diff --git a/lib/session/call-session.js b/lib/session/call-session.js
index 75a910d1..564deb41 100644
--- a/lib/session/call-session.js
+++ b/lib/session/call-session.js
@@ -607,13 +607,19 @@ class CallSession extends Emitter {
       this.logger.info(`CallSession:exec starting task #${stackNum}:${taskNum}: ${task.name}`);
       try {
         const resources = await this._evaluatePreconditions(task);
+        let skip = false;
         this.currentTask = task;
         if (TaskName.Gather === task.name && this.isBotModeEnabled) {
-          const timeout = task.timeout;
-          this.logger.info(`CallSession:exec skipping #${stackNum}:${taskNum}: ${task.name}`);
-          this.backgroundGatherTask.updateTimeout(timeout);
+          if (this.backgroundGatherTask.updateTaskInProgress(task)) {
+            this.logger.info(`CallSession:exec skipping #${stackNum}:${taskNum}: ${task.name}`);
+            skip = true;
+          }
+          else {
+            this.logger.info('CallSession:exec disabling bot mode to start gather with new options');
+            this.disableBotMode();
+          }
         }
-        else {
+        if (!skip) {
           const {span, ctx} = this.rootSpan.startChildSpan(`verb:${task.summary}`);
           task.span = span;
           task.ctx = ctx;
diff --git a/lib/tasks/gather.js b/lib/tasks/gather.js
index e3177a78..75c3d5b3 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/gather.js
+++ b/lib/tasks/gather.js
@@ -262,8 +262,12 @@ class TaskGather extends Task {
     this._resolve('killed');
   }
 
-  updateTimeout(timeout) {
-    this.logger.info(`TaskGather:updateTimeout - updating timeout to ${timeout}`);
+  updateTaskInProgress(opts) {
+    if (!this.needsStt && opts.input.includes('speech')) {
+      this.logger.info('TaskGather:updateTaskInProgress - adding speech to a background gather');
+      return false; // this needs be handled by killing the background gather and starting a new one
+    }
+    const {timeout} = opts;
     this.timeout = timeout;
     this._startTimer();
   }