One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for automatic launching of a dependent task when execution of a first task completes. Automatically launching the dependent task reduces the latency incurred during the transition from the first task to the dependent task. Information associated with the dependent task is encoded as part of the metadata for the first task. When execution of the first task completes a task scheduling unit is notified and the dependent task is launched without requiring any release or acquisition of a semaphore. The information associated with the dependent task includes an enable flag and a pointer to the dependent task. Once the dependent task is launched, the first task is marked as complete so that memory storing the metadata for the first task may be reused to store metadata for a new task.