diff --git a/classes/ActionScheduler_ActionFactory.php b/classes/ActionScheduler_ActionFactory.php
index 8d97417c5..11f8b037f 100644
--- a/classes/ActionScheduler_ActionFactory.php
+++ b/classes/ActionScheduler_ActionFactory.php
@@ -44,6 +44,28 @@ public function get_stored_action( $status, $hook, array $args = array(), Action
 		return apply_filters( 'action_scheduler_stored_action_instance', $action, $hook, $args, $schedule, $group );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Enqueue an action to run one time, as soon as possible (rather a specific scheduled time).
+	 *
+	 * This method creates a new action with the NULLSchedule. This schedule maps to a MySQL datetime string of
+	 * 0000-00-00 00:00:00. This is done to create a psuedo "async action" type that is fully backward compatible.
+	 * Existing queries to claim actions claim by date, meaning actions scheduled for 0000-00-00 00:00:00 will
+	 * always be claimed prior to actions scheduled for a specific date. This makes sure that any async action is
+	 * given priority in queue processing. This has the added advantage of making sure async actions can be
+	 * claimed by both the existing WP Cron and WP CLI runners, as well as a new async request runner.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $hook The hook to trigger when this action runs
+	 * @param array $args Args to pass when the hook is triggered
+	 * @param string $group A group to put the action in
+	 *
+	 * @return string The ID of the stored action
+	 */
+	public function async( $hook, $args = array(), $group = '' ) {
+		$schedule = new ActionScheduler_NullSchedule();
+		$action = new ActionScheduler_Action( $hook, $args, $schedule, $group );
+		return $this->store( $action );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @param string $hook The hook to trigger when this action runs
 	 * @param array $args Args to pass when the hook is triggered
diff --git a/classes/ActionScheduler_ListTable.php b/classes/ActionScheduler_ListTable.php
index 95f97d6b4..e94b86705 100644
--- a/classes/ActionScheduler_ListTable.php
+++ b/classes/ActionScheduler_ListTable.php
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ protected function get_schedule_display_string( ActionScheduler_Schedule $schedu
 		$schedule_display_string = '';
 
 		if ( ! $schedule->next() ) {
-			return $schedule_display_string;
+			return '0000-00-00 00:00:00';
 		}
 
 		$next_timestamp = $schedule->next()->getTimestamp();
diff --git a/classes/abstracts/ActionScheduler_Store.php b/classes/abstracts/ActionScheduler_Store.php
index 59ac236af..c96ca1f3b 100644
--- a/classes/abstracts/ActionScheduler_Store.php
+++ b/classes/abstracts/ActionScheduler_Store.php
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ protected function validate_sql_comparator( $comparison_operator ) {
 	protected function get_scheduled_date_string( ActionScheduler_Action $action, DateTime $scheduled_date = NULL ) {
 		$next = null === $scheduled_date ? $action->get_schedule()->next() : $scheduled_date;
 		if ( ! $next ) {
-			throw new InvalidArgumentException( __( 'Invalid schedule. Cannot save action.', 'action-scheduler' ) );
+			return '0000-00-00 00:00:00';
 		}
 		$next->setTimezone( new DateTimeZone( 'UTC' ) );
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ protected function get_scheduled_date_string( ActionScheduler_Action $action, Da
 	protected function get_scheduled_date_string_local( ActionScheduler_Action $action, DateTime $scheduled_date = NULL ) {
 		$next = null === $scheduled_date ? $action->get_schedule()->next() : $scheduled_date;
 		if ( ! $next ) {
-			throw new InvalidArgumentException( __( 'Invalid schedule. Cannot save action.', 'action-scheduler' ) );
+			return '0000-00-00 00:00:00';
 		}
 
 		ActionScheduler_TimezoneHelper::set_local_timezone( $next );
diff --git a/functions.php b/functions.php
index 2f27d7e7e..e67764ae3 100644
--- a/functions.php
+++ b/functions.php
@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@
  * General API functions for scheduling actions
  */
 
+/**
+ * Enqueue an action to run one time, as soon as possible
+ *
+ * @param string $hook The hook to trigger.
+ * @param array  $args Arguments to pass when the hook triggers.
+ * @param string $group The group to assign this job to.
+ * @return string The action ID.
+ */
+function as_enqueue_async_action( $hook, $args = array(), $group = '' ) {
+	return ActionScheduler::factory()->async( $hook, $args, $group );
+}
+
 /**
  * Schedule an action to run one time
  *
@@ -109,10 +121,12 @@ function as_unschedule_all_actions( $hook, $args = array(), $group = '' ) {
  * @param array $args
  * @param string $group
  *
- * @return int|bool The timestamp for the next occurrence, or false if nothing was found
+ * @return int|bool The timestamp for the next occurrence of a scheduled action, true for an async action or false if there is no matching, pending action.
  */
 function as_next_scheduled_action( $hook, $args = NULL, $group = '' ) {
-	$params = array();
+	$params = array(
+		'status' => ActionScheduler_Store::STATUS_PENDING,
+	);
 	if ( is_array($args) ) {
 		$params['args'] = $args;
 	}
@@ -127,6 +141,8 @@ function as_next_scheduled_action( $hook, $args = NULL, $group = '' ) {
 	$next = $job->get_schedule()->next();
 	if ( $next ) {
 		return (int)($next->format('U'));
+	} elseif ( NULL === $next ) { // pending async action with NullSchedule
+		return true;
 	}
 	return false;
 }
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/procedural_api/procedural_api_Test.php b/tests/phpunit/procedural_api/procedural_api_Test.php
index 543add798..c54925955 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/procedural_api/procedural_api_Test.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/procedural_api/procedural_api_Test.php
@@ -50,6 +50,32 @@ public function test_get_next() {
 		$this->assertEquals( $time->getTimestamp(), $next );
 	}
 
+	public function test_get_next_async() {
+		$hook = md5(rand());
+		$action_id = as_enqueue_async_action( $hook );
+
+		$next = as_next_scheduled_action( $hook );
+
+		$this->assertTrue( $next );
+
+		$store = ActionScheduler::store();
+
+		// Completed async actions should still return false
+		$store->mark_complete( $action_id );
+		$next = as_next_scheduled_action( $hook );
+		$this->assertFalse( $next );
+
+		// Failed async actions should still return false
+		$store->mark_failure( $action_id );
+		$next = as_next_scheduled_action( $hook );
+		$this->assertFalse( $next );
+
+		// Cancelled async actions should still return false
+		$store->cancel_action( $action_id );
+		$next = as_next_scheduled_action( $hook );
+		$this->assertFalse( $next );
+	}
+
 	public function provider_time_hook_args_group() {
 		$time  = time() + 60 * 2;
 		$hook  = md5( rand() );