diff --git a/internal/services/executor/executor.go b/internal/services/executor/executor.go
index 0bfa469..2ce957f 100644
--- a/internal/services/executor/executor.go
+++ b/internal/services/executor/executor.go
@@ -724,32 +724,7 @@ func (e *Executor) sendExecutorTaskStatus(ctx context.Context, et *types.Executo
 	return err
 }
 
-func (e *Executor) stopTask(ctx context.Context, et *types.ExecutorTask) {
-	if rt, ok := e.runningTasks.get(et.ID); ok {
-		rt.Lock()
-		defer rt.Unlock()
-		if rt.et.Status.Phase.IsFinished() {
-			return
-		}
-		if rt.pod != nil {
-			if err := rt.pod.Stop(ctx); err != nil {
-				log.Errorf("err: %+v", err)
-				return
-			}
-			if rt.et.Status.Phase == types.ExecutorTaskPhaseNotStarted {
-				rt.et.Status.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseCancelled
-			} else {
-				rt.et.Status.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseStopped
-			}
-			if err := e.sendExecutorTaskStatus(ctx, et); err != nil {
-				log.Errorf("err: %+v", err)
-				return
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func (e *Executor) executeTask(ctx context.Context, et *types.ExecutorTask) {
+func (e *Executor) executeTask(ctx context.Context, rt *runningTask) {
 	// * save in local state that we have a running task
 	// * start the pod
 	// * then update the executortask status to in-progress
@@ -757,37 +732,16 @@ func (e *Executor) executeTask(ctx context.Context, et *types.ExecutorTask) {
 	// In this way we are sure that the pod cleaner will only remove pod that don't
 	// have an in progress running task
 
-	if et.Status.Phase != types.ExecutorTaskPhaseNotStarted {
-		log.Debugf("task phase is not \"not started\"")
-		return
-	}
-
-	activeTasks := e.runningTasks.len()
-	// don't start task if we have reached the active tasks limit
-	// they will be executed later
-	if activeTasks > e.c.ActiveTasksLimit {
-		return
-	}
-
-	rt := &runningTask{
-		et:        et,
-		executing: true,
-	}
-
 	rt.Lock()
 
-	if !e.runningTasks.addIfNotExists(et.ID, rt) {
-		log.Debugf("task %s already running", et.ID)
-		rt.Unlock()
-		return
-	}
-
 	defer func() {
 		rt.Lock()
 		rt.executing = false
 		rt.Unlock()
 	}()
 
+	et := rt.et
+
 	et.Status.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseRunning
 	et.Status.StartTime = util.TimeP(time.Now())
 	et.Status.SetupStep.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseRunning
@@ -1151,7 +1105,7 @@ func (e *Executor) tasksUpdater(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 	log.Debugf("ets: %v", util.Dump(ets))
 	for _, et := range ets {
-		go e.taskUpdater(ctx, et)
+		e.taskUpdater(ctx, et)
 	}
 
 	// remove runningTasks not existing in the runservice
@@ -1175,31 +1129,73 @@ func (e *Executor) taskUpdater(ctx context.Context, et *types.ExecutorTask) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if et.Spec.Stop {
-		e.stopTask(ctx, et)
-	}
+	rt, _ := e.runningTasks.get(et.ID)
+	if rt != nil {
+		rt.Lock()
+		// update running task Spec.Stop value only when there's a transitions from false to true,
+		// other spec values cannot change once the task has been scheduled
+		if !rt.et.Spec.Stop && et.Spec.Stop {
+			rt.et.Spec.Stop = et.Spec.Stop
 
-	if et.Status.Phase == types.ExecutorTaskPhaseNotStarted {
-		e.executeTask(ctx, et)
-	}
-
-	if et.Status.Phase == types.ExecutorTaskPhaseRunning {
-		_, ok := e.runningTasks.get(et.ID)
-		if !ok {
-			log.Infof("marking executor task %s as failed since there's no running task", et.ID)
-			et.Status.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseFailed
-			et.Status.EndTime = util.TimeP(time.Now())
-			// mark in progress step as failed too
-			for _, s := range et.Status.Steps {
-				if s.Phase == types.ExecutorTaskPhaseRunning {
-					s.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseFailed
-					s.EndTime = util.TimeP(time.Now())
+			if !rt.et.Status.Phase.IsFinished() && rt.pod != nil {
+				if err := rt.pod.Stop(ctx); err != nil {
+					log.Errorf("err: %+v", err)
 				}
 			}
+		}
+		rt.Unlock()
+
+		return
+	}
+
+	// rt == nil
+
+	// only send cancelled phase when the executor task isn't in running tasks and is not started
+	if et.Spec.Stop && et.Status.Phase == types.ExecutorTaskPhaseNotStarted {
+		et.Status.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseCancelled
+		go func() {
 			if err := e.sendExecutorTaskStatus(ctx, et); err != nil {
 				log.Errorf("err: %+v", err)
 			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	if !et.Spec.Stop && et.Status.Phase == types.ExecutorTaskPhaseRunning {
+		log.Infof("marking executor task %s as failed since there's no running task", et.ID)
+		et.Status.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseFailed
+		et.Status.EndTime = util.TimeP(time.Now())
+		// mark in progress step as failed too
+		for _, s := range et.Status.Steps {
+			if s.Phase == types.ExecutorTaskPhaseRunning {
+				s.Phase = types.ExecutorTaskPhaseFailed
+				s.EndTime = util.TimeP(time.Now())
+			}
 		}
+		go func() {
+			if err := e.sendExecutorTaskStatus(ctx, et); err != nil {
+				log.Errorf("err: %+v", err)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	if !et.Spec.Stop && et.Status.Phase == types.ExecutorTaskPhaseNotStarted {
+		activeTasks := e.runningTasks.len()
+		// don't start task if we have reached the active tasks limit (they will be retried
+		// on next taskUpdater calls)
+		if activeTasks > e.c.ActiveTasksLimit {
+			return
+		}
+		rt := &runningTask{
+			et:        et,
+			executing: true,
+		}
+
+		if !e.runningTasks.addIfNotExists(et.ID, rt) {
+			log.Warnf("task %s already running, this shouldn't happen", et.ID)
+			return
+		}
+
+		go e.executeTask(ctx, rt)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1309,7 +1305,7 @@ func (r *runningTasks) ids() []string {
 
 func (e *Executor) handleTasks(ctx context.Context, c <-chan *types.ExecutorTask) {
 	for et := range c {
-		go e.executeTask(ctx, et)
+		e.taskUpdater(ctx, et)
 	}
 }