diff --git a/CHANGES/3122.bugfix b/CHANGES/3122.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b5eb41b35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGES/3122.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Moved telemetry setup to the pulpcore-worker startup sequence. This will prevent orm calls before
+all apps are ready.
diff --git a/pulpcore/app/apps.py b/pulpcore/app/apps.py
index 6b6dba17ba..c651e234f5 100644
--- a/pulpcore/app/apps.py
+++ b/pulpcore/app/apps.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from collections import defaultdict
 from gettext import gettext as _
 from importlib import import_module
-from datetime import timedelta
 
 from django import apps
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
@@ -212,8 +211,6 @@ def ready(self):
         super().ready()
         from . import checks  # noqa
 
-        _configure_telemetry(self.apps)
-
         post_migrate.connect(
             _populate_system_id, sender=self, dispatch_uid="populate_system_id_identifier"
         )
@@ -262,26 +259,6 @@ def _populate_system_id(sender, apps, verbosity, **kwargs):
         SystemID().save()
 
 
-def _configure_telemetry(apps):
-    from django.db import connection
-    from pulpcore.app.util import get_telemetry_posting_url, PRODUCTION_URL
-
-    if "core_taskschedule" in connection.introspection.table_names():
-        url = get_telemetry_posting_url()
-        TaskSchedule = apps.get_model("core", "TaskSchedule")
-        task_name = "pulpcore.app.tasks.telemetry.post_telemetry"
-        dispatch_interval = timedelta(days=1)
-        name = "Post Anonymous Telemetry Periodically"
-        # Initially only dev systems receive posted data.
-        if url == PRODUCTION_URL:
-            TaskSchedule.objects.filter(task_name=task_name).delete()
-        else:
-            TaskSchedule.objects.update_or_create(
-                name=name, defaults={"task_name": task_name, "dispatch_interval": dispatch_interval}
-            )
-    connection.close()
-
-
 def _populate_roles(sender, apps, verbosity, **kwargs):
     role_prefix = f"{sender.label}."
     # collect all plugin defined roles
diff --git a/pulpcore/app/util.py b/pulpcore/app/util.py
index 5243bf4eab..dd8f6f4dd5 100644
--- a/pulpcore/app/util.py
+++ b/pulpcore/app/util.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import tempfile
 
 from contextlib import ExitStack
+from datetime import timedelta
 import gnupg
 
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -254,3 +255,17 @@ def get_telemetry_posting_url():
             return DEV_URL
 
     return PRODUCTION_URL
+
+
+def configure_telemetry():
+    url = get_telemetry_posting_url()
+    task_name = "pulpcore.app.tasks.telemetry.post_telemetry"
+    dispatch_interval = timedelta(days=1)
+    name = "Post Anonymous Telemetry Periodically"
+    # Initially only dev systems send data.
+    if url == PRODUCTION_URL:
+        models.TaskSchedule.objects.filter(task_name=task_name).delete()
+    else:
+        models.TaskSchedule.objects.update_or_create(
+            name=name, defaults={"task_name": task_name, "dispatch_interval": dispatch_interval}
+        )
diff --git a/pulpcore/tasking/pulpcore_worker.py b/pulpcore/tasking/pulpcore_worker.py
index 8a5f5e8404..8f94668210 100644
--- a/pulpcore/tasking/pulpcore_worker.py
+++ b/pulpcore/tasking/pulpcore_worker.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 from pulpcore.app.models import Worker, Task  # noqa: E402: module level not at top of file
 
+from pulpcore.app.util import configure_telemetry  # noqa: E402: module level not at top of file
 from pulpcore.app.role_util import (  # noqa: E402: module level not at top of file
     get_users_with_perms,
 )
@@ -58,6 +59,10 @@
 TASK_SCHEDULING_LOCK = 42
 
 
+def startup_hook():
+    configure_telemetry()
+
+
 class PGAdvisoryLock:
     """
     A context manager that will hold a postgres advisory lock non-blocking.
@@ -132,6 +137,8 @@ def __init__(self):
         os.set_blocking(sentinel_w, False)
         signal.set_wakeup_fd(sentinel_w)
 
+        startup_hook()
+
     def _signal_handler(self, thesignal, frame):
         # Reset signal handlers to default
         # If you kill the process a second time it's not graceful anymore.