diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 707c4fd..e4c24b3 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ func Run(c *cobra.Command, names []string) {
 	runOnce, _ := c.PersistentFlags().GetBool("run-once")
 	enableUpdateAPI, _ := c.PersistentFlags().GetBool("http-api-update")
 	enableMetricsAPI, _ := c.PersistentFlags().GetBool("http-api-metrics")
+	unblockHTTPAPI, _ := c.PersistentFlags().GetBool("http-api-periodic-polls")
 	apiToken, _ := c.PersistentFlags().GetString("http-api-token")
 
 	if rollingRestart && monitorOnly {
@@ -180,10 +181,14 @@ func Run(c *cobra.Command, names []string) {
 		logNotifyExit(err)
 	}
 
+	// The lock is shared between the scheduler and the HTTP API. It only allows one update to run at a time.
+	updateLock := make(chan bool, 1)
+	updateLock <- true
+
 	httpAPI := api.New(apiToken)
 
 	if enableUpdateAPI {
-		updateHandler := update.New(func() { runUpdatesWithNotifications(filter) })
+		updateHandler := update.New(func() { runUpdatesWithNotifications(filter) }, updateLock)
 		httpAPI.RegisterFunc(updateHandler.Path, updateHandler.Handle)
 	}
 
@@ -192,11 +197,11 @@ func Run(c *cobra.Command, names []string) {
 		httpAPI.RegisterHandler(metricsHandler.Path, metricsHandler.Handle)
 	}
 
-	if err := httpAPI.Start(enableUpdateAPI); err != nil {
+	if err := httpAPI.Start(enableUpdateAPI && !unblockHTTPAPI); err != nil {
 		log.Error("failed to start API", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := runUpgradesOnSchedule(c, filter, filterDesc); err != nil {
+	if err := runUpgradesOnSchedule(c, filter, filterDesc, updateLock); err != nil {
 		log.Error(err)
 	}
 
@@ -275,17 +280,19 @@ func writeStartupMessage(c *cobra.Command, sched time.Time, filtering string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func runUpgradesOnSchedule(c *cobra.Command, filter t.Filter, filtering string) error {
-	tryLockSem := make(chan bool, 1)
-	tryLockSem <- true
+func runUpgradesOnSchedule(c *cobra.Command, filter t.Filter, filtering string, lock chan bool) error {
+	if lock == nil {
+		lock = make(chan bool, 1)
+		lock <- true
+	}
 
 	scheduler := cron.New()
 	err := scheduler.AddFunc(
 		scheduleSpec,
 		func() {
 			select {
-			case v := <-tryLockSem:
-				defer func() { tryLockSem <- v }()
+			case v := <-lock:
+				defer func() { lock <- v }()
 				metric := runUpdatesWithNotifications(filter)
 				metrics.RegisterScan(metric)
 			default:
@@ -316,7 +323,7 @@ func runUpgradesOnSchedule(c *cobra.Command, filter t.Filter, filtering string)
 	<-interrupt
 	scheduler.Stop()
 	log.Info("Waiting for running update to be finished...")
-	<-tryLockSem
+	<-lock
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/docs/arguments.md b/docs/arguments.md
index 4763940..218680e 100644
--- a/docs/arguments.md
+++ b/docs/arguments.md
@@ -255,6 +255,16 @@ Environment Variable: WATCHTOWER_HTTP_API_TOKEN
              Default: -
 ```
 
+## HTTP API periodic polls
+Keep running periodic updates if the HTTP API mode is enabled, otherwise the HTTP API would prevent periodic polls.  
+
+```
+            Argument: --http-api-periodic-polls
+Environment Variable: WATCHTOWER_HTTP_API_PERIODIC_POLLS
+                Type: Boolean
+             Default: false
+```
+
 ## Filter by scope
 Update containers that have a `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.scope` label set with the same value as the given argument. 
 This enables [running multiple instances](https://containrrr.github.io/watchtower/running-multiple-instances).
diff --git a/docs/http-api-mode.md b/docs/http-api-mode.md
index 5f5b19a..7af1421 100644
--- a/docs/http-api-mode.md
+++ b/docs/http-api-mode.md
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ services:
       - 8080:8080
 ```
 
+By default, enabling this mode prevents periodic polls (i.e. what is specified using `--interval` or `--schedule`). To run periodic updates regardless, pass `--http-api-periodic-polls`.
+
 Notice that there is an environment variable named WATCHTOWER_HTTP_API_TOKEN. To prevent external services from accidentally triggering image updates, all of the requests have to contain a "Token" field, valued as the token defined in WATCHTOWER_HTTP_API_TOKEN, in their headers. In this case, there is a port bind to the host machine, allowing to request localhost:8080 to reach Watchtower. The following `curl` command would trigger an image update:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/internal/flags/flags.go b/internal/flags/flags.go
index 80a5a7c..177073d 100644
--- a/internal/flags/flags.go
+++ b/internal/flags/flags.go
@@ -151,6 +151,11 @@ func RegisterSystemFlags(rootCmd *cobra.Command) {
 		"",
 		viper.GetString("WATCHTOWER_HTTP_API_TOKEN"),
 		"Sets an authentication token to HTTP API requests.")
+	flags.BoolP(
+		"http-api-periodic-polls",
+		"",
+		viper.GetBool("WATCHTOWER_HTTP_API_PERIODIC_POLLS"),
+		"Also run periodic updates (specified with --interval and --schedule) if HTTP API is enabled")
 	// https://no-color.org/
 	flags.BoolP(
 		"no-color",
diff --git a/internal/flags/flags_test.go b/internal/flags/flags_test.go
index b659a96..e298622 100644
--- a/internal/flags/flags_test.go
+++ b/internal/flags/flags_test.go
@@ -79,3 +79,18 @@ func testGetSecretsFromFiles(t *testing.T, flagName string, expected string) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, value)
 }
+
+func TestHTTPAPIPeriodicPollsFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := new(cobra.Command)
+	SetDefaults()
+	RegisterDockerFlags(cmd)
+	RegisterSystemFlags(cmd)
+
+	err := cmd.ParseFlags([]string{"--http-api-periodic-polls"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	periodicPolls, err := cmd.PersistentFlags().GetBool("http-api-periodic-polls")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, true, periodicPolls)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/api/update/update.go b/pkg/api/update/update.go
index 463b082..4721e3e 100644
--- a/pkg/api/update/update.go
+++ b/pkg/api/update/update.go
@@ -13,9 +13,13 @@ var (
 )
 
 // New is a factory function creating a new  Handler instance
-func New(updateFn func()) *Handler {
-	lock = make(chan bool, 1)
-	lock <- true
+func New(updateFn func(), updateLock chan bool) *Handler {
+	if updateLock != nil {
+		lock = updateLock
+	} else {
+		lock = make(chan bool, 1)
+		lock <- true
+	}
 
 	return &Handler{
 		fn:   updateFn,