diff --git a/db-scheduler/src/main/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/Scheduler.java b/db-scheduler/src/main/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/Scheduler.java
index 60e0c9a2..8abedbe4 100644
--- a/db-scheduler/src/main/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/Scheduler.java
+++ b/db-scheduler/src/main/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/Scheduler.java
@@ -252,6 +252,16 @@ public <T> void schedule(SchedulableInstance<T> schedulableInstance) {
     this.delegate.schedule(schedulableInstance);
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public <T> boolean scheduleIfNotExists(TaskInstance<T> taskInstance, Instant executionTime) {
+    return this.delegate.scheduleIfNotExists(taskInstance, executionTime);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public <T> boolean scheduleIfNotExists(SchedulableInstance<T> schedulableInstance) {
+    return this.delegate.scheduleIfNotExists(schedulableInstance);
+  }
+
   @Override
   public <T> void schedule(TaskInstance<T> taskInstance, Instant executionTime) {
     this.delegate.schedule(taskInstance, executionTime);
diff --git a/db-scheduler/src/main/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/SchedulerClient.java b/db-scheduler/src/main/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/SchedulerClient.java
index 4c21e30b..2d020574 100644
--- a/db-scheduler/src/main/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/SchedulerClient.java
+++ b/db-scheduler/src/main/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/SchedulerClient.java
@@ -40,17 +40,43 @@
 public interface SchedulerClient {
 
   /**
-   * Schedule a new execution.
+   * Schedule a new execution if task instance does not already exists.
    *
    * @param taskInstance Task-instance, optionally with data
    * @param executionTime Instant it should run
    * @see java.time.Instant
    * @see com.github.kagkarlsson.scheduler.task.TaskInstance
+   * @deprecated use {@link #scheduleIfNotExists(TaskInstance, Instant)} instead.
    */
+  @Deprecated
   <T> void schedule(TaskInstance<T> taskInstance, Instant executionTime);
 
+  /**
+   * @deprecated use {@link #scheduleIfNotExists(SchedulableInstance)} instead.
+   */
+  @Deprecated
   <T> void schedule(SchedulableInstance<T> schedulableInstance);
 
+  /**
+   * Schedule a new execution if task instance does not already exists.
+   *
+   * @param taskInstance Task-instance, optionally with data
+   * @param executionTime Instant it should run
+   * @see java.time.Instant
+   * @see com.github.kagkarlsson.scheduler.task.TaskInstance
+   * @return true if scheduled successfully
+   */
+  <T> boolean scheduleIfNotExists(TaskInstance<T> taskInstance, Instant executionTime);
+
+  /**
+   * Schedule a new execution if task instance does not already exists.
+   *
+   * @param schedulableInstance Task-instance and time it should run
+   * @see com.github.kagkarlsson.scheduler.task.SchedulableInstance
+   * @return true if scheduled successfully
+   */
+  <T> boolean scheduleIfNotExists(SchedulableInstance<T> schedulableInstance);
+
   /**
    * Update an existing execution to a new execution-time. If the execution does not exist or if it
    * is currently running, an exception is thrown.
@@ -256,11 +282,25 @@ class StandardSchedulerClient implements SchedulerClient {
 
     @Override
     public <T> void schedule(TaskInstance<T> taskInstance, Instant executionTime) {
+      // ignore result even if failed to schedule due to duplicates for backwards-compatibility
+      scheduleIfNotExists(taskInstance, executionTime);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T> boolean scheduleIfNotExists(TaskInstance<T> taskInstance, Instant executionTime) {
       boolean success =
           taskRepository.createIfNotExists(SchedulableInstance.of(taskInstance, executionTime));
       if (success) {
         notifyListeners(ClientEvent.EventType.SCHEDULE, taskInstance, executionTime);
       }
+      return success;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T> boolean scheduleIfNotExists(SchedulableInstance<T> schedulableInstance) {
+      return scheduleIfNotExists(
+          schedulableInstance.getTaskInstance(),
+          schedulableInstance.getNextExecutionTime(clock.now()));
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/db-scheduler/src/test/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/SchedulerClientTest.java b/db-scheduler/src/test/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/SchedulerClientTest.java
index d156c17a..9d3eee0d 100644
--- a/db-scheduler/src/test/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/SchedulerClientTest.java
+++ b/db-scheduler/src/test/java/com/github/kagkarlsson/scheduler/SchedulerClientTest.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.assertThat;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 import co.unruly.matchers.OptionalMatchers;
@@ -79,10 +80,20 @@ public void setUp() {
   @Test
   public void client_should_be_able_to_schedule_executions() {
     SchedulerClient client = create(DB.getDataSource()).build();
+
+    // test deprecated method
     client.schedule(oneTimeTaskA.instance("1"), settableClock.now());
+    assertFalse(client.scheduleIfNotExists(oneTimeTaskA.instance("1"), settableClock.now()));
 
     scheduler.runAnyDueExecutions();
     assertThat(onetimeTaskHandlerA.timesExecuted.get(), CoreMatchers.is(1));
+
+    // test new method
+    client.scheduleIfNotExists(oneTimeTaskA.instance("1"), settableClock.now());
+    assertFalse(client.scheduleIfNotExists(oneTimeTaskA.instance("1"), settableClock.now()));
+
+    scheduler.runAnyDueExecutions();
+    assertThat(onetimeTaskHandlerA.timesExecuted.get(), CoreMatchers.is(2));
   }
 
   @Test