diff --git a/lib/tasks/topics.rake b/lib/tasks/topics.rake
index f862071daff..f0cb196f0e6 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/topics.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/topics.rake
@@ -14,9 +14,14 @@ def close_old_topics(category)
   topics_closed = 0
   total = topics.count
 
+  if total == 0
+    print "    all old topics are closed"
+    return
+  end
+
   topics.find_each do |topic|
     topic.update_status("closed", true, Discourse.system_user)
-    print_status("\tClosing topics: ", topics_closed += 1, total)
+    print_status("    closing old topics: ", topics_closed += 1, total)
   end
 end
 
@@ -28,15 +33,21 @@ def apply_auto_close(category)
         FROM topic_timers
         WHERE topic_timers.topic_id = topics.id
           AND topic_timers.status_type = ?
+          AND topic_timers.deleted_at IS NULL
       )
     SQL
 
   topics_closed = 0
   total = topics.count
 
+  if total == 0
+    print "    all topics have auto-close applied"
+    return
+  end
+
   topics.find_each do |topic|
     topic.inherit_auto_close_from_category
-    print_status("\tApplying auto-close to topics: ", topics_closed += 1, total)
+    print_status("    applying auto-close to topics: ", topics_closed += 1, total)
   end
 end
 
@@ -46,7 +57,9 @@ task "topics:apply_autoclose" => :environment do
   categories.find_each do |category|
     puts "", "Applying auto-close to category '#{category.name}' ..."
     close_old_topics(category)
+    puts ""
     apply_auto_close(category)
+    puts ""
   end
 
   puts "", "Done"