diff --git a/tubearchivist/api/README.md b/tubearchivist/api/README.md
index c0889d3..0316b3e 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/api/README.md
+++ b/tubearchivist/api/README.md
@@ -202,6 +202,20 @@ When valid returns message with user id:
 ```
 
 ## Task View
+GET /api/task/
+POST /api/task/
+
+Check if there is an ongoing task:
+GET /api/task/
+
+Returns:
+```json
+{
+    "rescan": false,
+    "downloading": false
+}
+```
+
 Start a background task
 POST /api/task/
 ```json
diff --git a/tubearchivist/api/views.py b/tubearchivist/api/views.py
index d1165c2..f695fab 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/api/views.py
+++ b/tubearchivist/api/views.py
@@ -452,9 +452,20 @@ class LoginApiView(ObtainAuthToken):
 
 class TaskApiView(ApiBaseView):
     """resolves to /api/task/
+    GET: check if ongoing background task
     POST: start a new background task
     """
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def get(request):
+        """handle get request"""
+
+        response = {"rescan": False, "downloading": False}
+        for key in response.keys():
+            response[key] = RedisArchivist().is_locked(key)
+
+        return Response(response)
+
     def post(self, request):
         """handle post request"""
 
diff --git a/tubearchivist/home/src/ta/ta_redis.py b/tubearchivist/home/src/ta/ta_redis.py
index e13a997..43e9ab6 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/home/src/ta/ta_redis.py
+++ b/tubearchivist/home/src/ta/ta_redis.py
@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@ class RedisArchivist(RedisBase):
         redis_lock = self.conn.lock(self.NAME_SPACE + lock_key)
         return redis_lock
 
+    def is_locked(self, lock_key):
+        """check if lock is set"""
+        lock_name = self.NAME_SPACE + lock_key
+        lock_status = bool(self.conn.execute_command("GET", lock_name))
+        return lock_status
+
     def get_progress(self):
         """get a list of all progress messages"""
         all_messages = []