diff --git a/app-config.yaml b/app-config.yaml
index 81b2a2ed56..de920ee1df 100644
--- a/app-config.yaml
+++ b/app-config.yaml
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ scaffolder:
   # defaultCommitMessage: 'Initial commit'
   # Use to customize when will stale tasks be marked as closed
   # taskTimeout:
-  #   ms: 3600000 # 1hr
+  #   seconds: 120
   #   taskTimeoutMessage: 'This task was canceled as it timed out'
 
 auth:
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
index 5b2474190a..7793b131b9 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/api-report.md
@@ -620,6 +620,8 @@ export interface TaskBroker {
   // (undocumented)
   claim(): Promise<TaskContext>;
   // (undocumented)
+  closeStaleTasks(): Promise<void>;
+  // (undocumented)
   dispatch(
     options: TaskBrokerDispatchOptions,
   ): Promise<TaskBrokerDispatchResult>;
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/config.d.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/config.d.ts
index 14b2a7e9f0..51add2288d 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/config.d.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/config.d.ts
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ export interface Config {
      */
     defaultCommitMessage?: string;
     /**
-     * To mark stale tasks has closed
+     * To mark stale tasks as closed
      */
     taskTimeout?: {
-      ms?: number;
+      seconds?: number;
       message?: string;
     };
   };
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/package.json b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/package.json
index 2812150b39..35f7fe01e2 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/package.json
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@backstage/backend-common": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/backend-plugin-api": "workspace:^",
+    "@backstage/backend-tasks": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/catalog-client": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/catalog-model": "workspace:^",
     "@backstage/config": "workspace:^",
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.test.ts
index 79d6641491..8275f77a17 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.test.ts
@@ -231,39 +231,4 @@ describe('StorageTaskBroker', () => {
     const promise = broker.list({ createdBy: 'user:default/foo' });
     await expect(promise).resolves.toEqual({ tasks: [task] });
   });
-
-  it('should shut down task if task is stale', async () => {
-    const broker = new StorageTaskBroker(
-      storage,
-      logger,
-      new ConfigReader({
-        scaffolder: {
-          taskTimeout: {
-            ms: -1,
-          },
-        },
-      }),
-    );
-    const { taskId } = await broker.dispatch({
-      spec: {} as TaskSpec,
-    });
-
-    jest.spyOn(storage, 'getTask').mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      status: 'processing',
-      lastHeartbeatAt: new Date().toISOString(),
-    } as any);
-
-    jest.spyOn(storage, 'getTask').mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      status: 'completed',
-    } as any);
-
-    jest
-      .spyOn(storage, 'shutdownTask')
-      .mockImplementationOnce(() => Promise.resolve());
-
-    const task = await broker.get(taskId);
-
-    expect(storage.shutdownTask).toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(task.status).toEqual('completed');
-  });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.ts
index e7bdcfe2eb..2c0a77173f 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/StorageTaskBroker.ts
@@ -202,33 +202,11 @@ export class StorageTaskBroker implements TaskBroker {
     };
   }
 
-  private isStaleTask(task: SerializedTask) {
-    const { status, lastHeartbeatAt } = task;
-    if (status === 'processing' && lastHeartbeatAt) {
-      const timeDiff =
-        new Date().getTime() - new Date(lastHeartbeatAt).getTime();
-      const timeoutLimit =
-        this.config.getOptionalNumber('scaffolder.taskTimeout.ms') || 3600000;
-      return timeDiff >= timeoutLimit;
-    }
-    return false;
-  }
-
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc TaskBroker.get}
    */
   async get(taskId: string): Promise<SerializedTask> {
-    let task = await this.storage.getTask(taskId);
-    if (this.isStaleTask(task)) {
-      await this.storage.shutdownTask({
-        taskId,
-        message: this.config.getOptionalString(
-          'scaffolder.taskTimeout.message',
-        ),
-      });
-      task = await this.storage.getTask(taskId);
-    }
-    return task;
+    return this.storage.getTask(taskId);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -286,6 +264,20 @@ export class StorageTaskBroker implements TaskBroker {
     );
   }
 
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc TaskBroker.closeStaleTasks}
+   */
+  async closeStaleTasks(): Promise<void> {
+    const timeoutS =
+      this.config.getOptionalNumber('scaffolder.taskTimeout.seconds') || 300;
+    const { tasks } = await this.storage.listStaleTasks({ timeoutS });
+
+    for (const task of tasks) {
+      this.logger.info(`Successfully closed stale task ${task.taskId}`);
+      await this.storage.shutdownTask(task);
+    }
+  }
+
   private waitForDispatch() {
     return this.deferredDispatch.promise;
   }
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/types.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/types.ts
index d8f95c8423..4ac515055e 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/types.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/tasks/types.ts
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ export interface TaskBroker {
     options: TaskBrokerDispatchOptions,
   ): Promise<TaskBrokerDispatchResult>;
   vacuumTasks(options: { timeoutS: number }): Promise<void>;
+  closeStaleTasks(): Promise<void>;
   event$(options: {
     taskId: string;
     after: number | undefined;
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
index a616892d50..3848e8801d 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
@@ -131,16 +131,17 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
     },
   };
 
-  beforeEach(async () => {
-    const logger = getVoidLogger();
-    const databaseTaskStore = await DatabaseTaskStore.create({
-      database: createDatabase(),
-    });
-    taskBroker = new StorageTaskBroker(
-      databaseTaskStore,
-      logger,
-      new ConfigReader({ scaffolder: {} }),
-    );
+  describe('not providing an identity api', () => {
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      const logger = getVoidLogger();
+      const databaseTaskStore = await DatabaseTaskStore.create({
+        database: createDatabase(),
+      });
+      taskBroker = new StorageTaskBroker(
+        databaseTaskStore,
+        logger,
+        new ConfigReader({ scaffolder: {} }),
+      );
 
       jest.spyOn(taskBroker, 'dispatch');
       jest.spyOn(taskBroker, 'get');
@@ -562,11 +563,9 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
         expect(responseDataFn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
         expect(responseDataFn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`event: log
 data: {"id":0,"taskId":"a-random-id","type":"log","createdAt":"","body":{"message":"My log message"}}
-
 `);
         expect(responseDataFn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`event: completion
 data: {"id":1,"taskId":"a-random-id","type":"completion","createdAt":"","body":{"message":"Finished!"}}
-
 `);
 
         expect(taskBroker.event$).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -722,7 +721,11 @@ data: {"id":1,"taskId":"a-random-id","type":"completion","createdAt":"","body":{
       const databaseTaskStore = await DatabaseTaskStore.create({
         database: createDatabase(),
       });
-      taskBroker = new StorageTaskBroker(databaseTaskStore, logger);
+      taskBroker = new StorageTaskBroker(
+        databaseTaskStore,
+        logger,
+        new ConfigReader({}),
+      );
 
       jest.spyOn(taskBroker, 'dispatch');
       jest.spyOn(taskBroker, 'get');
@@ -1142,11 +1145,9 @@ data: {"id":1,"taskId":"a-random-id","type":"completion","createdAt":"","body":{
         expect(responseDataFn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
         expect(responseDataFn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`event: log
 data: {"id":0,"taskId":"a-random-id","type":"log","createdAt":"","body":{"message":"My log message"}}
-
 `);
         expect(responseDataFn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`event: completion
 data: {"id":1,"taskId":"a-random-id","type":"completion","createdAt":"","body":{"message":"Finished!"}}
-
 `);
 
         expect(taskBroker.event$).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
index cdd900d3e7..a1e938a8dd 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/service/router.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import { PluginDatabaseManager, UrlReader } from '@backstage/backend-common';
+import { TaskScheduler } from '@backstage/backend-tasks';
 import { CatalogApi } from '@backstage/catalog-client';
 import {
   Entity,
@@ -203,6 +204,16 @@ export async function createRouter(
   actionsToRegister.forEach(action => actionRegistry.register(action));
   workers.forEach(worker => worker.start());
 
+  const scheduler = TaskScheduler.fromConfig(config).forPlugin('scaffolder');
+  await scheduler.scheduleTask({
+    id: 'close_stale_tasks',
+    frequency: { cron: '*/5 * * * *' }, // every 5 minutes, also supports Duration
+    timeout: { minutes: 15 },
+    fn: async () => {
+      await taskBroker.closeStaleTasks();
+    },
+  });
+
   const dryRunner = createDryRunner({
     actionRegistry,
     integrations,
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 7e6f645f58..bc0ca4bb6f 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -6345,6 +6345,7 @@ __metadata:
   dependencies:
     "@backstage/backend-common": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/backend-plugin-api": "workspace:^"
+    "@backstage/backend-tasks": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/backend-test-utils": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/catalog-client": "workspace:^"
     "@backstage/catalog-model": "workspace:^"