diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/DAGScheduler.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/DAGScheduler.scala
index fe3a48440991a..b5a2231b696f5 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/DAGScheduler.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/DAGScheduler.scala
@@ -1136,11 +1136,11 @@ private[spark] class DAGScheduler(
     val taskIdToLocations: Map[Int, Seq[TaskLocation]] = try {
       stage match {
         case s: ShuffleMapStage =>
-          partitionsToCompute.map { id => (id, getPreferredLocs(stage.rdd, id))}.toMap
+          partitionsToCompute.map { id => (id, getPreferredLocsInternal(stage.rdd, id))}.toMap
         case s: ResultStage =>
           partitionsToCompute.map { id =>
             val p = s.partitions(id)
-            (id, getPreferredLocs(stage.rdd, p))
+            (id, getPreferredLocsInternal(stage.rdd, p))
           }.toMap
       }
     } catch {
@@ -1152,7 +1152,8 @@ private[spark] class DAGScheduler(
         return
     }
 
-    stage.makeNewStageAttempt(partitionsToCompute.size, taskIdToLocations.values.toSeq)
+    val taskLocalityPrefs = taskIdToLocations.values.map(_.filter(_ != WildcardLocation)).toSeq
+    stage.makeNewStageAttempt(partitionsToCompute.size, taskLocalityPrefs)
 
     // If there are tasks to execute, record the submission time of the stage. Otherwise,
     // post the even without the submission time, which indicates that this stage was
@@ -2054,7 +2055,7 @@ private[spark] class DAGScheduler(
   /**
    * Gets the locality information associated with a partition of a particular RDD.
    *
-   * This method is thread-safe and is called from both DAGScheduler and SparkContext.
+   * This method is thread-safe and is called from SparkContext.
    *
    * @param rdd whose partitions are to be looked at
    * @param partition to lookup locality information for
@@ -2062,6 +2063,20 @@ private[spark] class DAGScheduler(
    */
   private[spark]
   def getPreferredLocs(rdd: RDD[_], partition: Int): Seq[TaskLocation] = {
+    getPreferredLocsInternal(rdd, partition).filter(_ != WildcardLocation)
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Gets the locality information associated with a partition of a particular RDD, which may
+   * include a [[WildcardLocation]].
+   *
+   * This method is thread-safe and is called from DAGScheduler only.
+   *
+   * @param rdd whose partitions are to be looked at
+   * @param partition to lookup locality information for
+   * @return list of machines that are preferred by the partition
+   */
+  private def getPreferredLocsInternal(rdd: RDD[_], partition: Int): Seq[TaskLocation] = {
     getPreferredLocsInternal(rdd, partition, new HashSet)
   }
 
@@ -2090,7 +2105,10 @@ private[spark] class DAGScheduler(
     // If the RDD has some placement preferences (as is the case for input RDDs), get those
     val rddPrefs = rdd.preferredLocations(rdd.partitions(partition)).toList
     if (rddPrefs.nonEmpty) {
-      return rddPrefs.map(TaskLocation(_))
+      return rddPrefs.map {
+        case WildcardLocation.host => WildcardLocation
+        case host => TaskLocation(host)
+      }
     }
 
     // If the RDD has narrow dependencies, pick the first partition of the first narrow dependency
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskLocation.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskLocation.scala
index 06b52935c696c..9f97daf2876aa 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskLocation.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskLocation.scala
@@ -49,6 +49,22 @@ private [spark] case class HDFSCacheTaskLocation(override val host: String) exte
   override def toString: String = TaskLocation.inMemoryLocationTag + host
 }
 
+/**
+ * A location that can match any host. This can be used as one of the locations in
+ * `RDD.getPreferredLocations` to indicate that the task can be assigned to any host if none of
+ * the other desired locations can be satisfied immediately.
+ *
+ * This location is only used internally by DAGScheduler to skip delayed scheduling for individual
+ * RDDs. `DAGScheduler.getPreferredLocs` does not contain this location.
+ *
+ * @note This class is experimental and may be replaced by a more complete solution for delayed
+ *       scheduling.
+ */
+private [spark] case object WildcardLocation extends TaskLocation {
+  override val host: String = "*"
+  override def toString: String = host
+}
+
 private[spark] object TaskLocation {
   // We identify hosts on which the block is cached with this prefix.  Because this prefix contains
   // underscores, which are not legal characters in hostnames, there should be no potential for
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskSetManager.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskSetManager.scala
index 5c0bc497dd1b3..b3e0ecf8f1bf6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskSetManager.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskSetManager.scala
@@ -217,7 +217,8 @@ private[spark] class TaskSetManager(
       resolveRacks: Boolean = true,
       speculatable: Boolean = false): Unit = {
     val pendingTaskSetToAddTo = if (speculatable) pendingSpeculatableTasks else pendingTasks
-    for (loc <- tasks(index).preferredLocations) {
+    val preferredLocations = tasks(index).preferredLocations
+    for (loc <- preferredLocations.filter(_ != WildcardLocation)) {
       loc match {
         case e: ExecutorCacheTaskLocation =>
           pendingTaskSetToAddTo.forExecutor.getOrElseUpdate(e.executorId, new ArrayBuffer) += index
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@ private[spark] class TaskSetManager(
       }
     }
 
-    if (tasks(index).preferredLocations == Nil) {
+    if (preferredLocations == Nil || preferredLocations.contains(WildcardLocation)) {
       pendingTaskSetToAddTo.noPrefs += index
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskSetManagerSuite.scala b/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskSetManagerSuite.scala
index 34bcae8abd512..5a4c6afb417bb 100644
--- a/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskSetManagerSuite.scala
+++ b/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/scheduler/TaskSetManagerSuite.scala
@@ -1796,4 +1796,22 @@ class TaskSetManagerSuite extends SparkFunSuite with LocalSparkContext with Logg
     manager.handleFailedTask(offerResult.get.taskId, TaskState.FAILED, reason)
     assert(sched.taskSetsFailed.contains(taskSet.id))
   }
+
+  test("Tasks with wildcard location can run immediately if preferred location not available") {
+    sc = new SparkContext("local", "test")
+    sched = new FakeTaskScheduler(sc, ("exec1", "host1"), ("exec2", "host2"), ("exec3", "host3"))
+    val taskSet = FakeTask.createTaskSet(3,
+      Seq(TaskLocation("host1"), WildcardLocation),
+      Seq(TaskLocation("host1"), WildcardLocation),
+      Seq(TaskLocation("host2"), WildcardLocation)
+    )
+    val clock = new ManualClock
+    val manager = new TaskSetManager(sched, taskSet, MAX_TASK_FAILURES, clock = clock)
+    assert(manager.resourceOffer("exec1", "host1", NODE_LOCAL).get.index === 0)
+    // Second task is not scheduled as it does not satisfy locality level.
+    assert(manager.resourceOffer("exec2", "host2", NODE_LOCAL).get.index === 2)
+    assert(manager.resourceOffer("exec3", "host3", NODE_LOCAL).isEmpty)
+    // Second task is scheduled immediately on a non-preferred host with NO_PREF locality level.
+    assert(manager.resourceOffer("exec3", "host3", NO_PREF).get.index === 1)
+  }
 }