diff --git a/tests/xtimer_drift/main.c b/tests/xtimer_drift/main.c
index dcdfa77c8c2a8dd81be09bedc18d86d6d48770e8..c442d77988be94c88ce8a1f268bbf790a1e1102d 100644
--- a/tests/xtimer_drift/main.c
+++ b/tests/xtimer_drift/main.c
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ int main(void)
 
     /* create and trigger worker thread */
     kernel_pid_t pid3 = thread_create(worker_stack, sizeof(worker_stack),
-                                      THREAD_PRIORITY_MAIN - 1,
+                                      THREAD_PRIORITY_MAIN - 2,
                                       THREAD_CREATE_STACKTEST,
                                       worker_thread, NULL, "worker");