diff --git a/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskcheck.go b/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskcheck.go
index 583eb8b..de4dab8 100644
--- a/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskcheck.go
+++ b/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskcheck.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func (t *CheckTask) Next(now time.Time, runner TaskRunner) (ScheduledTask, error
 	}); err != nil {
 		return NeverScheduledTask, fmt.Errorf("finding last check run time: %w", err)
 	} else if !foundBackup {
-		return NeverScheduledTask, nil
+		lastRan = time.Now()
 	}
 
 	zap.L().Debug("last prune time", zap.Time("time", lastRan), zap.String("repo", t.RepoID()))
diff --git a/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskprune.go b/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskprune.go
index dcbcacd..d9189e1 100644
--- a/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskprune.go
+++ b/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskprune.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func (t *PruneTask) Next(now time.Time, runner TaskRunner) (ScheduledTask, error
 	}); err != nil {
 		return NeverScheduledTask, fmt.Errorf("finding last prune run time: %w", err)
 	} else if !foundBackup {
-		return NeverScheduledTask, nil
+		lastRan = time.Now()
 	}
 
 	zap.L().Debug("last prune time", zap.Time("time", lastRan), zap.String("repo", t.RepoID()))