diff --git a/core/include/sched.h b/core/include/sched.h
index d731cde19a..181a31755d 100644
--- a/core/include/sched.h
+++ b/core/include/sched.h
@@ -137,9 +137,12 @@ typedef enum {
 
 /**
  * @brief   Triggers the scheduler to schedule the next thread
- * @returns 1 if sched_active_thread/sched_active_pid was changed, 0 otherwise.
+ *
+ * @returns     The new thread to schedule if sched_active_thread/sched_active_pid
+ *              was changed,
+ * @returns     NULL if the active thread was not changed.
  */
-int sched_run(void);
+thread_t *sched_run(void);
 
 /**
  * @brief   Set the status of the specified process
diff --git a/core/sched.c b/core/sched.c
index 28e1f48184..21ef5ba577 100644
--- a/core/sched.c
+++ b/core/sched.c
@@ -138,21 +138,20 @@ static void _unschedule(thread_t *active_thread)
 #endif
 }
 
-int __attribute__((used)) sched_run(void)
+thread_t *__attribute__((used)) sched_run(void)
 {
     thread_t *active_thread = thread_get_active();
+    thread_t *previous_thread = active_thread;
 
-    if (!IS_USED(MODULE_CORE_IDLE_THREAD)) {
-        if (!runqueue_bitcache) {
-            if (active_thread) {
-                _unschedule(active_thread);
-                active_thread = NULL;
-            }
-
-            do {
-                sched_arch_idle();
-            } while (!runqueue_bitcache);
+    if (!IS_USED(MODULE_CORE_IDLE_THREAD) && !runqueue_bitcache) {
+        if (active_thread) {
+            _unschedule(active_thread);
+            active_thread = NULL;
         }
+
+        do {
+            sched_arch_idle();
+        } while (!runqueue_bitcache);
     }
 
     sched_context_switch_request = 0;
@@ -168,39 +167,51 @@ int __attribute__((used)) sched_run(void)
                        : active_thread->pid),
         next_thread->pid);
 
-    if (active_thread == next_thread) {
-        DEBUG("sched_run: done, sched_active_thread was not changed.\n");
-        return 0;
-    }
+    next_thread->status = STATUS_RUNNING;
 
-    if (active_thread) {
-        _unschedule(active_thread);
+    if (previous_thread == next_thread) {
+#ifdef MODULE_SCHED_CB
+        /* Call the sched callback again only if the active thread is NULL. When
+         * active_thread is NULL, there was a sleep in between descheduling the
+         * previous thread and scheduling the new thread. Call the callback here
+         * again ensures that the time sleeping doesn't count as running the
+         * previous thread
+         */
+        if (sched_cb && !active_thread) {
+            sched_cb(KERNEL_PID_UNDEF, next_thread->pid);
+        }
+#endif
+        DEBUG("sched_run: done, sched_active_thread was not changed.\n");
     }
+    else {
+        if (active_thread) {
+            _unschedule(active_thread);
+        }
+
+        sched_active_pid = next_thread->pid;
+        sched_active_thread = next_thread;
 
 #ifdef MODULE_SCHED_CB
-    if (sched_cb) {
-        sched_cb(KERNEL_PID_UNDEF, next_thread->pid);
-    }
+        if (sched_cb) {
+            sched_cb(KERNEL_PID_UNDEF, next_thread->pid);
+        }
 #endif
 
-    next_thread->status = STATUS_RUNNING;
-    sched_active_pid = next_thread->pid;
-    sched_active_thread = next_thread;
 #ifdef PICOLIBC_TLS
-    _set_tls(next_thread->tls);
+        _set_tls(next_thread->tls);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MODULE_MPU_STACK_GUARD
-    mpu_configure(
-        2,                                                  /* MPU region 2 */
-        (uintptr_t)sched_active_thread->stack_start + 31,   /* Base Address (rounded up) */
-        MPU_ATTR(1, AP_RO_RO, 0, 1, 0, 1, MPU_SIZE_32B)     /* Attributes and Size */
-        );
+        mpu_configure(
+            2,                                              /* MPU region 2 */
+            (uintptr_t)next_thread->stack_start + 31,       /* Base Address (rounded up) */
+            MPU_ATTR(1, AP_RO_RO, 0, 1, 0, 1, MPU_SIZE_32B) /* Attributes and Size */
+            );
 #endif
+        DEBUG("sched_run: done, changed sched_active_thread.\n");
+    }
 
-    DEBUG("sched_run: done, changed sched_active_thread.\n");
-
-    return 1;
+    return next_thread;
 }
 
 void sched_set_status(thread_t *process, thread_status_t status)