diff --git a/lib/tasks/gather.js b/lib/tasks/gather.js
index 194086aa..5acf7863 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/gather.js
+++ b/lib/tasks/gather.js
@@ -230,17 +230,17 @@ class TaskGather extends SttTask {
     };
 
     const startListening = async(cs, ep) => {
+      if (this.killed || this.resolved) {
+        this.logger.info('Gather:exec - task was quickly killed so do not transcribe');
+        return;
+      }
       this._startTimer();
       if (this.isContinuousAsr && 0 === this.timeout && !this.isBackgroundGather) {
         this._startAsrTimer();
       }
-      if (this.input.includes('speech') && !this.listenDuringPrompt) {
+      if (this.input.includes('speech')) {
         try {
           await this._setSpeechHandlers(cs, ep);
-          if (this.killed) {
-            this.logger.info('Gather:exec - task was quickly killed so do not transcribe');
-            return;
-          }
           this._startTranscribing(ep);
         } catch (e) {
           await this._startFallback(cs, ep, {error: e});
@@ -258,14 +258,14 @@ class TaskGather extends SttTask {
             startDtmfListener();
           }
           this._stopVad();
-          if (!this.killed && !this.resolved) {
+          if (!this.killed && !this.resolved && !this.listenDuringPrompt) {
             startListening(cs, ep);
-            if (this.input.includes('speech') && this.vendor === 'nuance' && this.listenDuringPrompt) {
-              this.logger.debug('Gather:exec - starting transcription timers after say completes');
-              ep.startTranscriptionTimers((err) => {
-                if (err) this.logger.error({err}, 'Gather:exec - error starting transcription timers');
-              });
-            }
+          }
+          if (this.input.includes('speech') && this.vendor === 'nuance' && this.listenDuringPrompt) {
+            this.logger.debug('Gather:exec - starting transcription timers after say completes');
+            ep.startTranscriptionTimers((err) => {
+              if (err) this.logger.error({err}, 'Gather:exec - error starting transcription timers');
+            });
           }
         };
         this.sayTask.span = span;
@@ -296,14 +296,14 @@ class TaskGather extends SttTask {
             startDtmfListener();
           }
           this._stopVad();
-          if (!this.killed && !this.resolved) {
+          if (!this.killed && !this.resolved && !this.listenDuringPrompt) {
             startListening(cs, ep);
-            if (this.input.includes('speech') && this.vendor === 'nuance' && this.listenDuringPrompt) {
-              this.logger.debug('Gather:exec - starting transcription timers after play completes');
-              ep.startTranscriptionTimers((err) => {
-                if (err) this.logger.error({err}, 'Gather:exec - error starting transcription timers');
-              });
-            }
+          }
+          if (this.input.includes('speech') && this.vendor === 'nuance' && this.listenDuringPrompt) {
+            this.logger.debug('Gather:exec - starting transcription timers after play completes');
+            ep.startTranscriptionTimers((err) => {
+              if (err) this.logger.error({err}, 'Gather:exec - error starting transcription timers');
+            });
           }
         };
         this.playTask.span = span;
@@ -321,21 +321,12 @@ class TaskGather extends SttTask {
           });
       }
       else {
-        if (this.killed) {
-          this.logger.info('Gather:exec - task was immediately killed so do not transcribe');
-          return;
-        }
-        startListening(cs, ep);
+        // listenDuringPrompt is set to false if there is no say or play task
+        await startListening(cs, ep);
       }
 
-      if (this.input.includes('speech') && this.listenDuringPrompt) {
-        await this._setSpeechHandlers(cs, ep);
-        if (!this.resolved && !this.killed) {
-          this._startTranscribing(ep);
-        }
-        else {
-          this.logger.info('Gather:exec - task was killed or resolved quickly, not starting transcription');
-        }
+      if (this.listenDuringPrompt) {
+        await startListening(cs, ep);
       }
 
       // https://github.com/jambonz/jambonz-feature-server/issues/913