fwiw
Shallow wells here have a 1.5" check valve about two feet from pump.
Pump has a pressure switch with high limit cut off and low pressure cut on. JetPump with pressure switch set about 30# on & 50# off.
Pump has a small pressure tank plumbed into it.

When water flow is shut off it builds pressure until the pressure switch shuts off the power.. that pressure tank helps seal the check valve. If a faucet leaks, drip drip, pressure switch eventually will turn on the pump and charge it back up to full pressure and then the pressure switch shuts it off again. So its always maintaining prime with the diaphram pressure tank sealing the check-valve with some back pressure. If it should develop a leak on the suction side of the check valve , then it would lose full prime but the water in the tank and piping should be enough to start the prime with no city water hose applied.

Thanks. Can I somehow put the check valve closer to the pump rather than at the end of the suction pipe? As it is now, when the pump loses its prime I have to completely fill up the suction pipe with water before the pump will catch.

I don't see any reason you cant add a second check valve other than its adding another small bit of friction to the flow on the suction side.
My pump came with a built in check valve on the inlet which I cut & reamed out,, I grew up in the go fast world so it seemed the natural thing to do, port the sucker for maximum flow ;)

That factory check was apparently designed to hold water in the pump to keep it from running dry and cooking the impeller if the normal check valve lost seal. And normal check would have been footer check in some areas or the check at the top of wells is normal here for shallow well sand points.

Thanks for the replies. Maybe thats what I'll try then. I'm not so much concerned with flow as I only use it to water the garden, etc. All I care about is getting it to keep its prime.