diff --git a/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Def.scala b/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Def.scala
index b63e58d3b..d67d8dc5b 100644
--- a/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Def.scala
+++ b/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/Def.scala
@@ -235,6 +235,12 @@ object Def extends Init[Scope] with TaskMacroExtra with InitializeImplicits {
   def inputTaskDyn[T](t: Def.Initialize[Task[T]]): Def.Initialize[InputTask[T]] =
     macro inputTaskDynMacroImpl[T]
 
+  /** Returns `PromiseWrap[A]`, which is a wrapper around `scala.concurrent.Promise`.
+   * When a task is typed promise (e.g. `Def.Initialize[Task[PromiseWrap[A]]]`),an implicit
+   * method called `await` is injected which will run in a thread outside of concurrent restriction budget.
+   */
+  def promise[A]: PromiseWrap[A] = new PromiseWrap[A]()
+
   // The following conversions enable the types Initialize[T], Initialize[Task[T]], and Task[T] to
   //  be used in task and setting macros as inputs with an ultimate result of type T
 
diff --git a/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/PromiseWrap.scala b/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/PromiseWrap.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2706ac5bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main-settings/src/main/scala/sbt/PromiseWrap.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * sbt
+ * Copyright 2011 - 2018, Lightbend, Inc.
+ * Copyright 2008 - 2010, Mark Harrah
+ * Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (see LICENSE)
+ */
+
+package sbt
+
+import scala.concurrent.{ Promise => XPromise }
+
+final class PromiseWrap[A] {
+  private[sbt] val underlying: XPromise[A] = XPromise()
+  def complete(result: Result[A]): Unit =
+    result match {
+      case Inc(cause)   => underlying.failure(cause)
+      case Value(value) => underlying.success(value)
+    }
+  def success(value: A): Unit = underlying.success(value)
+  def failure(cause: Throwable): Unit = underlying.failure(cause)
+}
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/EvaluateTask.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/EvaluateTask.scala
index 2816acfe9..c16ef6b1c 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/EvaluateTask.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/EvaluateTask.scala
@@ -444,10 +444,16 @@ object EvaluateTask {
     log.debug(
       s"Running task... Cancel: ${config.cancelStrategy}, check cycles: ${config.checkCycles}, forcegc: ${config.forceGarbageCollection}"
     )
+    def tagMap(t: Task[_]): Tags.TagMap =
+      t.info.get(tagsKey).getOrElse(Map.empty)
     val tags =
-      tagged[Task[_]](_.info get tagsKey getOrElse Map.empty, Tags.predicate(config.restrictions))
+      tagged[Task[_]](tagMap, Tags.predicate(config.restrictions))
     val (service, shutdownThreads) =
-      completionService[Task[_], Completed](tags, (s: String) => log.warn(s))
+      completionService[Task[_], Completed](
+        tags,
+        (s: String) => log.warn(s),
+        (t: Task[_]) => tagMap(t).contains(Tags.Sentinel)
+      )
 
     def shutdown(): Unit = {
       // First ensure that all threads are stopped for task execution.
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
index 7c4c1ce85..555737dd5 100755
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Project.scala
@@ -865,6 +865,24 @@ object Project extends ProjectExtra {
     }
   }
 
+  /** implicitly injected to tasks that return PromiseWrap.
+   */
+  final class RichTaskPromise[A](i: Def.Initialize[Task[PromiseWrap[A]]]) {
+    import scala.concurrent.Await
+    import scala.concurrent.duration._
+
+    def await: Def.Initialize[Task[A]] = await(Duration.Inf)
+
+    def await(atMost: Duration): Def.Initialize[Task[A]] =
+      (Def
+        .task {
+          val p = i.value
+          val result: A = Await.result(p.underlying.future, atMost)
+          result
+        })
+        .tag(Tags.Sentinel)
+  }
+
   import scala.reflect.macros._
 
   def projectMacroImpl(c: blackbox.Context): c.Expr[Project] = {
@@ -907,6 +925,11 @@ trait ProjectExtra {
   implicit def richTaskSessionVar[T](init: Initialize[Task[T]]): Project.RichTaskSessionVar[T] =
     new Project.RichTaskSessionVar(init)
 
+  implicit def sbtRichTaskPromise[A](
+      i: Initialize[Task[PromiseWrap[A]]]
+  ): Project.RichTaskPromise[A] =
+    new Project.RichTaskPromise(i)
+
   def inThisBuild(ss: Seq[Setting[_]]): Seq[Setting[_]] =
     inScope(ThisScope.copy(project = Select(ThisBuild)))(ss)
 
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Tags.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Tags.scala
index 7b30bbdd2..ec37b8807 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Tags.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Tags.scala
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ object Tags {
   val Update = Tag("update")
   val Publish = Tag("publish")
   val Clean = Tag("clean")
+  // special tag for waiting on a promise
+  val Sentinel = Tag("sentinel")
 
   val CPU = Tag("cpu")
   val Network = Tag("network")
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/promise/build.sbt b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/promise/build.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..977218fb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/promise/build.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+val midpoint = taskKey[PromiseWrap[Int]]("")
+val longRunning = taskKey[Unit]("")
+val midTask = taskKey[Unit]("")
+val joinTwo = taskKey[Unit]("")
+val output = settingKey[File]("")
+
+lazy val root = (project in file("."))
+  .settings(
+    name := "promise",
+    output := baseDirectory.value / "output.txt",
+    midpoint := Def.promise[Int],
+    longRunning := {
+      val p = midpoint.value
+      val st = streams.value
+      IO.write(output.value, "start\n", append = true)
+      Thread.sleep(100)
+      p.success(5)
+      Thread.sleep(100)
+      IO.write(output.value, "end\n", append = true)
+    },
+    midTask := {
+      val st = streams.value
+      val x = midpoint.await.value
+      IO.write(output.value, s"$x in the middle\n", append = true)
+    },
+    joinTwo := {
+      val x = longRunning.value
+      val y = midTask.value
+    },
+    TaskKey[Unit]("check") := {
+      val lines = IO.read(output.value).linesIterator.toList
+      assert(lines == List("start", "5 in the middle", "end"))
+      ()
+    },
+    TaskKey[Unit]("check2") := {
+      val lines = IO.read(output.value).linesIterator.toList
+      assert(lines == List("start", "end", "5 in the middle"))
+      ()
+    },
+  )
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/promise/test b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/promise/test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..24416f93e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/actions/promise/test
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+> joinTwo
+> check
+
+$ delete output.txt
+# check that we won't thread starve
+> set Global / concurrentRestrictions := Seq(Tags.limitAll(1))
+> joinTwo
+> check2
diff --git a/tasks/src/main/scala/sbt/CompletionService.scala b/tasks/src/main/scala/sbt/CompletionService.scala
index 2338ca885..54d619d09 100644
--- a/tasks/src/main/scala/sbt/CompletionService.scala
+++ b/tasks/src/main/scala/sbt/CompletionService.scala
@@ -8,7 +8,18 @@
 package sbt
 
 trait CompletionService[A, R] {
+
+  /**
+   * Submits a work node A with work that returns R.
+   * In Execute this is used for tasks returning sbt.Completed.
+   */
   def submit(node: A, work: () => R): Unit
+
+  /**
+   * Retrieves and removes the result from the next completed task,
+   * waiting if none are yet present.
+   * In Execute this is used for tasks returning sbt.Completed.
+   */
   def take(): R
 }
 
diff --git a/tasks/src/main/scala/sbt/ConcurrentRestrictions.scala b/tasks/src/main/scala/sbt/ConcurrentRestrictions.scala
index e4db63e2b..50fba84dd 100644
--- a/tasks/src/main/scala/sbt/ConcurrentRestrictions.scala
+++ b/tasks/src/main/scala/sbt/ConcurrentRestrictions.scala
@@ -136,6 +136,26 @@ object ConcurrentRestrictions {
     })
   }
 
+  def completionService[A, R](
+      tags: ConcurrentRestrictions[A],
+      warn: String => Unit,
+      isSentinel: A => Boolean
+  ): (CompletionService[A, R], () => Unit) = {
+    val pool = Executors.newCachedThreadPool()
+    (completionService[A, R](pool, tags, warn, isSentinel), () => {
+      pool.shutdownNow()
+      ()
+    })
+  }
+
+  def completionService[A, R](
+      backing: Executor,
+      tags: ConcurrentRestrictions[A],
+      warn: String => Unit
+  ): CompletionService[A, R] = {
+    completionService[A, R](backing, tags, warn, (_: A) => false)
+  }
+
   /**
    * Constructs a CompletionService suitable for backing task execution based on the provided restrictions on concurrent task execution
    * and using the provided Executor to manage execution on threads.
@@ -143,7 +163,8 @@ object ConcurrentRestrictions {
   def completionService[A, R](
       backing: Executor,
       tags: ConcurrentRestrictions[A],
-      warn: String => Unit
+      warn: String => Unit,
+      isSentinel: A => Boolean,
   ): CompletionService[A, R] = {
 
     // Represents submitted work for a task.
@@ -164,17 +185,22 @@ object ConcurrentRestrictions {
       private[this] val pending = new LinkedList[Enqueue]
 
       def submit(node: A, work: () => R): Unit = synchronized {
-        val newState = tags.add(tagState, node)
-        // if the new task is allowed to run concurrently with the currently running tasks,
-        //   submit it to be run by the backing j.u.c.CompletionService
-        if (tags valid newState) {
-          tagState = newState
-          submitValid(node, work)
-          ()
+        if (isSentinel(node)) {
+          // skip all checks for sentinels
+          CompletionService.submit(work, jservice)
         } else {
-          if (running == 0) errorAddingToIdle()
-          pending.add(new Enqueue(node, work))
-          ()
+          val newState = tags.add(tagState, node)
+          // if the new task is allowed to run concurrently with the currently running tasks,
+          //   submit it to be run by the backing j.u.c.CompletionService
+          if (tags valid newState) {
+            tagState = newState
+            submitValid(node, work)
+            ()
+          } else {
+            if (running == 0) errorAddingToIdle()
+            pending.add(new Enqueue(node, work))
+            ()
+          }
         }
         ()
       }