diff --git a/tasks/delete_legacy_cron_entry.yml b/tasks/delete_legacy_cron_entry.yml
index 617f10c..acbf5be 100644
--- a/tasks/delete_legacy_cron_entry.yml
+++ b/tasks/delete_legacy_cron_entry.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
     fail_msg: "[ERROR] Youre ansible version is above 2.12.0"
     success_msg: "Congratulations. You are using ansible version {{ ansible_version.full }}"
   delegate_to: localhost
+  when:
+    - ansible_service_mgr != 'systemd' or restic_force_cron | default(false) or restic_schedule_type == "cronjob"
+  register: old_af
+  failed_when: false
+  ignore_errors: true
 
 - name: (SCHEDULE) (OLD) try to remove entries from /etc/crontab
   become: true
@@ -17,32 +22,32 @@
     weekday: '{{ item.schedule_weekday | default("*") }}'
     month: '{{ item.schedule_month | default("*") }}'
     state: absent
-    cron_file: '/etc/crontab'
-    user: 'root'
+    cron_file: "/etc/crontab"
+    user: "root"
   no_log: "{{ restic_no_log }}"
-  with_items: '{{ restic_backups }}'
+  with_items: "{{ restic_backups }}"
   when:
     - restic_create_schedule | bool
     - item.name is defined
     - item.scheduled | default(false)
-    - ansible_service_mgr != 'systemd' or restic_force_cron | default(false) or restic_schedule_type == "cronjob"
+    - old_af.success_msg is defined
   register: cron_delete
   failed_when: false
 
 - name: "(SCHEDULE) (OLD) make sure do1jlr.restic backup script is not in /etc/crontab"
   become: true
   ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
-    path: '/etc/crontab'
+    path: "/etc/crontab"
     state: absent
     search_string: "do1jlr.restic backup {{ item.name }}"
-  when: cron_delete.failed
-  with_items: '{{ restic_backups }}'
+  when: cron_delete.failed is defined and cron_delete.failed
+  with_items: "{{ restic_backups }}"
 
 - name: "(SCHEDULE) (OLD) make sure restic script is not in /etc/crontab"
   become: true
   ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
-    path: '/etc/crontab'
+    path: "/etc/crontab"
     state: absent
     search_string: "{{ restic_script_dir }}/backup-{{ item.name | replace(' ', '') }}.sh"
-  when: cron_delete.failed
-  with_items: '{{ restic_backups }}'
+  when: cron_delete.failed is defined and cron_delete.failed
+  with_items: "{{ restic_backups }}"