diff --git a/lib/api/GwApi.h b/lib/api/GwApi.h
index 6b99390..9209895 100644
--- a/lib/api/GwApi.h
+++ b/lib/api/GwApi.h
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #include "GwBoatData.h"
 #include "GwXDRMappings.h"
 #include <map>
+class GwApi;
+typedef void (*GwUserTaskFunction)(GwApi *);
 //API to be used for additional tasks
 class GwApi{
     public:
@@ -158,6 +160,13 @@ class GwApi{
         virtual bool addXdrMapping(const GwXDRMappingDef &)=0;
 
         virtual void addCapability(const String &name, const String &value)=0;
+        /**
+         * add a user task
+         * this allows you decide based on defines/config if a user task really should be added
+         * so this is the preferred solution over DECLARE_USERTASK
+         * The name should be similar to the function name of the user task (although not mandatory)
+        */
+        virtual bool addUserTask(GwUserTaskFunction task,const String Name, int stackSize=2000)=0;
 
         /**
          * not thread safe methods
diff --git a/lib/iictask/GwIicTask.cpp b/lib/iictask/GwIicTask.cpp
index ea742b1..79064de 100644
--- a/lib/iictask/GwIicTask.cpp
+++ b/lib/iictask/GwIicTask.cpp
@@ -36,12 +36,13 @@ class SHT3XConfig{
         tempSource=(tN2kTempSource)(config->getInt(GwConfigDefinitions::SHT3XTempSource));
     }
 };
-
+void runIicTask(GwApi *api);
 void initIicTask(GwApi *api){
     GwLog *logger=api->getLogger();
     #ifndef _GWIIC
         return;
     #endif
+    bool addTask=false;
     #ifdef GWSHT3X
         api->addCapability("SHT3X","true");
         LOG_DEBUG(GwLog::LOG,"GWSHT3X configured, adding capability and xdr mappings");
@@ -70,7 +71,11 @@ void initIicTask(GwApi *api){
             xdr.xdrName=sht3xConfig.tempTransducer;
             api->addXdrMapping(xdr);
         }
+        if (sht3xConfig.tempActive || sht3xConfig.humidActive) addTask=true;
     #endif
+    if (addTask){
+        api->addUserTask(runIicTask,"iicTask",3000);
+    }
 }
 void runIicTask(GwApi *api){
     GwLog *logger=api->getLogger();
diff --git a/lib/iictask/GwIicTask.h b/lib/iictask/GwIicTask.h
index 728f7ab..e26eb28 100644
--- a/lib/iictask/GwIicTask.h
+++ b/lib/iictask/GwIicTask.h
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef _GWIICTASK_H
 #define _GWIICTASK_H
 #include "GwApi.h"
-void runIicTask(GwApi *api);
 void initIicTask(GwApi *api);
-DECLARE_USERTASK_PARAM(runIicTask,3000);
 DECLARE_INITFUNCTION(initIicTask);
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/usercode/GwUserCode.cpp b/lib/usercode/GwUserCode.cpp
index 7eb13c7..5fcc21b 100644
--- a/lib/usercode/GwUserCode.cpp
+++ b/lib/usercode/GwUserCode.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 #define DECLARE_INITFUNCTION(task) GwInitTask __Init##task##__(task,#task);
 #define DECLARE_CAPABILITY(name,value) GwUserCapability __CAP##name##__(#name,#value);
 #define DECLARE_STRING_CAPABILITY(name,value) GwUserCapability __CAP##name##__(#name,value); 
+#define DECLARE_TASKIF(task,type) \
+    DECLARE_TASKIF_IMPL(task,type) \
+    GwIreg __register##type(#task,__FILE__,#type)
 
 #include "GwUserCode.h"
 #include "GwSynchronized.h"
@@ -17,6 +20,14 @@
 std::vector<GwUserTask> userTasks;
 std::vector<GwUserTask> initTasks;
 GwUserCode::Capabilities userCapabilities;
+
+template <typename V>
+bool taskExists(V &list, const String &name){
+    for (auto it=list.begin();it!=list.end();it++){
+        if (it->name == name) return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
 class RegEntry{
     public:
     String file;
@@ -54,9 +65,6 @@ class GwIreg{
         }
     };
 
-#define DECLARE_TASKIF(task,type) \
-    DECLARE_TASKIF_IMPL(task,type) \
-    GwIreg __register##type(#task,__FILE__,#type)
 
 
 class GwUserTaskDef{
@@ -290,6 +298,19 @@ public:
         if (! isInit) return;
         userCapabilities[name]=value;
     }
+    virtual bool addUserTask(GwUserTaskFunction task,const String tname, int stackSize=2000){
+        if (! isInit){
+            api->getLogger()->logDebug(GwLog::ERROR,"trying to add a user task %s outside init",tname.c_str());
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (taskExists(userTasks,name)){
+            api->getLogger()->logDebug(GwLog::ERROR,"trying to add a user task %s that already exists",tname.c_str());
+            return false;
+        }
+        userTasks.push_back(GwUserTask(tname,task,stackSize));
+        api->getLogger()->logDebug(GwLog::LOG,"adding user task %s",tname.c_str());
+        return true;
+    }
 
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/usercode/GwUserCode.h b/lib/usercode/GwUserCode.h
index 548d0d1..a218bc9 100644
--- a/lib/usercode/GwUserCode.h
+++ b/lib/usercode/GwUserCode.h
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 #include "GwApi.h"
 #include "GwJsonDocument.h"
 class GwLog;
-typedef void (*GwUserTaskFunction)(GwApi *);
 
 class GwApiInternal : public GwApi{
     public:
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index aaeb10e..05c4349 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -328,6 +328,9 @@ public:
     return xdrMappings.addFixedMapping(mapping);
   }
   virtual void addCapability(const String &name, const String &value){}
+  virtual bool addUserTask(GwUserTaskFunction task,const String Name, int stackSize=2000){
+    return false;
+  }
 };
 
 bool delayedRestart(){