diff --git a/internal/manager/persistence/jobs.go b/internal/manager/persistence/jobs.go
index f28f0802..57b21d15 100644
--- a/internal/manager/persistence/jobs.go
+++ b/internal/manager/persistence/jobs.go
@@ -518,13 +518,55 @@ func (db *DB) FetchTaskJobUUID(ctx context.Context, taskUUID string) (string, er
 	return jobUUID.String, nil
 }
 
+// SaveTask updates a task that already exists in the database.
+// This function is not used by the Flamenco API, only by unit tests.
 func (db *DB) SaveTask(ctx context.Context, t *Task) error {
-	tx := db.gormDB.WithContext(ctx).
-		Omit("job").
-		Omit("worker").
-		Save(t)
-	if tx.Error != nil {
-		return taskError(tx.Error, "saving task")
+	if t.ID == 0 {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("cannot use this function to insert a task"))
+	}
+
+	queries, err := db.queries()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	commandsJSON, err := json.Marshal(t.Commands)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot convert commands to JSON: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	param := sqlc.UpdateTaskParams{
+		UpdatedAt: db.now(),
+		Name:      t.Name,
+		Type:      t.Type,
+		Priority:  int64(t.Priority),
+		Status:    string(t.Status),
+		Commands:  commandsJSON,
+		Activity:  t.Activity,
+		ID:        int64(t.ID),
+	}
+	if t.WorkerID != nil {
+		param.WorkerID = sql.NullInt64{
+			Int64: int64(*t.WorkerID),
+			Valid: true,
+		}
+	} else if t.Worker != nil && t.Worker.ID > 0 {
+		param.WorkerID = sql.NullInt64{
+			Int64: int64(t.Worker.ID),
+			Valid: true,
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !t.LastTouchedAt.IsZero() {
+		param.LastTouchedAt = sql.NullTime{
+			Time:  t.LastTouchedAt,
+			Valid: true,
+		}
+	}
+
+	err = queries.UpdateTask(ctx, param)
+	if err != nil {
+		return taskError(err, "updating task")
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/manager/persistence/sqlc/query_jobs.sql b/internal/manager/persistence/sqlc/query_jobs.sql
index e3108647..bb128adc 100644
--- a/internal/manager/persistence/sqlc/query_jobs.sql
+++ b/internal/manager/persistence/sqlc/query_jobs.sql
@@ -74,3 +74,17 @@ SELECT jobs.UUID as jobUUID
 FROM tasks
 LEFT JOIN jobs ON (tasks.job_id = jobs.id)
 WHERE tasks.uuid = @uuid;
+
+-- name: UpdateTask :exec
+-- Update a Task, except its id, created_at, uuid, or job_id fields.
+UPDATE tasks SET
+  updated_at = @updated_at,
+  name = @name,
+  type = @type,
+  priority = @priority,
+  status = @status,
+  worker_id = @worker_id,
+  last_touched_at = @last_touched_at,
+  commands = @commands,
+  activity = @activity
+WHERE id=@id;
diff --git a/internal/manager/persistence/sqlc/query_jobs.sql.go b/internal/manager/persistence/sqlc/query_jobs.sql.go
index 69dc91da..90d588c7 100644
--- a/internal/manager/persistence/sqlc/query_jobs.sql.go
+++ b/internal/manager/persistence/sqlc/query_jobs.sql.go
@@ -379,3 +379,47 @@ func (q *Queries) SaveJobStorageInfo(ctx context.Context, arg SaveJobStorageInfo
 	_, err := q.db.ExecContext(ctx, saveJobStorageInfo, arg.StorageShamanCheckoutID, arg.ID)
 	return err
 }
+
+const updateTask = `-- name: UpdateTask :exec
+UPDATE tasks SET
+  updated_at = ?1,
+  name = ?2,
+  type = ?3,
+  priority = ?4,
+  status = ?5,
+  worker_id = ?6,
+  last_touched_at = ?7,
+  commands = ?8,
+  activity = ?9
+WHERE id=?10
+`
+
+type UpdateTaskParams struct {
+	UpdatedAt     sql.NullTime
+	Name          string
+	Type          string
+	Priority      int64
+	Status        string
+	WorkerID      sql.NullInt64
+	LastTouchedAt sql.NullTime
+	Commands      json.RawMessage
+	Activity      string
+	ID            int64
+}
+
+// Update a Task, except its id, created_at, uuid, or job_id fields.
+func (q *Queries) UpdateTask(ctx context.Context, arg UpdateTaskParams) error {
+	_, err := q.db.ExecContext(ctx, updateTask,
+		arg.UpdatedAt,
+		arg.Name,
+		arg.Type,
+		arg.Priority,
+		arg.Status,
+		arg.WorkerID,
+		arg.LastTouchedAt,
+		arg.Commands,
+		arg.Activity,
+		arg.ID,
+	)
+	return err
+}