(10)
             break
         if task:
-            task_queue.put(task[1])
+            # unpack the task
+            try:
+                task = signing.SignedPackage.loads(task[1])
+            except (TypeError, signing.BadSignature) as e:
+                logger.error(e)
+                continue
+            task_queue.put(task)
             logger.debug(_('queueing from {}').format(list_key))
         if event.is_set():
             break
@@ -351,16 +357,10 @@ def worker(task_queue, result_queue, timer, timeout=Conf.TIMEOUT):
     db.close_old_connections()
     task_count = 0
     # Start reading the task queue
-    for pack in iter(task_queue.get, 'STOP'):
+    for task in iter(task_queue.get, 'STOP'):
         result = None
         timer.value = -1  # Idle
         task_count += 1
-        # unpickle the task
-        try:
-            task = signing.SignedPackage.loads(pack)
-        except (TypeError, signing.BadSignature) as e:
-            logger.error(e)
-            continue
         # Get the function from the task
         logger.info(_('{} processing [{}]').format(name, task['name']))
         f = task['func']
diff --git a/django_q/tasks.py b/django_q/tasks.py
index 07870d4..abaea1a 100644
--- a/django_q/tasks.py
+++ b/django_q/tasks.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def async(func, *args, **kwargs):
     # sign it
     pack = signing.SignedPackage.dumps(task)
     if sync:
-        return _sync(task['id'], pack)
+        return _sync(pack)
     # push it
     redis.rpush(list_key, pack)
     logger.debug('Pushed {}'.format(tag))
@@ -150,13 +150,14 @@ def delete_group(group_id, tasks=False):
     return Task.delete_group(group_id, tasks)
 
 
-def _sync(task_id, pack):
+def _sync(pack):
     """Simulate a package travelling through the cluster."""
     task_queue = Queue()
     result_queue = Queue()
-    task_queue.put(pack)
+    task = signing.SignedPackage.loads(pack)
+    task_queue.put(task)
     task_queue.put('STOP')
-    cluster.worker(task_queue, result_queue, Value('b', -1))
+    cluster.worker(task_queue, result_queue, Value('f', -1))
     result_queue.put('STOP')
     cluster.monitor(result_queue)
-    return task_id
+    return task['id']