diff --git a/.changeset/rich-fishes-deny.md b/.changeset/rich-fishes-deny.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c90d76f20d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/rich-fishes-deny.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/backend-tasks': patch
+---
+
+Avoid starting task janitor in tests.
diff --git a/packages/backend-tasks/src/tasks/TaskScheduler.ts b/packages/backend-tasks/src/tasks/TaskScheduler.ts
index fe81a0054e..6b6436e52a 100644
--- a/packages/backend-tasks/src/tasks/TaskScheduler.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-tasks/src/tasks/TaskScheduler.ts
@@ -80,12 +80,14 @@ export class TaskScheduler {
         await migrateBackendTasks(knex);
       }
 
-      const janitor = new PluginTaskSchedulerJanitor({
-        knex,
-        waitBetweenRuns: Duration.fromObject({ minutes: 1 }),
-        logger: opts.logger,
-      });
-      janitor.start();
+      if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
+        const janitor = new PluginTaskSchedulerJanitor({
+          knex,
+          waitBetweenRuns: Duration.fromObject({ minutes: 1 }),
+          logger: opts.logger,
+        });
+        janitor.start();
+      }
 
       return knex;
     });