diff --git a/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/main/scala/kyo/scheduler/Worker.scala b/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/main/scala/kyo/scheduler/Worker.scala
index af2eece20..79e8bfbc1 100644
--- a/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/main/scala/kyo/scheduler/Worker.scala
+++ b/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/main/scala/kyo/scheduler/Worker.scala
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ abstract private class Worker(
         val task    = currentTask
         val start   = taskStartMs
         val stalled = (task ne null) && start > 0 && start < nowMs - timeSliceMs
-        if (stalled) {
+        if (stalled && !queue.isEmpty()) {
             task.doPreempt()
         }
         stalled
diff --git a/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/test/scala/kyo/scheduler/SchedulerTest.scala b/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/test/scala/kyo/scheduler/SchedulerTest.scala
index 22547cb10..e9e2fccfe 100644
--- a/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/test/scala/kyo/scheduler/SchedulerTest.scala
+++ b/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/test/scala/kyo/scheduler/SchedulerTest.scala
@@ -80,47 +80,6 @@ class SchedulerTest extends AnyFreeSpec with NonImplicitAssertions {
         }
     }
 
-    "cycle" - {
-        "cycles workers and preempts tasks" in withScheduler { scheduler =>
-            val cdl          = new CountDownLatch(1)
-            val preemptLatch = new CountDownLatch(1)
-            val task = TestTask(
-                _preempt = () => preemptLatch.countDown(),
-                _run = () => {
-                    cdl.await()
-                    Task.Done
-                }
-            )
-            scheduler.schedule(task)
-            preemptLatch.await()
-            cdl.countDown()
-            eventually(assert(task.executions == 1))
-        }
-        "repeatedly cycles and preempts tasks" in withScheduler { scheduler =>
-            val cdl         = new CountDownLatch(1)
-            val preemptions = new AtomicInteger(3)
-            val preempt     = new AtomicBoolean
-            val task = TestTask(
-                _preempt = () =>
-                    preempt.set(true),
-                _run = () => {
-                    if (preemptions.getAndDecrement() > 0) {
-                        while (preempt.compareAndSet(true, false)) {}
-                        Task.Preempted
-                    } else {
-                        cdl.await()
-                        Task.Done
-                    }
-                }
-            )
-            scheduler.schedule(task)
-
-            eventually(assert(task.preemptions == 3))
-            cdl.countDown()
-            eventually(assert(task.executions == 4))
-        }
-    }
-
     "asExecutor" - {
         "returns an executor that schedules tasks" in withScheduler { scheduler =>
             val executor = scheduler.asExecutor
diff --git a/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/test/scala/kyo/scheduler/WorkerTest.scala b/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/test/scala/kyo/scheduler/WorkerTest.scala
index 87591d9eb..9390ad991 100644
--- a/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/test/scala/kyo/scheduler/WorkerTest.scala
+++ b/kyo-scheduler/jvm-native/src/test/scala/kyo/scheduler/WorkerTest.scala
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ class WorkerTest extends AnyFreeSpec with NonImplicitAssertions {
             cdl.countDown()
         }
 
-        "preempts long-running task" in withWorker { worker =>
+        "preempts long-running task if queue isn't empty" in withWorker { worker =>
             var preempted = false
             val longRunningTask = TestTask(
                 _run = () => {
@@ -467,11 +467,27 @@ class WorkerTest extends AnyFreeSpec with NonImplicitAssertions {
                 _preempt = () => preempted = true
             )
             worker.enqueue(longRunningTask)
+            worker.enqueue(longRunningTask)
             eventually {
                 assert(!worker.checkAvailability(System.currentTimeMillis()))
                 assert(preempted)
             }
         }
+        "doesn't preempt long-running task if queue is empty" in withWorker { worker =>
+            var preempted = false
+            val longRunningTask = TestTask(
+                _run = () => {
+                    while (!preempted) {}
+                    Task.Done
+                },
+                _preempt = () => preempted = true
+            )
+            worker.enqueue(longRunningTask)
+            eventually {
+                assert(!worker.checkAvailability(System.currentTimeMillis()))
+                assert(!preempted)
+            }
+        }
         "drains queue only once when transitioning to stalled state" in withWorker { worker =>
             scheduled.set(0)
             val cdl = new CountDownLatch(1)