diff --git a/internal/package_/convert.go b/internal/package_/convert.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3092275d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/package_/convert.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package package_
+
+import (
+	"go.artefactual.dev/tools/ref"
+
+	goapackage "github.com/artefactual-sdps/enduro/internal/api/gen/package_"
+	"github.com/artefactual-sdps/enduro/internal/datatypes"
+	"github.com/artefactual-sdps/enduro/internal/db"
+)
+
+// preservationTaskToGoa returns the API representation of a preservation task.
+func preservationTaskToGoa(pt *datatypes.PreservationTask) *goapackage.EnduroPackagePreservationTask {
+	return &goapackage.EnduroPackagePreservationTask{
+		ID:     pt.ID,
+		TaskID: pt.TaskID,
+		Name:   pt.Name,
+		Status: pt.Status.String(),
+
+		// TODO: Make Goa StartedAt a pointer to a string to avoid having to
+		// convert a null time to an empty (zero value) string.
+		StartedAt: ref.DerefZero(db.FormatOptionalTime(pt.CompletedAt)),
+
+		CompletedAt:          db.FormatOptionalTime(pt.CompletedAt),
+		Note:                 &pt.Note,
+		PreservationActionID: &pt.PreservationActionID,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/package_/preservation_task.go b/internal/package_/preservation_task.go
index f34614d1f..a12a8c96b 100644
--- a/internal/package_/preservation_task.go
+++ b/internal/package_/preservation_task.go
@@ -15,42 +15,16 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (svc *packageImpl) CreatePreservationTask(ctx context.Context, pt *datatypes.PreservationTask) error {
-	startedAt := &pt.StartedAt.Time
-	completedAt := &pt.CompletedAt.Time
-	if pt.StartedAt.Time.IsZero() {
-		startedAt = nil
-	}
-	if pt.CompletedAt.Time.IsZero() {
-		completedAt = nil
-	}
-
-	query := `INSERT INTO preservation_task (task_id, name, status, started_at, completed_at, note, preservation_action_id) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)`
-	args := []interface{}{
-		pt.TaskID,
-		pt.Name,
-		pt.Status,
-		startedAt,
-		completedAt,
-		pt.Note,
-		pt.PreservationActionID,
-	}
-
-	res, err := svc.db.ExecContext(ctx, query, args...)
+	err := svc.perSvc.CreatePreservationTask(ctx, pt)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error inserting preservation task: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("preservation task: create: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	var id int64
-	if id, err = res.LastInsertId(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error retrieving insert ID: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	pt.ID = uint(id)
-
-	if item, err := svc.readPreservationTask(ctx, pt.ID); err == nil {
-		ev := &goapackage.PreservationTaskCreatedEvent{ID: pt.ID, Item: item}
-		event.PublishEvent(ctx, svc.evsvc, ev)
+	ev := &goapackage.PreservationTaskCreatedEvent{
+		ID:   pt.ID,
+		Item: preservationTaskToGoa(pt),
 	}
+	event.PublishEvent(ctx, svc.evsvc, ev)
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/package_/preservation_task_test.go b/internal/package_/preservation_task_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..309244d8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/package_/preservation_task_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+package package__test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"go.artefactual.dev/tools/mockutil"
+	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
+
+	"github.com/artefactual-sdps/enduro/internal/datatypes"
+	"github.com/artefactual-sdps/enduro/internal/enums"
+	persistence_fake "github.com/artefactual-sdps/enduro/internal/persistence/fake"
+)
+
+func TestCreatePreservationTask(t *testing.T) {
+	taskID := "a499e8fc-7309-4e26-b39d-d8ab68466c27"
+
+	type test struct {
+		name    string
+		pt      datatypes.PreservationTask
+		mock    func(*persistence_fake.MockService, datatypes.PreservationTask) *persistence_fake.MockService
+		want    datatypes.PreservationTask
+		wantErr string
+	}
+	for _, tt := range []test{
+		{
+			name: "Creates a preservation task",
+			pt: datatypes.PreservationTask{
+				TaskID:               taskID,
+				Name:                 "PT1",
+				Status:               enums.PreservationTaskStatusInProgress,
+				PreservationActionID: 11,
+			},
+			want: datatypes.PreservationTask{
+				ID:                   1,
+				TaskID:               taskID,
+				Name:                 "PT1",
+				Status:               enums.PreservationTaskStatusInProgress,
+				PreservationActionID: 11,
+			},
+			mock: func(svc *persistence_fake.MockService, pt datatypes.PreservationTask) *persistence_fake.MockService {
+				svc.EXPECT().
+					CreatePreservationTask(mockutil.Context(), &pt).
+					DoAndReturn(
+						func(ctx context.Context, pt *datatypes.PreservationTask) error {
+							pt.ID = 1
+							return nil
+						},
+					)
+				return svc
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Creates a preservation task with optional values",
+			pt: datatypes.PreservationTask{
+				TaskID: taskID,
+				Name:   "PT2",
+				Status: enums.PreservationTaskStatusInProgress,
+				StartedAt: sql.NullTime{
+					Time:  time.Date(2024, 3, 27, 11, 32, 41, 0, time.UTC),
+					Valid: true,
+				},
+				CompletedAt: sql.NullTime{
+					Time:  time.Date(2024, 3, 27, 11, 32, 43, 0, time.UTC),
+					Valid: true,
+				},
+				Note:                 "PT2 Note",
+				PreservationActionID: 12,
+			},
+			mock: func(svc *persistence_fake.MockService, pt datatypes.PreservationTask) *persistence_fake.MockService {
+				svc.EXPECT().
+					CreatePreservationTask(mockutil.Context(), &pt).
+					DoAndReturn(
+						func(ctx context.Context, pt *datatypes.PreservationTask) error {
+							pt.ID = 2
+							return nil
+						},
+					)
+				return svc
+			},
+			want: datatypes.PreservationTask{
+				ID:     2,
+				TaskID: taskID,
+				Name:   "PT2",
+				Status: enums.PreservationTaskStatusInProgress,
+				StartedAt: sql.NullTime{
+					Time:  time.Date(2024, 3, 27, 11, 32, 41, 0, time.UTC),
+					Valid: true,
+				},
+				CompletedAt: sql.NullTime{
+					Time:  time.Date(2024, 3, 27, 11, 32, 43, 0, time.UTC),
+					Valid: true,
+				},
+				Note:                 "PT2 Note",
+				PreservationActionID: 12,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Errors creating a package with a missing TaskID",
+			pt:   datatypes.PreservationTask{},
+			mock: func(svc *persistence_fake.MockService, pt datatypes.PreservationTask) *persistence_fake.MockService {
+				svc.EXPECT().
+					CreatePreservationTask(mockutil.Context(), &pt).
+					Return(
+						fmt.Errorf("invalid data error: field \"TaskID\" is required"),
+					)
+				return svc
+			},
+			wantErr: "preservation task: create: invalid data error: field \"TaskID\" is required",
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			pkgSvc, perSvc := testSvc(t)
+			if tt.mock != nil {
+				tt.mock(perSvc, tt.pt)
+			}
+
+			pt := tt.pt
+			err := pkgSvc.CreatePreservationTask(context.Background(), &pt)
+
+			if tt.wantErr != "" {
+				assert.Error(t, err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+
+			assert.NilError(t, err)
+			assert.DeepEqual(t, pt, tt.want)
+		})
+	}
+}