diff --git a/src/api-service/__app__/onefuzzlib/tasks/main.py b/src/api-service/__app__/onefuzzlib/tasks/main.py
index ca4c12731..2e28ac95a 100644
--- a/src/api-service/__app__/onefuzzlib/tasks/main.py
+++ b/src/api-service/__app__/onefuzzlib/tasks/main.py
@@ -195,6 +195,11 @@ class Task(BASE_TASK, ORMMixin):
             )
             return
 
+        if self.state not in TaskState.has_started():
+            self.mark_failed(
+                Error(code=ErrorCode.TASK_FAILED, errors=["task never started"])
+            )
+
         self.set_state(TaskState.stopping)
 
     def mark_failed(
diff --git a/src/api-service/__app__/timer_tasks/__init__.py b/src/api-service/__app__/timer_tasks/__init__.py
index 92452a2d1..aa3f6bcc2 100644
--- a/src/api-service/__app__/timer_tasks/__init__.py
+++ b/src/api-service/__app__/timer_tasks/__init__.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def main(mytimer: func.TimerRequest, dashboard: func.Out[str]) -> None:  # noqa:
     expired_tasks = Task.search_expired()
     for task in expired_tasks:
         logging.info("stopping expired task: %s", task.job_id)
-        task.stopping()
+        task.mark_stopping()
 
     expired_jobs = Job.search_expired()
     for job in expired_jobs: