diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/data_migrations/process_instance_migrator.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/data_migrations/process_instance_migrator.py
index cf49d41cc..343f93dbd 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/data_migrations/process_instance_migrator.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/data_migrations/process_instance_migrator.py
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ def benchmark_log_func(func: Any) -> Any:
 
 
 class ProcessInstanceMigrator:
+    CURRENT_VERSION = "3"
+
     @classmethod
     def run(cls, process_instance: ProcessInstanceModel) -> None:
         """This updates the serialization of an instance to the current expected state.
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ class ProcessInstanceMigrator:
 
         # if the serializer version is None, then we are dealing with a new process instance,
         # so we do not need to run the migrator
+        # it will be set the newest serializer version momentarily.
         if process_instance.spiff_serializer_version is None:
             return
 
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/tasks_controller.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/tasks_controller.py
index 8b25d04fd..837ed9c26 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/tasks_controller.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/routes/tasks_controller.py
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ def _interstitial_stream(
     execute_tasks: bool = True,
     is_locked: bool = False,
 ) -> Generator[str, str | None, None]:
-    def get_reportable_tasks() -> Any:
+    def get_reportable_tasks(processor: ProcessInstanceProcessor) -> Any:
         return processor.bpmn_process_instance.get_tasks(
             state=TaskState.WAITING | TaskState.STARTED | TaskState.READY | TaskState.ERROR
         )
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ def _interstitial_stream(
 
     processor = ProcessInstanceProcessor(process_instance)
     reported_ids = []  # A list of all the ids reported by this endpoint so far.
-    tasks = get_reportable_tasks()
+    tasks = get_reportable_tasks(processor)
     while True:
         has_ready_tasks = False
         for spiff_task in tasks:
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ def _interstitial_stream(
             ]:
                 break
 
-        tasks = get_reportable_tasks()
+        tasks = get_reportable_tasks(processor)
 
     spiff_task = processor.next_task()
     if spiff_task is not None:
@@ -672,6 +672,13 @@ def _dequeued_interstitial_stream(
             except ProcessInstanceIsAlreadyLockedError:
                 yield from _interstitial_stream(process_instance, execute_tasks=False, is_locked=True)
         else:
+            # attempt to run the migrator even for a readonly operation if the process instance is not newest
+            if process_instance.spiff_serializer_version < ProcessInstanceMigrator.CURRENT_VERSION:
+                try:
+                    with ProcessInstanceQueueService.dequeued(process_instance):
+                        ProcessInstanceMigrator.run(process_instance)
+                except ProcessInstanceIsAlreadyLockedError:
+                    pass
             # no reason to get a lock if we are reading only
             yield from _interstitial_stream(process_instance, execute_tasks=execute_tasks)
     except Exception as ex: