diff --git a/src/tasks.js b/src/tasks.js
index be70f8f02..250bd6484 100644
--- a/src/tasks.js
+++ b/src/tasks.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     _del: del,
 
     // task types. if you add a task here, fill up the function table in taskworker and dashboard constants.js
+    // '_' prefix is removed for lookup
     TASK_APP: 'app',
     TASK_APP_BACKUP_PREFIX: 'appBackup_',
     TASK_BACKUP: 'backup', // full backup
diff --git a/src/taskworker.js b/src/taskworker.js
index 5d528db63..b7b2e56a9 100755
--- a/src/taskworker.js
+++ b/src/taskworker.js
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ async function main() {
 
     try {
         debug(`Running task of type ${task.type}`);
-        const [runError, result] = await safe(TASKS[task.type].apply(null, task.args.concat(progressCallback)));
+        const [runError, result] = await safe(TASKS[task.type.replace(/_.*/,'')].apply(null, task.args.concat(progressCallback)));
         const progress = {
             result: result || null,
             error: runError ? JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(runError, Object.getOwnPropertyNames(runError))) : null,