PFQuery findObjectsInBackgroundWithBlock: WatchKit app runs in simulator, not watch, unless iOS app is in foreground

I am writing a WatchKit application that needs to make a request to our Parse server. Since this is a network call, I follow this procedure:

• I am making a call from WatchKit to an iOS app using openParentApplication:reply:
  
  
• Internally, handleWatchKitExtensionRequest:userInfo:reply:
  
  I run a background job with UIBackgroundTaskIdentifier
  
  to ensure the iOS app terminates immediately.
• I installed PFQuery
  
  mine and callfindObjectsInBackgroundWithBlock:
  
  
• In the block I go to PFQuery, I will reply the relevant information to the watch

I wrote this app maybe a month ago before the Apple Watch came out and it did a great job with the Watch simulator. I got my Apple Watch yesterday and I managed to get the app to work on the watch, but it didn't quite work - I was able to figure out that when the iOS app is actively running in the foreground on the iPhone, then everything is Great; but if the app is inactive (for example, in the background or exited), then it findObjectsInBackgroundWithBlock:

never calls the block, and execution seems to just stop.

Does anyone have any idea what might be going on? My initial thought was that the iOS app pauses / kills before it can complete the request, but I was confident that the background task would prevent this.

PS. If anyone stumbles upon this question because they were looking for how to get the WatchKit app on a real watch, I found this post extremely helpful in getting it working.