diff --git a/src/webviews/tasks/tasksPanelProvider.ts b/src/webviews/tasks/tasksPanelProvider.ts
index 42e37255..f4728a4a 100644
--- a/src/webviews/tasks/tasksPanelProvider.ts
+++ b/src/webviews/tasks/tasksPanelProvider.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export class TasksPanelProvider
 
 	private view?: vscode.WebviewView;
 	private disposables: vscode.Disposable[] = [];
+	private useLegacyPauseResume = false;
 
 	// Workspace log streaming
 	private readonly buildLogStream = new LazyStream<ProvisionerJobLog>();
@@ -285,28 +286,54 @@ export class TasksPanelProvider
 		);
 	}
 
-	private async handlePauseTask(taskId: string): Promise<void> {
-		const task = await this.client.getTask("me", taskId);
-		if (!task.workspace_id) {
-			throw new Error("Task has no workspace");
-		}
+	private handlePauseTask(taskId: string): Promise<void> {
+		return this.pauseOrResumeTask(
+			taskId,
+			() => this.client.pauseTask("me", taskId),
+			(workspaceId) => this.client.stopWorkspace(workspaceId),
+		);
+	}
+
+	private handleResumeTask(taskId: string): Promise<void> {
+		return this.pauseOrResumeTask(
+			taskId,
+			() => this.client.resumeTask("me", taskId),
+			(workspaceId, task) =>
+				this.client.startWorkspace(workspaceId, task.template_version_id),
+		);
+	}
 
-		await this.client.stopWorkspace(task.workspace_id);
+	private async pauseOrResumeTask(
+		taskId: string,
+		taskApiCall: () => Promise<unknown>,
+		legacyCall: (workspaceId: string, task: Task) => Promise<unknown>,
+	): Promise<void> {
+		if (this.useLegacyPauseResume) {
+			return this.legacyPauseOrResume(taskId, legacyCall);
+		}
 
-		await this.refreshAndNotifyTask(taskId);
+		try {
+			await taskApiCall();
+			await this.refreshAndNotifyTask(taskId);
+		} catch (err) {
+			if (isAxiosError(err) && err.response?.status === 404) {
+				this.useLegacyPauseResume = true;
+				return this.legacyPauseOrResume(taskId, legacyCall);
+			}
+			throw err;
+		}
 	}
 
-	private async handleResumeTask(taskId: string): Promise<void> {
+	private async legacyPauseOrResume(
+		taskId: string,
+		legacyCall: (workspaceId: string, task: Task) => Promise<unknown>,
+	): Promise<void> {
 		const task = await this.client.getTask("me", taskId);
-		if (!task.workspace_id) {
+		const { workspace_id } = task;
+		if (!workspace_id) {
 			throw new Error("Task has no workspace");
 		}
-
-		await this.client.startWorkspace(
-			task.workspace_id,
-			task.template_version_id,
-		);
-
+		await legacyCall(workspace_id, task);
 		await this.refreshAndNotifyTask(taskId);
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/unit/webviews/tasks/tasksPanelProvider.test.ts b/test/unit/webviews/tasks/tasksPanelProvider.test.ts
index 3fc686b2..a1ab44fe 100644
--- a/test/unit/webviews/tasks/tasksPanelProvider.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/webviews/tasks/tasksPanelProvider.test.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ type TasksPanelClient = Pick<
 	| "getTemplateVersionPresets"
 	| "startWorkspace"
 	| "stopWorkspace"
+	| "pauseTask"
+	| "resumeTask"
 	| "sendTaskInput"
 	| "getHost"
 	| "getWorkspace"
@@ -91,6 +93,8 @@ function createClient(baseUrl = "https://coder.example.com"): MockClient {
 		getTemplateVersionPresets: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]),
 		startWorkspace: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
 		stopWorkspace: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+		pauseTask: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+		resumeTask: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
 		sendTaskInput: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
 		getHost: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(baseUrl),
 		getWorkspace: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(workspace()),
@@ -413,40 +417,102 @@ describe("TasksPanelProvider", () => {
 	});
 
 	describe("pauseTask / resumeTask", () => {
-		interface WorkspaceControlTestCase {
-			method: typeof TasksApi.pauseTask;
-			clientMethod: keyof MockClient;
-			taskOverrides: Partial<Task>;
-		}
-		it.each<WorkspaceControlTestCase>([
-			{
-				method: TasksApi.pauseTask,
-				clientMethod: "stopWorkspace",
-				taskOverrides: { workspace_id: "ws-1" },
-			},
-			{
-				method: TasksApi.resumeTask,
-				clientMethod: "startWorkspace",
-				taskOverrides: { workspace_id: "ws-1", template_version_id: "tv-1" },
-			},
-		])(
-			"$method.method calls $clientMethod",
-			async ({ method, clientMethod, taskOverrides }) => {
-				const h = createHarness();
-				h.client.getTask.mockResolvedValue(task(taskOverrides));
+		it("pauseTask calls client.pauseTask", async () => {
+			const h = createHarness();
+			h.client.getTask.mockResolvedValue(task({ workspace_id: "ws-1" }));
 
-				const res = await h.request(method, {
-					taskId: "task-1",
-					taskName: "Test Task",
-				});
+			const res = await h.request(TasksApi.pauseTask, {
+				taskId: "task-1",
+				taskName: "Test Task",
+			});
 
-				expect(res.success).toBe(true);
-				expect(h.client[clientMethod]).toHaveBeenCalled();
-			},
-		);
+			expect(res.success).toBe(true);
+			expect(h.client.pauseTask).toHaveBeenCalledWith("me", "task-1");
+			expect(h.client.stopWorkspace).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		});
+
+		it("resumeTask calls client.resumeTask", async () => {
+			const h = createHarness();
+			h.client.getTask.mockResolvedValue(task({ workspace_id: "ws-1" }));
+
+			const res = await h.request(TasksApi.resumeTask, {
+				taskId: "task-1",
+				taskName: "Test Task",
+			});
+
+			expect(res.success).toBe(true);
+			expect(h.client.resumeTask).toHaveBeenCalledWith("me", "task-1");
+			expect(h.client.startWorkspace).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		});
+
+		it("pauseTask falls back to stopWorkspace on 404", async () => {
+			const h = createHarness();
+			h.client.pauseTask.mockRejectedValue(createAxiosError(404, "Not found"));
+			h.client.getTask.mockResolvedValue(task({ workspace_id: "ws-1" }));
+
+			const res = await h.request(TasksApi.pauseTask, {
+				taskId: "task-1",
+				taskName: "Test Task",
+			});
+
+			expect(res.success).toBe(true);
+			expect(h.client.stopWorkspace).toHaveBeenCalledWith("ws-1");
+		});
+
+		it("resumeTask falls back to startWorkspace on 404", async () => {
+			const h = createHarness();
+			h.client.resumeTask.mockRejectedValue(createAxiosError(404, "Not found"));
+			h.client.getTask.mockResolvedValue(
+				task({ workspace_id: "ws-1", template_version_id: "tv-1" }),
+			);
+
+			const res = await h.request(TasksApi.resumeTask, {
+				taskId: "task-1",
+				taskName: "Test Task",
+			});
+
+			expect(res.success).toBe(true);
+			expect(h.client.startWorkspace).toHaveBeenCalledWith("ws-1", "tv-1");
+		});
+
+		it("caches legacy fallback after first 404", async () => {
+			const h = createHarness();
+			h.client.pauseTask.mockRejectedValue(createAxiosError(404, "Not found"));
+			h.client.getTask.mockResolvedValue(task({ workspace_id: "ws-1" }));
+
+			await h.request(TasksApi.pauseTask, {
+				taskId: "task-1",
+				taskName: "Test Task",
+			});
+			h.client.pauseTask.mockClear();
+
+			await h.request(TasksApi.pauseTask, {
+				taskId: "task-1",
+				taskName: "Test Task",
+			});
+
+			expect(h.client.pauseTask).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+			expect(h.client.stopWorkspace).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+		});
+
+		it("propagates non-404 errors without fallback", async () => {
+			const h = createHarness();
+			h.client.pauseTask.mockRejectedValue(
+				createAxiosError(500, "Internal server error"),
+			);
+
+			const res = await h.request(TasksApi.pauseTask, {
+				taskId: "task-1",
+				taskName: "Test Task",
+			});
+
+			expect(res.success).toBe(false);
+			expect(h.client.stopWorkspace).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		});
 
-		it("pauseTask fails when no workspace", async () => {
+		it("legacy pause fails when task has no workspace", async () => {
 			const h = createHarness();
+			h.client.pauseTask.mockRejectedValue(createAxiosError(404, "Not found"));
 			h.client.getTask.mockResolvedValue(task({ workspace_id: null }));
 
 			const res = await h.request(TasksApi.pauseTask, {
@@ -719,7 +785,7 @@ describe("TasksPanelProvider", () => {
 
 		it("shows error notification for user action failures", async () => {
 			const h = createHarness();
-			h.client.getTask.mockRejectedValue(new Error("Workspace unavailable"));
+			h.client.pauseTask.mockRejectedValue(new Error("Workspace unavailable"));
 
 			const res = await h.request(TasksApi.pauseTask, {
 				taskId: "task-1",