diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox-backup-proxy.rs b/src/bin/proxmox-backup-proxy.rs
index b8c22af3..a416c717 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox-backup-proxy.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox-backup-proxy.rs
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ use proxmox_backup::tools::{
 
 use proxmox_backup::api2::pull::do_sync_job;
 use proxmox_backup::server::do_verification_job;
+use proxmox_backup::server::do_prune_job;
 
 fn main() -> Result<(), Error> {
     proxmox_backup::tools::setup_safe_path_env();
@@ -370,8 +371,6 @@ async fn schedule_datastore_prune() {
     use proxmox_backup::{
         backup::{
             PruneOptions,
-            BackupGroup,
-            compute_prune_info,
         },
         config::datastore::{
             self,
@@ -388,13 +387,6 @@ async fn schedule_datastore_prune() {
     };
 
     for (store, (_, store_config)) in config.sections {
-        let datastore = match DataStore::lookup_datastore(&store) {
-            Ok(datastore) => datastore,
-            Err(err) => {
-                eprintln!("lookup_datastore '{}' failed - {}", store, err);
-                continue;
-            }
-        };
 
         let store_config: DataStoreConfig = match serde_json::from_value(store_config) {
             Ok(c) => c,
@@ -453,64 +445,16 @@ async fn schedule_datastore_prune() {
 
         if next > now  { continue; }
 
-        let mut job = match Job::new(worker_type, &store) {
+        let job = match Job::new(worker_type, &store) {
             Ok(job) => job,
             Err(_) => continue, // could not get lock
         };
 
-        let store2 = store.clone();
-
-        if let Err(err) = WorkerTask::new_thread(
-            worker_type,
-            Some(store.clone()),
-            Authid::backup_auth_id().clone(),
-            false,
-            move |worker| {
-
-                job.start(&worker.upid().to_string())?;
-
-                let result = try_block!({
-
-                    worker.log(format!("Starting datastore prune on store \"{}\"", store));
-                    worker.log(format!("task triggered by schedule '{}'", event_str));
-                    worker.log(format!("retention options: {}", prune_options.cli_options_string()));
-
-                    let base_path = datastore.base_path();
-
-                    let groups = BackupGroup::list_groups(&base_path)?;
-                    for group in groups {
-                        let list = group.list_backups(&base_path)?;
-                        let mut prune_info = compute_prune_info(list, &prune_options)?;
-                        prune_info.reverse(); // delete older snapshots first
-
-                        worker.log(format!("Starting prune on store \"{}\" group \"{}/{}\"",
-                                store, group.backup_type(), group.backup_id()));
-
-                        for (info, keep) in prune_info {
-                            worker.log(format!(
-                                    "{} {}/{}/{}",
-                                    if keep { "keep" } else { "remove" },
-                                    group.backup_type(), group.backup_id(),
-                                    info.backup_dir.backup_time_string()));
-                            if !keep {
-                                datastore.remove_backup_dir(&info.backup_dir, true)?;
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
-                    Ok(())
-                });
-
-                let status = worker.create_state(&result);
-
-                if let Err(err) = job.finish(status) {
-                    eprintln!("could not finish job state for {}: {}", worker_type, err);
-                }
-
-                result
-            }
-        ) {
-            eprintln!("unable to start datastore prune on store {} - {}", store2, err);
+        let auth_id = Authid::backup_auth_id();
+        if let Err(err) = do_prune_job(job, prune_options, store.clone(), &auth_id, Some(event_str)) {
+            eprintln!("unable to start datastore prune job {} - {}", &store, err);
         }
+
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/server.rs b/src/server.rs
index 9a18c56b..eddff722 100644
--- a/src/server.rs
+++ b/src/server.rs
@@ -35,5 +35,8 @@ pub mod jobstate;
 mod verify_job;
 pub use verify_job::*;
 
+mod prune_job;
+pub use prune_job::*;
+
 mod email_notifications;
 pub use email_notifications::*;
diff --git a/src/server/prune_job.rs b/src/server/prune_job.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..67d438d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/server/prune_job.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+use anyhow::Error;
+
+use proxmox::try_block;
+
+use crate::{
+    api2::types::*,
+    backup::{compute_prune_info, BackupGroup, DataStore, PruneOptions},
+    server::jobstate::Job,
+    server::WorkerTask,
+    task_log,
+};
+
+pub fn do_prune_job(
+    mut job: Job,
+    prune_options: PruneOptions,
+    store: String,
+    auth_id: &Authid,
+    schedule: Option<String>,
+) -> Result<String, Error> {
+    let datastore = DataStore::lookup_datastore(&store)?;
+
+    let worker_type = job.jobtype().to_string();
+    let upid_str = WorkerTask::new_thread(
+        &worker_type,
+        Some(job.jobname().to_string()),
+        auth_id.clone(),
+        false,
+        move |worker| {
+            job.start(&worker.upid().to_string())?;
+
+            let result = try_block!({
+                task_log!(worker, "Starting datastore prune on store \"{}\"", store);
+
+                if let Some(event_str) = schedule {
+                    task_log!(worker, "task triggered by schedule '{}'", event_str);
+                }
+
+                task_log!(
+                    worker,
+                    "retention options: {}",
+                    prune_options.cli_options_string()
+                );
+
+                let base_path = datastore.base_path();
+
+                let groups = BackupGroup::list_groups(&base_path)?;
+                for group in groups {
+                    let list = group.list_backups(&base_path)?;
+                    let mut prune_info = compute_prune_info(list, &prune_options)?;
+                    prune_info.reverse(); // delete older snapshots first
+
+                    task_log!(
+                        worker,
+                        "Starting prune on store \"{}\" group \"{}/{}\"",
+                        store,
+                        group.backup_type(),
+                        group.backup_id()
+                    );
+
+                    for (info, keep) in prune_info {
+                        task_log!(
+                            worker,
+                            "{} {}/{}/{}",
+                            if keep { "keep" } else { "remove" },
+                            group.backup_type(),
+                            group.backup_id(),
+                            info.backup_dir.backup_time_string()
+                        );
+                        if !keep {
+                            datastore.remove_backup_dir(&info.backup_dir, true)?;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                Ok(())
+            });
+
+            let status = worker.create_state(&result);
+
+            if let Err(err) = job.finish(status) {
+                eprintln!(
+                    "could not finish job state for {}: {}",
+                    job.jobtype().to_string(),
+                    err
+                );
+            }
+
+            result
+        },
+    )?;
+    Ok(upid_str)
+}