diff --git a/kernel/tasks.c b/kernel/tasks.c
index 9939651a..57fccdba 100644
--- a/kernel/tasks.c
+++ b/kernel/tasks.c
@@ -50,9 +50,14 @@ static task_t task_table[MAX_TASKS] = { \
 		[0]                 = {0, TASK_IDLE,    0, 0, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, ATOMIC_INIT(0), SPINLOCK_INIT, NULL, SPINLOCK_INIT, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0}, \
 		[1 ... MAX_TASKS-1] = {0, TASK_INVALID, 0, 0, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, ATOMIC_INIT(0), SPINLOCK_INIT, NULL, SPINLOCK_INIT, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0}};
 static spinlock_irqsave_t table_lock = SPINLOCK_IRQSAVE_INIT;
+#if MAX_CORES > 1
 static runqueue_t runqueues[MAX_CORES] = { \
 		[0]                 = {task_table+0, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, {[0 ... MAX_PRIO-1] = {NULL, NULL}}, {NULL, NULL}, SPINLOCK_INIT}, \
 		[1 ... MAX_CORES-1] = {NULL,         NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, {[0 ... MAX_PRIO-1] = {NULL, NULL}}, {NULL, NULL}, SPINLOCK_INIT}};
+#else
+static runqueue_t runqueues[1] = { \
+		[0]                 = {task_table+0, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, {[0 ... MAX_PRIO-1] = {NULL, NULL}}, {NULL, NULL}, SPINLOCK_INIT}};
+#endif
 
 DEFINE_PER_CORE(task_t*, current_task, task_table+0);
 
@@ -859,6 +864,9 @@ int wakeup_task(tid_t id)
 		ret = 0;
 
 		spinlock_lock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
+		// increase the number of ready tasks
+		runqueues[core_id].nr_tasks++;
+
 		// add task to the runqueue
 		if (!runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].last) {
 			runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].last = runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].first = task;
@@ -906,6 +914,8 @@ int block_current_task(void)
 		ret = 0;
 
 		spinlock_lock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
+		// reduce the number of ready tasks
+		runqueues[core_id].nr_tasks--;
 
 		// remove task from queue
 		if (task_table[id].prev)
@@ -953,6 +963,9 @@ int set_timer(uint64_t deadline)
 
 		spinlock_lock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
 
+		// reduce the number of ready tasks
+		runqueues[core_id].nr_tasks--;
+
 		// remove task from queue
 		if (curr_task->prev)
 			curr_task->prev->next = curr_task->next;
@@ -1035,6 +1048,7 @@ extern atomic_int32_t cpu_online;
 
 void load_balancing(void)
 {
+#if 0
 	uint32_t i, core_id = CORE_ID;
 	uint32_t prio;
 	task_t* task;
@@ -1130,6 +1144,7 @@ no_task_found:
 		spinlock_unlock(&runqueues[i].lock);
 	}
 	spinlock_unlock(&runqueues[core_id].lock);
+#endif
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -1172,6 +1187,9 @@ void scheduler(void)
 			task->status = TASK_READY;
 			prio = task->prio;
 
+			// increase the number of ready tasks
+			runqueues[core_id].nr_tasks++;
+
 			// add task to the runqueue
 			if (!runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].first) {
 				runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].last = runqueues[core_id].queue[prio-1].first = task;
@@ -1189,10 +1207,10 @@ void scheduler(void)
 	runqueues[core_id].old_task = NULL; // reset old task
 	prio = last_set(runqueues[core_id].prio_bitmap); // determines highest priority
 #if MAX_CORES > 1
-	/*if (!prio) {
+	if (!prio) {
 		load_balancing();
 		prio = last_set(runqueues[core_id].prio_bitmap); // retry...
-	}*/
+	}
 #endif
 
 	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(prio > MAX_PRIO, 0)) {