diff --git a/lib/OpenQA/Task/Git/Clone.pm b/lib/OpenQA/Task/Git/Clone.pm
index 29d995aea51..9a0f6c966ea 100644
--- a/lib/OpenQA/Task/Git/Clone.pm
+++ b/lib/OpenQA/Task/Git/Clone.pm
@@ -25,14 +25,17 @@ sub _git_clone_all ($job, $clones) {
     my $app = $job->app;
     my $job_id = $job->id;
 
-    # Prevent multiple git clone tasks for the same path to run in parallel
-    my @guards;
     my $retry_delay = {delay => 30 + int(rand(10))};
+    # Don't interfere with any needle task
+    return $job->retry({delay => 5})
+      unless my $needle_guard = $app->minion->guard('limit_needle_task', 2 * ONE_HOUR);
+    # Prevent multiple git_clone tasks for the same path to run in parallel
+    my @guards;
     for my $path (sort keys %$clones) {
-        $path = Mojo::File->new($path)->realpath if (-e $path);    # resolve symlinks
+        $path = Mojo::File->new($path)->realpath if -e $path;    # resolve symlinks
         my $guard = $app->minion->guard("git_clone_${path}_task", 2 * ONE_HOUR);
         return $job->retry($retry_delay) unless $guard;
-        push(@guards, $guard);
+        push @guards, $guard;
     }
 
     my $log = $app->log;
diff --git a/t/14-grutasks.t b/t/14-grutasks.t
index 92c060d2820..78242a041e4 100644
--- a/t/14-grutasks.t
+++ b/t/14-grutasks.t
@@ -688,6 +688,14 @@ subtest 'git clone' => sub {
         is $res->{retries}, 0, 'job retries not incremented';
         is $res->{state}, 'failed', 'job considered failed';
     };
+
+    subtest 'minion guard' => sub {
+        my $guard = $t->app->minion->guard('limit_needle_task', ONE_HOUR);
+        my $start = time;
+        $res = run_gru_job($t->app, 'git_clone', $clone_dirs, {priority => 10});
+        is $res->{state}, 'inactive', 'job is inactive';
+        ok(($res->{delayed} - $start) > 5, 'job delayed as expected');
+    };
 };
 
 subtest 'download assets with correct permissions' => sub {