diff --git a/sql/updates/14.sql b/sql/updates/14.sql
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sql/updates/14.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+insert into dbversion (version, release, description)
+       values (14, now(), 'Work In Progress');
+
+drop index task_args;
+drop index task_kwargs;
+
+create index on task using btree(type, md5(arguments::text));
+
+create or replace function swh_scheduler_create_tasks_from_temp ()
+  returns setof task
+  language plpgsql
+as $$
+begin
+  -- update the default values in one go
+  -- this is separated from the insert/select to avoid too much
+  -- juggling
+  update tmp_task t
+  set current_interval = tt.default_interval,
+      retries_left = coalesce(retries_left, tt.num_retries, 0)
+  from task_type tt
+  where tt.type=t.type;
+
+  insert into task (type, arguments, next_run, status, current_interval, policy,
+                    retries_left, priority)
+    select type, arguments, next_run, status, current_interval, policy,
+           retries_left, priority
+    from tmp_task t
+    where not exists(select 1
+                     from task
+                     where type = t.type and
+                           md5(arguments::text) = md5(t.arguments::text) and
+                           arguments = t.arguments and
+                           policy = t.policy and
+                           priority is not distinct from t.priority and
+                           status = t.status);
+
+  return query
+    select distinct t.*
+    from tmp_task tt inner join task t on (
+      tt.type = t.type and
+      md5(tt.arguments::text) = md5(t.arguments::text) and
+      tt.arguments = t.arguments and
+      tt.policy = t.policy and
+      tt.priority is not distinct from t.priority and
+      tt.status = t.status
+    );
+end;
+$$;
+
+comment on function swh_scheduler_create_tasks_from_temp () is 'Create tasks in bulk from the temporary table';
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/sql/30-swh-schema.sql b/swh/scheduler/sql/30-swh-schema.sql
--- a/swh/scheduler/sql/30-swh-schema.sql
+++ b/swh/scheduler/sql/30-swh-schema.sql
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 comment on column dbversion.description is 'Version description';
 
 insert into dbversion (version, release, description)
-       values (13, now(), 'Work In Progress');
+       values (14, now(), 'Work In Progress');
 
 create table task_type (
   type text primary key,
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/sql/40-swh-func.sql b/swh/scheduler/sql/40-swh-func.sql
--- a/swh/scheduler/sql/40-swh-func.sql
+++ b/swh/scheduler/sql/40-swh-func.sql
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
     where not exists(select 1
                      from task
                      where type = t.type and
-                           arguments->'args' = t.arguments->'args' and
-                           arguments->'kwargs' = t.arguments->'kwargs' and
+                           md5(arguments::text) = md5(t.arguments::text) and
+                           arguments = t.arguments and
                            policy = t.policy and
                            priority is not distinct from t.priority and
                            status = t.status);
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@
     select distinct t.*
     from tmp_task tt inner join task t on (
       tt.type = t.type and
-      tt.arguments->'args' = t.arguments->'args' and
-      tt.arguments->'kwargs' = t.arguments->'kwargs' and
+      md5(tt.arguments::text) = md5(t.arguments::text) and
+      tt.arguments = t.arguments and
       tt.policy = t.policy and
       tt.priority is not distinct from t.priority and
       tt.status = t.status
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/sql/60-swh-indexes.sql b/swh/scheduler/sql/60-swh-indexes.sql
--- a/swh/scheduler/sql/60-swh-indexes.sql
+++ b/swh/scheduler/sql/60-swh-indexes.sql
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 create index on task(type);
 create index on task(next_run);
-create index task_args on task using btree ((arguments -> 'args'));
-create index task_kwargs on task using gin ((arguments -> 'kwargs'));
+
+-- used for quick equality checking
+create index on task using btree(type, md5(arguments::text));
+
 create index on task(priority);
 
 create index on task_run(task);