diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index eb91a231..e7deb9e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -219,8 +219,8 @@ jobs:
       run: sudo apt -y update; sudo apt -y install gcc-arm-none-eabi
     - if: ${{ env.GO == 1 }}
       run:  make -C examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-baremetal-builtin test VCON_API_KEY=${{secrets.VCON_API_KEY}}
-#    - if: ${{ env.GO == 1 }}
-# WIP      run:  make -C examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin test VCON_API_KEY=${{secrets.VCON_API_KEY}}
+    - if: ${{ env.GO == 1 }}
+      run:  make -C examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin test VCON_API_KEY=${{secrets.VCON_API_KEY}}
     
   test_h5:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin/FreeRTOSConfig.h b/examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin/FreeRTOSConfig.h
index 60e40d43..7d616492 100644
--- a/examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin/FreeRTOSConfig.h
+++ b/examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin/FreeRTOSConfig.h
@@ -35,4 +35,4 @@
 
 #define vPortSVCHandler SVC_Handler
 #define xPortPendSVHandler PendSV_Handler
-#define xPortSysTickHandler SysTick_Handler
+//#define xPortSysTickHandler SysTick_Handler
diff --git a/examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin/main.c b/examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin/main.c
index 272030a9..7c261536 100644
--- a/examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin/main.c
+++ b/examples/stm32/nucleo-h723zg-make-freertos-builtin/main.c
@@ -7,6 +7,14 @@
 
 #define BLINK_PERIOD_MS 1000  // LED blinking period in millis
 
+// workaround optimizer somehow causing SysTick to fire before FreeRTOS has
+// fully initialized
+extern void xPortSysTickHandler(void);
+void SysTick_Handler(void) {
+  if (xTaskGetSchedulerState() != taskSCHEDULER_NOT_STARTED)
+    xPortSysTickHandler();
+}
+
 void mg_random(void *buf, size_t len) {  // Use on-board RNG
   for (size_t n = 0; n < len; n += sizeof(uint32_t)) {
     uint32_t r = rng_read();
@@ -67,7 +75,7 @@ int main(void) {
   uart_init(UART_DEBUG, 115200);  // Initialise UART
 
   // Start tasks. NOTE: stack sizes are in 32-bit words
-  xTaskCreate(blinker, "blinker", 128, ":)", configMAX_PRIORITIES - 1, NULL);
+  xTaskCreate(blinker, "blinker", 128, ":)", configMAX_PRIORITIES - 2, NULL);
   xTaskCreate(server, "server", 2048, 0, configMAX_PRIORITIES - 1, NULL);
 
   vTaskStartScheduler();  // This blocks