diff --git a/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/settings/BeforeRunTaskImporter.java b/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/settings/BeforeRunTaskImporter.java
index c8c35744a326..064ac9bfc74b 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/settings/BeforeRunTaskImporter.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/settings/BeforeRunTaskImporter.java
@@ -14,6 +14,17 @@ import java.util.Map;
 public interface BeforeRunTaskImporter {
   ExtensionPointName<BeforeRunTaskImporter> EP_NAME = ExtensionPointName.create("com.intellij.externalSystem.beforeRunTaskImporter");
 
+  /**
+   * Given a map of configuration settings,
+   * optionally create relevant BeforeRunTask if it is missing from beforeRunTasks list
+   *
+   * @param project
+   * @param modelsProvider
+   * @param runConfiguration
+   * @param beforeRunTasks
+   * @param cfg
+   * @return
+   */
   List<BeforeRunTask> process(@NotNull Project project,
                @NotNull IdeModifiableModelsProvider modelsProvider,
                @NotNull RunConfiguration runConfiguration,
diff --git a/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/service/project/GradleExternalSettingsImporter.kt b/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/service/project/GradleExternalSettingsImporter.kt
index 85b6af60c3c4..a215c0cc44c6 100644
--- a/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/service/project/GradleExternalSettingsImporter.kt
+++ b/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/service/project/GradleExternalSettingsImporter.kt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import com.intellij.execution.BeforeRunTask
 import com.intellij.execution.BeforeRunTaskProvider
 import com.intellij.execution.configurations.RunConfiguration
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.model.project.settings.ConfigurationData
+import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.execution.ExternalSystemBeforeRunTask
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.IdeModifiableModelsProvider
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.manage.ExternalProjectsManagerImpl
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.manage.ExternalSystemTaskActivator
@@ -30,7 +31,16 @@ class GradleBeforeRunTaskImporter: BeforeRunTaskImporter {
       consumeIfCast(cfg["projectPath"], String::class.java) { externalProjectPath = it }
     }
     task.isEnabled = true
-    beforeRunTasks.add(task)
+
+    val taskExists = beforeRunTasks.filterIsInstance<ExternalSystemBeforeRunTask>()
+      .any {
+        it.taskExecutionSettings.taskNames == task.taskExecutionSettings.taskNames &&
+        it.taskExecutionSettings.externalProjectPath == task.taskExecutionSettings.externalProjectPath
+      }
+
+    if (!taskExists) {
+      beforeRunTasks.add(task)
+    }
     return beforeRunTasks
   }