diff --git a/include/nuttx/init.h b/include/nuttx/init.h
index af3dce335f6ee..1db060b53b372 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/init.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/init.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
  * initialization.
  */
 
+#define OSINIT_TASK_READY()      (g_nx_initstate >= OSINIT_TASKLISTS)
 #define OSINIT_MM_READY()        (g_nx_initstate >= OSINIT_MEMORY)
 #define OSINIT_HW_READY()        (g_nx_initstate >= OSINIT_HARDWARE)
 #define OSINIT_OS_READY()        (g_nx_initstate >= OSINIT_OSREADY)
diff --git a/sched/sched/sched_idletask.c b/sched/sched/sched_idletask.c
index a402a2b39a3dc..cdf6cb3de21ae 100644
--- a/sched/sched/sched_idletask.c
+++ b/sched/sched/sched_idletask.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ bool sched_idletask(void)
    * have been initialized and, in that case, rtcb may be NULL.
    */
 
-  DEBUGASSERT(rtcb != NULL || g_nx_initstate < OSINIT_TASKLISTS);
+  DEBUGASSERT(rtcb != NULL || !OSINIT_TASK_READY());
   if (rtcb != NULL)
     {
       /* The IDLE task TCB is distinguishable by a few things: