diff --git a/src/task.c b/src/task.c
index 1a7f44d91..500223f18 100644
--- a/src/task.c
+++ b/src/task.c
@@ -427,17 +427,6 @@ void process_runnable_tasks()
 
 	ti->flags &= ~TI_FL_STUCK; // this thread is still running
 
-	if (!thread_has_tasks()) {
-		activity[tid].empty_rq++;
-		return;
-	}
-	/* Merge the list of tasklets waken up by other threads to the
-	 * main list.
-	 */
-	tmp_list = MT_LIST_BEHEAD(&sched->shared_tasklet_list);
-	if (tmp_list)
-		LIST_SPLICE_END_DETACHED(&sched->tasklets[TL_URGENT], (struct list *)tmp_list);
-
 	tasks_run_queue_cur = tasks_run_queue; /* keep a copy for reporting */
 	nb_tasks_cur = nb_tasks;
 	max_processed = global.tune.runqueue_depth;
@@ -445,6 +434,19 @@ void process_runnable_tasks()
 	if (likely(niced_tasks))
 		max_processed = (max_processed + 3) / 4;
 
+	if (!thread_has_tasks()) {
+		activity[tid].empty_rq++;
+		return;
+	}
+
+ not_done_yet:
+	/* Merge the list of tasklets waken up by other threads to the
+	 * main list.
+	 */
+	tmp_list = MT_LIST_BEHEAD(&sched->shared_tasklet_list);
+	if (tmp_list)
+		LIST_SPLICE_END_DETACHED(&sched->tasklets[TL_URGENT], (struct list *)tmp_list);
+
 	/* run up to max_processed/3 urgent tasklets */
 	done = run_tasks_from_list(&tt->tasklets[TL_URGENT], (max_processed + 2) / 3);
 	max_processed -= done;
@@ -523,6 +525,10 @@ void process_runnable_tasks()
 	done = run_tasks_from_list(&tt->tasklets[TL_BULK], max_processed);
 	max_processed -= done;
 
+	/* some tasks may have woken other ones up */
+	if (max_processed && thread_has_tasks())
+		goto not_done_yet;
+
 	if (!LIST_ISEMPTY(&sched->tasklets[TL_URGENT]) |
 	    !LIST_ISEMPTY(&sched->tasklets[TL_NORMAL]) |
 	    !LIST_ISEMPTY(&sched->tasklets[TL_BULK]))