diff --git a/cmd/droned/drone.go b/cmd/droned/drone.go
index b31f688c6..e8d0e2ab6 100644
--- a/cmd/droned/drone.go
+++ b/cmd/droned/drone.go
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// setup database and handlers
 	setupDatabase()
+	discardOldBuilds()
 	setupStatic()
 	setupHandlers()
 
@@ -116,6 +117,22 @@ func setupDatabase() {
 	migration.All().Migrate()
 }
 
+// discardOldBuilds sets builds that are in the 'Started'
+// state to 'Failure' on startup. The assumption is that
+// the drone process was shut down mid-build and thus the
+// builds will never complete.
+func discardOldBuilds() {
+	err := database.FailStartedBuilds()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	err = database.FailStartedCommits()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
 // setup routes for static assets. These assets may
 // be directly embedded inside the application using
 // the `rice embed` command, else they are served from disk.
diff --git a/pkg/database/builds.go b/pkg/database/builds.go
index 8aacf32dd..c589b625c 100644
--- a/pkg/database/builds.go
+++ b/pkg/database/builds.go
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ WHERE slug = ? AND commit_id = ?
 LIMIT 1
 `
 
+// SQL Queries to fail all builds that are running
+const buildFailStartedStmt = `
+UPDATE builds
+SET status = 'Failure'
+WHERE status = 'Started'
+`
+
 // SQL Queries to delete a Commit.
 const buildDeleteStmt = `
 DELETE FROM builds WHERE id = ?
@@ -69,3 +76,8 @@ func ListBuilds(id int64) ([]*Build, error) {
 	err := meddler.QueryAll(db, &builds, buildStmt, id)
 	return builds, err
 }
+
+func FailStartedBuilds() error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(buildFailStartedStmt)
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/pkg/database/commits.go b/pkg/database/commits.go
index 74e0d86b4..b58f3f8d9 100644
--- a/pkg/database/commits.go
+++ b/pkg/database/commits.go
@@ -101,11 +101,18 @@ WHERE id IN (
     SELECT MAX(id)
     FROM commits
     WHERE repo_id = ?
-    AND   branch  = ? 
+    AND   branch  = ?
     GROUP BY branch)
 LIMIT 1
  `
 
+// SQL Queries to fail all commits that are currently building
+const commitFailStartedStmt = `
+UPDATE commits
+SET status = 'Failure'
+WHERE status = 'Started'
+`
+
 // Returns the Commit with the given ID.
 func GetCommit(id int64) (*Commit, error) {
 	commit := Commit{}
@@ -172,3 +179,8 @@ func ListBranches(repo int64) ([]*Commit, error) {
 	err := meddler.QueryAll(db, &commits, commitBranchesStmt, repo)
 	return commits, err
 }
+
+func FailStartedCommits() error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(commitFailStartedStmt)
+	return err
+}