diff --git a/src/server/distrend.c b/src/server/distrend.c
--- a/src/server/distrend.c
+++ b/src/server/distrend.c
@@ -181,12 +181,15 @@ void mortition(struct distrenjob *head, 
         }
     }
 
-  if(isJobDone)
+  if(isJobDone) // if all frames were accounted for
     {
       distrenjob_remove(head, job);
       distrenjob_free(&job);
       general_info.jobs_in_queue--;
     }
+  else{
+    job->prev_frame_index = 0; // if the job isn't done, have frame_finder() start from the first frame, allowing it to see the frames that are now unassigned
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -298,7 +301,7 @@ int find_jobframe(struct distrenjob *hea
   found = 0;
   /* iterate through jobs from first to last */
   for(distrenjob_ptr = head->next; (!found && !distrenjob_ptr) && !distrenjob_ptr->hibernate; distrenjob_ptr = distrenjob_ptr->next)
-    for(frame_counter = 0; !found && frame_counter < distrenjob_ptr->total_frames; frame_counter ++)
+    for(frame_counter = distrenjob_ptr->prev_frame_index; !found && frame_counter < distrenjob_ptr->total_frames; frame_counter ++)
       if(distrenjob_ptr->frameset[frame_counter].status == FRAMESETSTATUS_UNASSIGNED)
 	{
 	  found = 1;
diff --git a/src/server/distrenjob.h b/src/server/distrenjob.h
--- a/src/server/distrenjob.h
+++ b/src/server/distrenjob.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ struct distrenjob {
   int total_frames; // how many frames are in the animation for stats/etc (unassigned frames)
   int watchdog_forgiveness; // how many seconds till the frame is re-assigned (if client computer crashes etc);
   short int hibernate;
+  int prev_frame_index; // the position in the array of the last frame that was assigned
   time_t total_render_time; // total seconds of time spent on all the completed frames
   char *output_format; /*< currently is the file extention of the request output format. @todo make this mime-type based/not a string */
   struct frameset *frameset;