diff --git a/x-pack/platform/plugins/shared/alerting/server/task_runner/ad_hoc_task_runner.test.ts b/x-pack/platform/plugins/shared/alerting/server/task_runner/ad_hoc_task_runner.test.ts
index 02801d6da25ea..c5a1b5cc86fa2 100644
--- a/x-pack/platform/plugins/shared/alerting/server/task_runner/ad_hoc_task_runner.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/platform/plugins/shared/alerting/server/task_runner/ad_hoc_task_runner.test.ts
@@ -886,9 +886,14 @@ describe('Ad Hoc Task Runner', () => {
     expect(internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       AD_HOC_RUN_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE,
       'abc',
-      { refresh: false, namespace: undefined }
+      { refresh: true, namespace: undefined }
     );
 
+    // Verify that updateGaps was called after delete
+    const deleteCallOrder = internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete.mock.invocationCallOrder[0];
+    const updateGapsCallOrder = mockUpdateGaps.mock.invocationCallOrder[0];
+    expect(updateGapsCallOrder).toBeGreaterThan(deleteCallOrder);
+
     expect(mockUpdateGaps).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       ruleId: RULE_ID,
       start: new Date(mockedAdHocRunSO.attributes.start),
@@ -967,7 +972,7 @@ describe('Ad Hoc Task Runner', () => {
       expect(internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         AD_HOC_RUN_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE,
         'abc',
-        { refresh: false, namespace: undefined }
+        { refresh: true, namespace: undefined }
       );
 
       testAlertingEventLogCalls({
@@ -1029,7 +1034,7 @@ describe('Ad Hoc Task Runner', () => {
       expect(internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         AD_HOC_RUN_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE,
         'abc',
-        { refresh: false, namespace: undefined }
+        { refresh: true, namespace: undefined }
       );
 
       testAlertingEventLogCalls({
@@ -1091,7 +1096,7 @@ describe('Ad Hoc Task Runner', () => {
       expect(internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         AD_HOC_RUN_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE,
         'abc',
-        { refresh: false, namespace: undefined }
+        { refresh: true, namespace: undefined }
       );
 
       testAlertingEventLogCalls({
@@ -1155,7 +1160,7 @@ describe('Ad Hoc Task Runner', () => {
       expect(internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         AD_HOC_RUN_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE,
         'abc',
-        { refresh: false, namespace: undefined }
+        { refresh: true, namespace: undefined }
       );
 
       testAlertingEventLogCalls({
@@ -1312,7 +1317,7 @@ describe('Ad Hoc Task Runner', () => {
       expect(internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         AD_HOC_RUN_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE,
         'abc',
-        { refresh: false, namespace: undefined }
+        { refresh: true, namespace: undefined }
       );
 
       testAlertingEventLogCalls({
@@ -1461,7 +1466,7 @@ describe('Ad Hoc Task Runner', () => {
       expect(internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         AD_HOC_RUN_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE,
         mockedAdHocRunSO.id,
-        { namespace: undefined, refresh: false }
+        { namespace: undefined, refresh: true }
       );
 
       testAlertingEventLogCalls({
diff --git a/x-pack/platform/plugins/shared/alerting/server/task_runner/ad_hoc_task_runner.ts b/x-pack/platform/plugins/shared/alerting/server/task_runner/ad_hoc_task_runner.ts
index f603d293bceae..e422cb91efddc 100644
--- a/x-pack/platform/plugins/shared/alerting/server/task_runner/ad_hoc_task_runner.ts
+++ b/x-pack/platform/plugins/shared/alerting/server/task_runner/ad_hoc_task_runner.ts
@@ -620,17 +620,17 @@ export class AdHocTaskRunner implements CancellableTask {
   async cleanup() {
     if (!this.shouldDeleteTask) return;
 
-    await this.updateGapsAfterBackfillComplete();
-
     try {
       await this.internalSavedObjectsRepository.delete(
         AD_HOC_RUN_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE,
         this.taskInstance.params.adHocRunParamsId,
         {
-          refresh: false,
+          refresh: true,
           namespace: this.context.spaceIdToNamespace(this.taskInstance.params.spaceId),
         }
       );
+
+      await this.updateGapsAfterBackfillComplete();
     } catch (e) {
       // Log error only, we shouldn't fail the task because of an error here (if ever there's retry logic)
       this.logger.error(