diff --git a/sched/Kconfig b/sched/Kconfig
index a7d3efa887f..e1219a94927 100644
--- a/sched/Kconfig
+++ b/sched/Kconfig
@@ -346,6 +346,12 @@ config USER_ENTRYPOINT
 		applications this is of the form 'app_main' where 'app' is the application
 		name. If not defined, USER_ENTRYPOINT defaults to "main".
 
+config USERMAIN_PRIORITY
+	int "init thread priority"
+	default 100
+	---help---
+		The priority of the user initialization thread.
+
 endif # INIT_ENTRYPOINT
 
 if INIT_FILEPATH
diff --git a/sched/init/os_bringup.c b/sched/init/os_bringup.c
index faae4a16622..4f5532b175e 100644
--- a/sched/init/os_bringup.c
+++ b/sched/init/os_bringup.c
@@ -126,6 +126,10 @@ extern const int             CONFIG_INIT_NEXPORTS;
 #  undef CONFIG_LIB_USRWORK
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(CONFIG_USERMAIN_PRIORITY)
+#  define CONFIG_USERMAIN_PRIORITY SCHED_PRIORITY_DEFAULT
+#endif
+
 /****************************************************************************
  * Private Functions
  ****************************************************************************/
@@ -259,11 +263,11 @@ static inline void os_do_appstart(void)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_BUILD_PROTECTED
   DEBUGASSERT(USERSPACE->us_entrypoint != NULL);
-  pid = nxtask_create("init", SCHED_PRIORITY_DEFAULT,
+  pid = nxtask_create("init", CONFIG_USERMAIN_PRIORITY,
                       CONFIG_USERMAIN_STACKSIZE, USERSPACE->us_entrypoint,
                       (FAR char * const *)NULL);
 #else
-  pid = nxtask_create("init", SCHED_PRIORITY_DEFAULT,
+  pid = nxtask_create("init", CONFIG_USERMAIN_PRIORITY,
                       CONFIG_USERMAIN_STACKSIZE,
                       (main_t)CONFIG_USER_ENTRYPOINT,
                       (FAR char * const *)NULL);