diff --git a/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/EmptyTrashArgs.scala b/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/EmptyTrashArgs.scala
index 8061f531..4267a971 100644
--- a/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/EmptyTrashArgs.scala
+++ b/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/EmptyTrashArgs.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ case class EmptyTrashArgs(
   def makeSubject: String =
     s"Empty Trash: Remove older than ${minAge.toJava}"
 
+  def periodicTaskId: Ident =
+    EmptyTrashArgs.periodicTaskId(collective)
 }
 
 object EmptyTrashArgs {
@@ -33,6 +35,9 @@ object EmptyTrashArgs {
 
   val defaultSchedule = CalEvent.unsafe("*-*-1/7 03:00:00")
 
+  def periodicTaskId(coll: Ident): Ident =
+    Ident.unsafe(s"docspell") / taskName / coll
+
   implicit val jsonEncoder: Encoder[EmptyTrashArgs] =
     deriveEncoder[EmptyTrashArgs]
   implicit val jsonDecoder: Decoder[EmptyTrashArgs] =
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
index e03a05aa..9bde54ec 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/JoexAppImpl.scala
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ import docspell.store.records.{REmptyTrashSetting, RJobLog}
 import emil.javamail._
 import org.http4s.blaze.client.BlazeClientBuilder
 import org.http4s.client.Client
+import docspell.store.usertask.UserTaskStore
+import docspell.store.usertask.UserTaskScope
 
 final class JoexAppImpl[F[_]: Async](
     cfg: Config,
@@ -91,9 +93,15 @@ final class JoexAppImpl[F[_]: Async](
         REmptyTrashSetting.findForAllCollectives(OCollective.EmptyTrash.default, 50)
       )
       .evalMap(es =>
-        EmptyTrashTask.periodicTask(EmptyTrashArgs(es.cid, es.minAge), es.schedule)
+        UserTaskStore(store).use { uts =>
+          val args = EmptyTrashArgs(es.cid, es.minAge)
+          uts.updateOneTask(
+            UserTaskScope(args.collective),
+            args.makeSubject.some,
+            EmptyTrashTask.userTask(args, es.schedule)
+          )
+        }
       )
-      .evalMap(pstore.insert)
       .compile
       .drain
 
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/EmptyTrashTask.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/EmptyTrashTask.scala
index 8cd4d8a1..01cfaca9 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/EmptyTrashTask.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/EmptyTrashTask.scala
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import fs2.Stream
 import docspell.backend.ops.{OItem, OItemSearch}
 import docspell.common._
 import docspell.joex.scheduler._
-import docspell.store.records.{RItem, RPeriodicTask}
-import docspell.store.usertask.{UserTask, UserTaskScope}
+import docspell.store.records.RItem
+import docspell.store.usertask.UserTask
 
 import com.github.eikek.calev.CalEvent
 
@@ -26,19 +26,15 @@ object EmptyTrashTask {
 
   private val pageSize = 20
 
-  def periodicTask[F[_]: Sync](args: EmptyTrashArgs, ce: CalEvent): F[RPeriodicTask] =
-    Ident
-      .randomId[F]
-      .flatMap(id =>
-        UserTask(
-          id,
-          EmptyTrashArgs.taskName,
-          true,
-          ce,
-          None,
-          args
-        ).encode.toPeriodicTask(UserTaskScope(args.collective), args.makeSubject.some)
-      )
+  def userTask(args: EmptyTrashArgs, ce: CalEvent): UserTask[EmptyTrashArgs] =
+    UserTask(
+      args.periodicTaskId,
+      EmptyTrashArgs.taskName,
+      true,
+      ce,
+      None,
+      args
+    )
 
   def apply[F[_]: Async](
       itemOps: OItem[F],
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/h2/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql b/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/h2/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..176ceefb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/h2/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+-- note this is only for users of nightly releases
+DELETE FROM "periodic_task"
+WHERE "task" = 'empty-trash';
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/mariadb/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql b/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/mariadb/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3016b0a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/mariadb/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+-- note this is only for users of nightly releases
+DELETE FROM `periodic_task`
+WHERE `task` = 'empty-trash';
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/postgresql/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql b/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/postgresql/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..176ceefb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/resources/db/migration/postgresql/V1.25.3__delete_corrupt_trash_task.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+-- note this is only for users of nightly releases
+DELETE FROM "periodic_task"
+WHERE "task" = 'empty-trash';
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/usertask/UserTaskStore.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/usertask/UserTaskStore.scala
index 7e9e7d01..3dddcb7a 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/usertask/UserTaskStore.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/usertask/UserTaskStore.scala
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ trait UserTaskStore[F[_]] {
     *
     * Unlike `updateTask`, this ensures that there is at most one task of some name in the
     * db. Multiple same tasks (task with same name) may not be allowed to run, depending
-    * on what they do. This is not ensured by the database, though.
+    * on what they do. This is not ensured by the database, though. The task is identified
+    * by task name, submitter and group.
     *
     * If there are currently multiple tasks with same name as `ut` for the user `account`,
     * they will all be removed and the given task inserted!