diff --git a/victoria-metrics/alerts.yml b/victoria-metrics/alerts.yml
index 7205472..d8c37ab 100644
--- a/victoria-metrics/alerts.yml
+++ b/victoria-metrics/alerts.yml
@@ -254,11 +254,11 @@ groups:
         for details about the task failures.
   - alert: Paperless email task not running
     expr: >-
-      absent(
+      absent_over_time(
         flower_events_total{
           type="task-started",
           task="paperless_mail.tasks.process_mail_accounts"
-        }
+        }[12h]
       )
     annotations:
       summary: Paperless task to process mail accounts has not run recently