diff --git a/task/backend/coordinator/coordinator.go b/task/backend/coordinator/coordinator.go
index f6ba941464..18c55fb7c4 100644
--- a/task/backend/coordinator/coordinator.go
+++ b/task/backend/coordinator/coordinator.go
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ type Coordinator struct {
 	logger *zap.Logger
 	sch    backend.Scheduler
 
-	limit int
+	limit         int
+	claimExisting bool
 }
 
 type Option func(*Coordinator)
@@ -26,19 +27,29 @@ func WithLimit(i int) Option {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithoutExistingTasks allows us to skip claiming tasks already in the system.
+func WithoutExistingTasks() Option {
+	return func(c *Coordinator) {
+		c.claimExisting = false
+	}
+}
+
 func New(logger *zap.Logger, scheduler backend.Scheduler, ts platform.TaskService, opts ...Option) *Coordinator {
 	c := &Coordinator{
-		logger:      logger,
-		sch:         scheduler,
-		TaskService: ts,
-		limit:       1000,
+		logger:        logger,
+		sch:           scheduler,
+		TaskService:   ts,
+		limit:         1000,
+		claimExisting: true,
 	}
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
 		opt(c)
 	}
 
-	go c.claimExistingTasks()
+	if c.claimExisting {
+		go c.claimExistingTasks()
+	}
 
 	return c
 }
diff --git a/task/backend/coordinator/coordinator_test.go b/task/backend/coordinator/coordinator_test.go
index 3ee0c5fd2b..26de5e0e01 100644
--- a/task/backend/coordinator/coordinator_test.go
+++ b/task/backend/coordinator/coordinator_test.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func TestCoordinator(t *testing.T) {
 	ts := inmemTaskService()
 	sched := mock.NewScheduler()
 
-	coord := coordinator.New(zaptest.NewLogger(t), sched, ts)
+	coord := coordinator.New(zaptest.NewLogger(t), sched, ts, coordinator.WithoutExistingTasks())
 	createChan := sched.TaskCreateChan()
 	releaseChan := sched.TaskReleaseChan()
 	updateChan := sched.TaskUpdateChan()
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ func TestCoordinator_DeleteUnclaimedTask(t *testing.T) {
 	ts := inmemTaskService()
 	sched := mock.NewScheduler()
 
-	coord := coordinator.New(zaptest.NewLogger(t), sched, ts)
+	coord := coordinator.New(zaptest.NewLogger(t), sched, ts, coordinator.WithoutExistingTasks())
 
 	// Create an isolated task directly through the store so the coordinator doesn't know about it.
 	task, err := ts.CreateTask(context.Background(), platform.TaskCreate{OrganizationID: 1, Token: "token", Flux: script})
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ func TestCoordinator_ForceRun(t *testing.T) {
 	ts := inmemTaskService()
 	sched := mock.NewScheduler()
 
-	coord := coordinator.New(zaptest.NewLogger(t), sched, ts)
+	coord := coordinator.New(zaptest.NewLogger(t), sched, ts, coordinator.WithoutExistingTasks())
 
 	// Create an isolated task directly through the store so the coordinator doesn't know about it.
 	task, err := coord.CreateTask(context.Background(), platform.TaskCreate{OrganizationID: 1, Token: "token", Flux: script})