diff --git a/hapi-fhir-docs/src/main/resources/ca/uhn/hapi/fhir/changelog/7_6_0/6451-bulk-import-job-status-not-changing-after-activation.yaml b/hapi-fhir-docs/src/main/resources/ca/uhn/hapi/fhir/changelog/7_6_0/6451-bulk-import-job-status-not-changing-after-activation.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ce62822d3707
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hapi-fhir-docs/src/main/resources/ca/uhn/hapi/fhir/changelog/7_6_0/6451-bulk-import-job-status-not-changing-after-activation.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+type: fix
+issue: 6451
+jira: SMILE-9089
+title: "Previously, activating `BulkDataImport` job would not change jobs status to `RUNNING`, 
+causing it to be processed multiple times instead of single time. This has been fixed."
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/bulk/imprt/svc/BulkDataImportSvcImpl.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/bulk/imprt/svc/BulkDataImportSvcImpl.java
index 42eba8257550..bf72dbf645ce 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/bulk/imprt/svc/BulkDataImportSvcImpl.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/bulk/imprt/svc/BulkDataImportSvcImpl.java
@@ -217,6 +217,12 @@ private ActivateJobResult doActivateNextReadyJob() {
 		String biJobId = null;
 		try {
 			biJobId = processJob(bulkImportJobEntity);
+			// set job status to RUNNING so it would not be processed again
+			myTxTemplate.execute(t -> {
+				bulkImportJobEntity.setStatus(BulkImportJobStatusEnum.RUNNING);
+				myJobDao.save(bulkImportJobEntity);
+				return null;
+			});
 		} catch (Exception e) {
 			ourLog.error("Failure while preparing bulk export extract", e);
 			myTxTemplate.execute(t -> {
@@ -256,6 +262,7 @@ public BulkImportJobJson fetchJob(String theBiJobId) {
 	}
 
 	@Override
+	@Transactional
 	public JobInfo getJobStatus(String theBiJobId) {
 		BulkImportJobEntity theJob = findJobByBiJobId(theBiJobId);
 		return new JobInfo()
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-test-r4/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/bulk/imprt/svc/BulkDataImportR4Test.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-test-r4/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/bulk/imprt/svc/BulkDataImportR4Test.java
index dec666c0c157..7c3a6e67c46e 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-test-r4/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/bulk/imprt/svc/BulkDataImportR4Test.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-test-r4/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/bulk/imprt/svc/BulkDataImportR4Test.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.bulk.imprt.model.ActivateJobResult;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.bulk.imprt.model.BulkImportJobFileJson;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.bulk.imprt.model.BulkImportJobJson;
+import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.bulk.imprt.model.BulkImportJobStatusEnum;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.bulk.imprt.model.JobFileRowProcessingModeEnum;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.searchparam.SearchParameterMap;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.subscription.channel.api.ChannelConsumerSettings;
@@ -166,6 +167,8 @@ public void testFlow_TransactionRows() {
 
 		ActivateJobResult activateJobOutcome = mySvc.activateNextReadyJob();
 		assertTrue(activateJobOutcome.isActivated);
+		// validate that job changed status from READY to RUNNING
+		assertEquals(BulkImportJobStatusEnum.RUNNING, mySvc.getJobStatus(jobId).getStatus());
 
 		JobInstance instance = myBatch2JobHelper.awaitJobCompletion(activateJobOutcome.jobId, 60);
 		assertNotNull(instance);
@@ -196,6 +199,8 @@ public void testFlow_WithTenantNamesInInput() {
 
 			ActivateJobResult activateJobOutcome = mySvc.activateNextReadyJob();
 			assertTrue(activateJobOutcome.isActivated);
+			// validate that job changed status from READY to RUNNING
+			assertEquals(BulkImportJobStatusEnum.RUNNING, mySvc.getJobStatus(jobId).getStatus());
 
 			JobInstance instance = myBatch2JobHelper.awaitJobCompletion(activateJobOutcome.jobId);
 			assertNotNull(instance);