diff --git a/taskflow/engines/action_engine/executor.py b/taskflow/engines/action_engine/executor.py
index 923149dd..1c925678 100644
--- a/taskflow/engines/action_engine/executor.py
+++ b/taskflow/engines/action_engine/executor.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 import abc
 import collections
-import multiprocessing
 from multiprocessing import managers
 import os
 import pickle
@@ -94,6 +93,16 @@ def _revert_task(task, arguments, result, failures, progress_callback=None):
     return (REVERTED, result)
 
 
+class _ViewableSyncManager(managers.SyncManager):
+    """Manager that exposes its state as methods."""
+
+    def is_shutdown(self):
+        return self._state.value == managers.State.SHUTDOWN
+
+    def is_running(self):
+        return self._state.value == managers.State.STARTED
+
+
 class _Channel(object):
     """Helper wrapper around a multiprocessing queue used by a worker."""
 
@@ -439,7 +448,7 @@ class ParallelProcessTaskExecutor(ParallelTaskExecutor):
                  dispatch_periodicity=None):
         super(ParallelProcessTaskExecutor, self).__init__(
             executor=executor, max_workers=max_workers)
-        self._manager = multiprocessing.Manager()
+        self._manager = _ViewableSyncManager()
         self._dispatcher = _Dispatcher(
             dispatch_periodicity=dispatch_periodicity)
         # Only created after starting...
@@ -454,12 +463,10 @@ class ParallelProcessTaskExecutor(ParallelTaskExecutor):
             raise RuntimeError("Worker thread must be stopped via stop()"
                                " before starting/restarting")
         super(ParallelProcessTaskExecutor, self).start()
-        # TODO(harlowja): do something else here besides accessing a state
-        # of the manager internals (it doesn't seem to expose any way to know
-        # this information)...
-        if self._manager._state.value == managers.State.SHUTDOWN:
-            self._manager = multiprocessing.Manager()
-        if self._manager._state.value == managers.State.INITIAL:
+        # These don't seem restartable; make a new one...
+        if self._manager.is_shutdown():
+            self._manager = _ViewableSyncManager()
+        if not self._manager.is_running():
             self._manager.start()
         self._dispatcher.reset()
         self._queue = self._manager.Queue()