diff --git a/src/avr/timer.c b/src/avr/timer.c
index fb8738cc4d05..d306b7214962 100644
--- a/src/avr/timer.c
+++ b/src/avr/timer.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ ISR(TIMER1_COMPA_vect)
             uint16_t now = timer_get();
             if ((int16_t)(next - now) < (int16_t)(-timer_from_us(1000)))
                 try_shutdown("Rescheduled timer in the past");
-            if (sched_tasks_busy()) {
+            if (sched_check_set_tasks_busy()) {
                 timer_repeat_set(now + TIMER_REPEAT_TICKS);
                 next = now + TIMER_DEFER_REPEAT_TICKS;
                 goto done;
diff --git a/src/generic/armcm_timer.c b/src/generic/armcm_timer.c
index ef38680a9e70..e77081804d65 100644
--- a/src/generic/armcm_timer.c
+++ b/src/generic/armcm_timer.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ timer_dispatch_many(void)
             // Check if there are too many repeat timers
             if (diff < (int32_t)(-timer_from_us(1000)))
                 try_shutdown("Rescheduled timer in the past");
-            if (sched_tasks_busy()) {
+            if (sched_check_set_tasks_busy()) {
                 timer_repeat_until = now + TIMER_REPEAT_TICKS;
                 return TIMER_DEFER_REPEAT_TICKS;
             }
diff --git a/src/generic/timer_irq.c b/src/generic/timer_irq.c
index 40e9336b20c2..7c2e871bdf36 100644
--- a/src/generic/timer_irq.c
+++ b/src/generic/timer_irq.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ timer_dispatch_many(void)
             // Check if there are too many repeat timers
             if (diff < (int32_t)(-timer_from_us(1000)))
                 try_shutdown("Rescheduled timer in the past");
-            if (sched_tasks_busy()) {
+            if (sched_check_set_tasks_busy()) {
                 timer_repeat_until = now + TIMER_REPEAT_TICKS;
                 return now + TIMER_DEFER_REPEAT_TICKS;
             }
diff --git a/src/linux/timer.c b/src/linux/timer.c
index 21be01312460..8eda62a54ddc 100644
--- a/src/linux/timer.c
+++ b/src/linux/timer.c
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ timer_dispatch(void)
             // Check if there are too many repeat timers
             if (diff < (int32_t)(-timer_from_us(100000)))
                 try_shutdown("Rescheduled timer in the past");
-            if (sched_tasks_busy())
+            if (sched_check_set_tasks_busy())
                 return;
             repeat_count = TIMER_IDLE_REPEAT_COUNT;
         }
diff --git a/src/sched.c b/src/sched.c
index 44cce558ee9e..51d159bc6e5c 100644
--- a/src/sched.c
+++ b/src/sched.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // Basic scheduling functions and startup/shutdown code.
 //
-// Copyright (C) 2016-2021  Kevin O'Connor <kevin@koconnor.net>
+// Copyright (C) 2016-2024  Kevin O'Connor <kevin@koconnor.net>
 //
 // This file may be distributed under the terms of the GNU GPLv3 license.
 
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ static struct timer periodic_timer, sentinel_timer, deleted_timer;
 
 static struct {
     struct timer *timer_list, *last_insert;
-    int8_t tasks_status;
+    int8_t tasks_status, tasks_busy;
     uint8_t shutdown_status, shutdown_reason;
 } SchedStatus = {.timer_list = &periodic_timer, .last_insert = &periodic_timer};
 
@@ -205,11 +205,15 @@ sched_wake_tasks(void)
     SchedStatus.tasks_status = TS_REQUESTED;
 }
 
-// Check if tasks need to be run
+// Check if tasks busy (called from low-level timer dispatch code)
 uint8_t
-sched_tasks_busy(void)
+sched_check_set_tasks_busy(void)
 {
-    return SchedStatus.tasks_status >= TS_REQUESTED;
+    // Return busy if tasks never idle between two consecutive calls
+    if (SchedStatus.tasks_busy >= TS_REQUESTED)
+        return 1;
+    SchedStatus.tasks_busy = SchedStatus.tasks_status;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 // Note that a task is ready to run
@@ -243,7 +247,7 @@ run_tasks(void)
             irq_disable();
             if (SchedStatus.tasks_status != TS_REQUESTED) {
                 // Sleep processor (only run timers) until tasks woken
-                SchedStatus.tasks_status = TS_IDLE;
+                SchedStatus.tasks_status = SchedStatus.tasks_busy = TS_IDLE;
                 do {
                     irq_wait();
                 } while (SchedStatus.tasks_status != TS_REQUESTED);
diff --git a/src/sched.h b/src/sched.h
index 0a2bdc4bcab0..9ec96631eeb4 100644
--- a/src/sched.h
+++ b/src/sched.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ void sched_del_timer(struct timer *del);
 unsigned int sched_timer_dispatch(void);
 void sched_timer_reset(void);
 void sched_wake_tasks(void);
-uint8_t sched_tasks_busy(void);
+uint8_t sched_check_set_tasks_busy(void);
 void sched_wake_task(struct task_wake *w);
 uint8_t sched_check_wake(struct task_wake *w);
 uint8_t sched_is_shutdown(void);