diff --git a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/scheduler/lib/TaskWorker.ts b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/scheduler/lib/TaskWorker.ts
index e33e112f43..4f32dc6863 100644
--- a/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/scheduler/lib/TaskWorker.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-defaults/src/entrypoints/scheduler/lib/TaskWorker.ts
@@ -263,11 +263,16 @@ export class TaskWorker {
     const timeoutHandle = setTimeout(() => {
       taskAbortController.abort();
     }, Duration.fromISO(taskSettings.timeoutAfterDuration).as('milliseconds'));
-    const livenessHandle: { ref?: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> } = {};
-    livenessHandle.ref = setInterval(
-      () => this.checkLiveness(ticket, taskAbortController, livenessHandle),
-      this.workCheckFrequency.as('milliseconds'),
-    );
+    let livenessHandle: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
+    const scheduleLivenessCheck = () => {
+      livenessHandle = setTimeout(async () => {
+        await this.checkLiveness(ticket, taskAbortController);
+        if (!taskAbortController.signal.aborted) {
+          scheduleLivenessCheck();
+        }
+      }, this.workCheckFrequency.as('milliseconds'));
+    };
+    scheduleLivenessCheck();
 
     try {
       this.#workerState = {
@@ -284,7 +289,7 @@ export class TaskWorker {
         status: 'idle',
       };
       clearTimeout(timeoutHandle);
-      clearInterval(livenessHandle.ref);
+      clearTimeout(livenessHandle);
     }
 
     await this.tryReleaseTask(ticket, taskSettings);
@@ -379,7 +384,6 @@ export class TaskWorker {
   private async checkLiveness(
     ticket: string,
     taskAbortController: AbortController,
-    livenessHandle: { ref?: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> },
   ): Promise<void> {
     try {
       const [row] = await this.knex<DbTasksRow>(DB_TASKS_TABLE)
@@ -390,7 +394,6 @@ export class TaskWorker {
         this.logger.info(
           `Task ticket for "${this.taskId}" is no longer valid; aborting execution`,
         );
-        clearInterval(livenessHandle.ref);
         taskAbortController.abort();
       }
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/MockSchedulerService.test.ts b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/MockSchedulerService.test.ts
index faf4e3e26d..1c451da749 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/MockSchedulerService.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/MockSchedulerService.test.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,68 @@ describe('MockSchedulerService', () => {
     await expect(isDone()).resolves.toBe(true);
   });
 
+  it('should cancel a running task and allow re-triggering with a fresh signal', async () => {
+    const scheduler = new MockSchedulerService();
+    const signals: AbortSignal[] = [];
+
+    scheduler.scheduleTask({
+      ...baseOpts,
+      id: 'test',
+      fn: async signal => {
+        signals.push(signal);
+        // Simulate long-running work that respects cancellation
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+          if (signal.aborted) {
+            reject(new Error('aborted'));
+            return;
+          }
+          signal.addEventListener('abort', () => reject(new Error('aborted')));
+          setTimeout(1).then(resolve);
+        });
+      },
+    });
+
+    // First run completes normally
+    await scheduler.triggerTask('test');
+    expect(signals).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(signals[0].aborted).toBe(false);
+
+    // Start a task that will block until cancelled
+    const blockingScheduler = new MockSchedulerService();
+    let resolveBlock: (() => void) | undefined;
+    blockingScheduler.scheduleTask({
+      ...baseOpts,
+      id: 'blocking',
+      fn: async signal => {
+        signals.push(signal);
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+          signal.addEventListener('abort', () => reject(new Error('aborted')));
+          resolveBlock = resolve;
+        });
+      },
+    });
+
+    const triggerPromise = blockingScheduler.triggerTask('blocking');
+    // Give the task fn time to start
+    await setTimeout(1);
+
+    await blockingScheduler.cancelTask('blocking');
+    await triggerPromise.catch(() => {});
+
+    expect(signals).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(signals[1].aborted).toBe(true);
+
+    // Re-trigger should get a fresh non-aborted signal
+    resolveBlock = undefined;
+    const triggerPromise2 = blockingScheduler.triggerTask('blocking');
+    await setTimeout(1);
+    resolveBlock?.();
+    await triggerPromise2;
+
+    expect(signals).toHaveLength(3);
+    expect(signals[2].aborted).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it('should abort tasks when shutting down', async () => {
     let taskSignal: AbortSignal | undefined;
 
diff --git a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/MockSchedulerService.ts b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/MockSchedulerService.ts
index a47859a96f..3309ebc954 100644
--- a/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/MockSchedulerService.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-test-utils/src/services/MockSchedulerService.ts
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ export class MockSchedulerService implements SchedulerService {
       throw new ConflictError(`Task ${id} is not running`);
     }
     task.abortControllers.abort();
+    task.abortControllers = new AbortController();
   }
 
   async triggerTask(id: string): Promise<void> {