diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/plugin.test.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/plugin.test.ts
index bb77dc2fe6e29..49945ca500315 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/plugin.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/plugin.test.ts
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ describe('Task Manager Plugin', () => {
       expect(setupResult).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
         Object {
           "addMiddleware": [Function],
+          "ensureScheduling": [Function],
           "fetch": [Function],
           "registerTaskDefinitions": [Function],
           "remove": [Function],
           "schedule": [Function],
-          "scheduleIfNotExists": [Function],
         }
       `);
     });
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/plugin.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/plugin.ts
index 61566b1de5181..1db6c37a7d995 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/plugin.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/plugin.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export interface PluginSetupContract {
   fetch: TaskManager['fetch'];
   remove: TaskManager['remove'];
   schedule: TaskManager['schedule'];
-  scheduleIfNotExists: TaskManager['scheduleIfNotExists'];
+  ensureScheduling: TaskManager['ensureScheduling'];
   addMiddleware: TaskManager['addMiddleware'];
   registerTaskDefinitions: TaskManager['registerTaskDefinitions'];
 }
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export class Plugin {
       fetch: (...args) => taskManager.fetch(...args),
       remove: (...args) => taskManager.remove(...args),
       schedule: (...args) => taskManager.schedule(...args),
-      scheduleIfNotExists: (...args) => taskManager.scheduleIfNotExists(...args),
+      ensureScheduling: (...args) => taskManager.ensureScheduling(...args),
       addMiddleware: (...args) => taskManager.addMiddleware(...args),
       registerTaskDefinitions: (...args) => taskManager.registerTaskDefinitions(...args),
     };
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/task_manager.test.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/task_manager.test.ts
index 80e64a16b2975..5682bdd4aa6c2 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/task_manager.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/task_manager.test.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ describe('TaskManager', () => {
 
     client.start();
 
-    const result = await client.scheduleIfNotExists({
+    const result = await client.ensureScheduling({
       id: 'my-foo-id',
       taskType: 'foo',
       params: {},
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ describe('TaskManager', () => {
     client.start();
 
     return expect(
-      client.scheduleIfNotExists({
+      client.ensureScheduling({
         id: 'my-foo-id',
         taskType: 'foo',
         params: {},
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/task_manager.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/task_manager.ts
index 2f2becd202d74..0bd57aa9a9d52 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/task_manager.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/task_manager/task_manager.ts
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ export class TaskManager {
    * @param task - The task being scheduled.
    * @returns {Promise<ConcreteTaskInstance>}
    */
-  public async scheduleIfNotExists(
+  public async ensureScheduling(
     taskInstance: ExistingTaskInstance,
     options?: any
   ): Promise<ExistingTaskInstance> {
diff --git a/x-pack/test/plugin_api_integration/plugins/task_manager/init_routes.js b/x-pack/test/plugin_api_integration/plugins/task_manager/init_routes.js
index 07d0c8391fce6..74d6c17debba8 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/plugin_api_integration/plugins/task_manager/init_routes.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/plugin_api_integration/plugins/task_manager/init_routes.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export function initRoutes(server) {
             state: Joi.object().optional(),
             id: Joi.string().optional()
           }),
-          scheduleIfNotExists: Joi.boolean()
+          ensureScheduling: Joi.boolean()
             .default(false)
             .optional(),
         }),
@@ -47,15 +47,15 @@ export function initRoutes(server) {
     },
     async handler(request) {
       try {
-        const { scheduleIfNotExists = false, task: taskFields } = request.payload;
+        const { ensureScheduling = false, task: taskFields } = request.payload;
         const task = {
           ...taskFields,
           scope: [scope],
         };
 
         const taskResult = await (
-          scheduleIfNotExists
-            ? taskManager.scheduleIfNotExists(task, { request })
+          ensureScheduling
+            ? taskManager.ensureScheduling(task, { request })
             : taskManager.schedule(task, { request })
         );
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/plugin_api_integration/test_suites/task_manager/task_manager_integration.js b/x-pack/test/plugin_api_integration/test_suites/task_manager/task_manager_integration.js
index ef21dd2786294..172ac1265beff 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/plugin_api_integration/test_suites/task_manager/task_manager_integration.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/plugin_api_integration/test_suites/task_manager/task_manager_integration.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export default function ({ getService }) {
     function scheduleTaskIfNotExists(task) {
       return supertest.post('/api/sample_tasks')
         .set('kbn-xsrf', 'xxx')
-        .send({ task, scheduleIfNotExists: true })
+        .send({ task, ensureScheduling: true })
         .expect(200)
         .then((response) => response.body);
     }