diff --git a/components/gitpod-db/src/periodic-deleter.ts b/components/gitpod-db/src/periodic-deleter.ts
index 50b5859f1d4fcb..6e41390c8a6fff 100644
--- a/components/gitpod-db/src/periodic-deleter.ts
+++ b/components/gitpod-db/src/periodic-deleter.ts
@@ -16,13 +16,18 @@ export class PeriodicDbDeleter {
     @inject(GitpodTableDescriptionProvider) protected readonly tableProvider: GitpodTableDescriptionProvider;
     @inject(TypeORM) protected readonly typeORM: TypeORM;
 
-    start() {
+    start(shouldRunFn: () => Promise<boolean>) {
         log.info("[PeriodicDbDeleter] Start ...");
-        this.sync().catch((err) => log.error("[PeriodicDbDeleter] sync failed", err));
+        this.sync(shouldRunFn).catch((err) => log.error("[PeriodicDbDeleter] sync failed", err));
     }
 
-    protected async sync() {
+    protected async sync(shouldRunFn: () => Promise<boolean>) {
         const doSync = async () => {
+            const shouldRun = await shouldRunFn();
+            if (!shouldRun) {
+                return;
+            }
+
             const tickID = new Date().toISOString();
             log.info("[PeriodicDbDeleter] Starting to collect deleted rows.", {
                 periodicDeleterTickId: tickID,
diff --git a/components/server/src/server.ts b/components/server/src/server.ts
index e611a4d7a8b92f..f5f540b1dac518 100644
--- a/components/server/src/server.ts
+++ b/components/server/src/server.ts
@@ -334,13 +334,13 @@ export class Server<C extends GitpodClient, S extends GitpodServer> {
         if (!this.config.runDbDeleter) {
             return;
         }
-        const areWeLeader = await this.qorum.areWeLeader();
-        if (areWeLeader) {
-            log.info("[PeriodicDbDeleter] Current instance is leader, starting periodic deleter.");
-            this.periodicDbDeleter.start();
-        } else {
-            log.info("[PeriodicDbDeleter] Current instance is not the leader, periodic deleter will not run.");
-        }
+        this.periodicDbDeleter.start(async () => {
+            const areWeLeader = await this.qorum.areWeLeader();
+            log.info(
+                "[PeriodicDbDeleter]" + areWeLeader ? "Deleter should run." : "Current instance is not the leader",
+            );
+            return areWeLeader;
+        });
     }
 
     protected async registerRoutes(app: express.Application) {