diff --git a/meta/classes/base.bbclass b/meta/classes/base.bbclass
index c730eec9..d5a3142b 100644
--- a/meta/classes/base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/base.bbclass
@@ -204,6 +204,15 @@ def isar_export_ccache(d):
     else:
         os.environ['CCACHE_DISABLE'] = '1'
 
+isar_check_current_task() {
+    if [ "do_${BB_CURRENTTASK}" = "$1" ]; then
+        return 0
+    else
+        echo "skipping because current task is not $1"
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
 do_fetch[dirs] = "${DL_DIR}"
 do_fetch[file-checksums] = "${@bb.fetch.get_checksum_file_list(d)}"
 do_fetch[vardeps] += "SRCREV"
diff --git a/meta/classes/dpkg-base.bbclass b/meta/classes/dpkg-base.bbclass
index 4468a49a..7f2dcd3f 100644
--- a/meta/classes/dpkg-base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/dpkg-base.bbclass
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ SSTATECREATEFUNCS += "dpkg_build_sstate_prepare"
 SSTATEPOSTINSTFUNCS += "dpkg_build_sstate_finalize"
 
 dpkg_build_sstate_prepare() {
+    (isar_check_current_task "do_dpkg_build" || return) || true
     # this runs in SSTATE_BUILDDIR, which will be deleted automatically
     if [ -n "$(find ${WORKDIR} -maxdepth 1 -name '*.deb' -print -quit)" ]; then
         cp -f ${WORKDIR}/*.deb -t .
@@ -191,6 +192,7 @@ dpkg_build_sstate_prepare() {
 }
 
 dpkg_build_sstate_finalize() {
+    (isar_check_current_task "do_dpkg_build_setscene" || return) || true
     # this runs in SSTATE_INSTDIR
     if [ -n "$(find . -maxdepth 1 -name '*.deb' -print -quit)" ]; then
         mv -f ./*.deb -t ${WORKDIR}/
diff --git a/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass b/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
index cd8fd118..aed50a91 100644
--- a/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ SSTATE_TAR_ATTR_FLAGS ?= "--xattrs --xattrs-include='*'"
 
 # the rootfs is owned by root, so we need some sudoing to pack and unpack
 rootfs_install_sstate_prepare() {
+    (isar_check_current_task "do_rootfs_install" || return) || true
     # this runs in SSTATE_BUILDDIR, which will be deleted automatically
     # tar --one-file-system will cross bind-mounts to the same filesystem,
     # so we use some mount magic to prevent that
@@ -450,6 +451,7 @@ rootfs_install_sstate_prepare() {
 do_rootfs_install_sstate_prepare[lockfiles] = "${REPO_ISAR_DIR}/isar.lock"
 
 rootfs_install_sstate_finalize() {
+    (isar_check_current_task "do_rootfs_install_setscene" || return) || true
     # this runs in SSTATE_INSTDIR
     # - after building the rootfs, the tar won't be there, but we also don't need to unpack
     # - after restoring from cache, there will be a tar which we unpack and then delete
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc b/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
index 08d61a84..a3ab28ca 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
@@ -219,12 +219,14 @@ SSTATECREATEFUNCS += "bootstrap_sstate_prepare"
 SSTATEPOSTINSTFUNCS += "bootstrap_sstate_finalize"
 
 bootstrap_sstate_prepare() {
+    (isar_check_current_task "do_bootstrap" || return) || true
     # this runs in SSTATE_BUILDDIR, which will be deleted automatically
     sudo cp -a "${WORKDIR}/rootfs.tar.zst" ./bootstrap.tar.zst
     sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) bootstrap.tar.zst
 }
 
 bootstrap_sstate_finalize() {
+    (isar_check_current_task "do_bootstrap_setscene" || return) || true
     # this runs in SSTATE_INSTDIR
     # we should restore symlinks after using tar
     if [ -f bootstrap.tar.zst ]; then
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/isar-mmdebstrap/isar-mmdebstrap.inc b/meta/recipes-core/isar-mmdebstrap/isar-mmdebstrap.inc
index 931f6f13..44775bc5 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/isar-mmdebstrap/isar-mmdebstrap.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/isar-mmdebstrap/isar-mmdebstrap.inc
@@ -222,12 +222,14 @@ SSTATECREATEFUNCS += "bootstrap_sstate_prepare"
 SSTATEPOSTINSTFUNCS += "bootstrap_sstate_finalize"
 
 bootstrap_sstate_prepare() {
+    (isar_check_current_task "do_bootstrap" || return) || true
     # this runs in SSTATE_BUILDDIR, which will be deleted automatically
     sudo cp -a "${WORKDIR}/rootfs.tar.zst" ./bootstrap.tar.zst
     sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) bootstrap.tar.zst
 }
 
 bootstrap_sstate_finalize() {
+    (isar_check_current_task "do_bootstrap_setscene" || return) || true
     # this runs in SSTATE_INSTDIR
     # we should restore symlinks after using tar
     if [ -f bootstrap.tar.zst ]; then