diff --git a/cmd/main.go b/cmd/main.go
index 5d8acf1e7..00b2b4a0a 100644
--- a/cmd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/main.go
@@ -487,25 +487,7 @@ func main() {
 		monitor := reservations.NewMonitor(multiclusterClient)
 		metrics.Registry.MustRegister(&monitor)
 		commitmentsConfig := conf.GetConfigOrDie[commitments.Config]()
-		commitmentsDefaults := commitments.DefaultConfig()
-		if commitmentsConfig.RequeueIntervalActive == 0 {
-			commitmentsConfig.RequeueIntervalActive = commitmentsDefaults.RequeueIntervalActive
-		}
-		if commitmentsConfig.RequeueIntervalRetry == 0 {
-			commitmentsConfig.RequeueIntervalRetry = commitmentsDefaults.RequeueIntervalRetry
-		}
-		if commitmentsConfig.PipelineDefault == "" {
-			commitmentsConfig.PipelineDefault = commitmentsDefaults.PipelineDefault
-		}
-		if commitmentsConfig.SchedulerURL == "" {
-			commitmentsConfig.SchedulerURL = commitmentsDefaults.SchedulerURL
-		}
-		if commitmentsConfig.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsTimeout == 0 {
-			commitmentsConfig.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsTimeout = commitmentsDefaults.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsTimeout
-		}
-		if commitmentsConfig.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsPollInterval == 0 {
-			commitmentsConfig.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsPollInterval = commitmentsDefaults.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsPollInterval
-		}
+		commitmentsConfig.ApplyDefaults()
 
 		if err := (&commitments.CommitmentReservationController{
 			Client: multiclusterClient,
@@ -673,10 +655,7 @@ func main() {
 		must.Succeed(metrics.Registry.Register(syncerMonitor))
 		syncer := commitments.NewSyncer(multiclusterClient, syncerMonitor)
 		syncerConfig := conf.GetConfigOrDie[commitments.SyncerConfig]()
-		syncerDefaults := commitments.DefaultSyncerConfig()
-		if syncerConfig.SyncInterval == 0 {
-			syncerConfig.SyncInterval = syncerDefaults.SyncInterval
-		}
+		syncerConfig.ApplyDefaults()
 		if err := (&task.Runner{
 			Client:   multiclusterClient,
 			Interval: syncerConfig.SyncInterval,
diff --git a/internal/scheduling/reservations/commitments/config.go b/internal/scheduling/reservations/commitments/config.go
index 98a5d59ae..7a6c9005f 100644
--- a/internal/scheduling/reservations/commitments/config.go
+++ b/internal/scheduling/reservations/commitments/config.go
@@ -59,6 +59,31 @@ type Config struct {
 	EnableReportCapacityAPI bool `json:"committedResourceEnableReportCapacityAPI"`
 }
 
+// ApplyDefaults fills in any unset values with defaults.
+func (c *Config) ApplyDefaults() {
+	defaults := DefaultConfig()
+	if c.RequeueIntervalActive == 0 {
+		c.RequeueIntervalActive = defaults.RequeueIntervalActive
+	}
+	if c.RequeueIntervalRetry == 0 {
+		c.RequeueIntervalRetry = defaults.RequeueIntervalRetry
+	}
+	if c.PipelineDefault == "" {
+		c.PipelineDefault = defaults.PipelineDefault
+	}
+	if c.SchedulerURL == "" {
+		c.SchedulerURL = defaults.SchedulerURL
+	}
+	if c.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsTimeout == 0 {
+		c.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsTimeout = defaults.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsTimeout
+	}
+	if c.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsPollInterval == 0 {
+		c.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsPollInterval = defaults.ChangeAPIWatchReservationsPollInterval
+	}
+	// Note: EnableChangeCommitmentsAPI, EnableReportUsageAPI, EnableReportCapacityAPI
+	// are booleans where false is a valid value, so we don't apply defaults for them
+}
+
 func DefaultConfig() Config {
 	return Config{
 		RequeueIntervalActive:                  5 * time.Minute,
diff --git a/internal/scheduling/reservations/commitments/syncer.go b/internal/scheduling/reservations/commitments/syncer.go
index cb3d2fdb4..1949186a6 100644
--- a/internal/scheduling/reservations/commitments/syncer.go
+++ b/internal/scheduling/reservations/commitments/syncer.go
@@ -36,6 +36,15 @@ func DefaultSyncerConfig() SyncerConfig {
 	}
 }
 
+// ApplyDefaults fills in any unset values with defaults.
+func (c *SyncerConfig) ApplyDefaults() {
+	defaults := DefaultSyncerConfig()
+	if c.SyncInterval == 0 {
+		c.SyncInterval = defaults.SyncInterval
+	}
+	// Note: KeystoneSecretRef and SSOSecretRef are not defaulted as they require explicit configuration
+}
+
 type Syncer struct {
 	// Client to fetch commitments from Limes
 	CommitmentsClient
@@ -43,6 +52,8 @@ type Syncer struct {
 	client.Client
 	// Monitor for metrics
 	monitor *SyncerMonitor
+	// SyncInterval is stored for logging purposes (actual interval managed by task.Runner)
+	syncInterval time.Duration
 }
 
 func NewSyncer(k8sClient client.Client, monitor *SyncerMonitor) *Syncer {
@@ -54,6 +65,7 @@ func NewSyncer(k8sClient client.Client, monitor *SyncerMonitor) *Syncer {
 }
 
 func (s *Syncer) Init(ctx context.Context, config SyncerConfig) error {
+	s.syncInterval = config.SyncInterval
 	if err := s.CommitmentsClient.Init(ctx, s.Client, config); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -191,7 +203,7 @@ func (s *Syncer) SyncReservations(ctx context.Context) error {
 	ctx = WithNewGlobalRequestID(ctx)
 	logger := LoggerFromContext(ctx).WithValues("component", "syncer", "runID", runID)
 
-	logger.Info("starting commitment sync with sync interval", "interval", DefaultSyncerConfig().SyncInterval)
+	logger.Info("starting commitment sync")
 
 	// Record sync run
 	if s.monitor != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/task/runner.go b/pkg/task/runner.go
index 89113699a..67e13ef16 100644
--- a/pkg/task/runner.go
+++ b/pkg/task/runner.go
@@ -53,12 +53,26 @@ func (r *Runner) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (ctrl.Result,
 	return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 }
 
+// MinInterval is the minimum allowed interval for task runners to prevent panics from time.NewTicker(0).
+const MinInterval = 1 * time.Millisecond
+
 // Start starts the task runner, which will send events at the specified interval.
 func (r *Runner) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	log := log.FromContext(ctx)
-	log.Info("starting task runner", "name", r.Name, "interval", r.Interval)
 
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(r.Interval)
+	// Safety: ensure interval is at least MinInterval to prevent tight loops or panics
+	interval := r.Interval
+	if interval < MinInterval {
+		log.Info("task runner interval too low, using minimum",
+			"name", r.Name,
+			"configuredInterval", r.Interval,
+			"minInterval", MinInterval)
+		interval = MinInterval
+	}
+
+	log.Info("starting task runner", "name", r.Name, "interval", interval)
+
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 	defer close(r.eventCh)
 
diff --git a/pkg/task/runner_test.go b/pkg/task/runner_test.go
index 0ba3c86dc..260dc7466 100644
--- a/pkg/task/runner_test.go
+++ b/pkg/task/runner_test.go
@@ -251,6 +251,33 @@ func TestRunner_SetupWithManager_EventChannelCreation(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRunner_Start_ZeroInterval_UsesMinimum(t *testing.T) {
+	runner := &Runner{
+		Name:     "test-task",
+		Interval: 0, // Zero interval should use MinInterval (1ms)
+		eventCh:  make(chan event.GenericEvent, 10),
+	}
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 100*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	// Run Start in goroutine since it blocks until context is cancelled
+	go func() {
+		// This should NOT panic even with 0 interval
+		if err := runner.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+			t.Logf("Start returned error: %v (expected on context cancellation)", err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// Wait for initial event with generous timeout to avoid flakiness on slow machines
+	select {
+	case <-runner.eventCh:
+		// Success - got initial event without panic
+	case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+		t.Error("Expected to receive initial event")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunner_EventStructure(t *testing.T) {
 	runner := &Runner{
 		Name:     "test-task",