diff --git a/include/zephyr/kernel.h b/include/zephyr/kernel.h
index 0ab33e85d42..e3c467f1dbc 100644
--- a/include/zephyr/kernel.h
+++ b/include/zephyr/kernel.h
@@ -686,8 +686,8 @@ struct _static_thread_data {
 	void *init_p3;
 	int init_prio;
 	uint32_t init_options;
-	int32_t init_delay;
 	const char *init_name;
+	k_timeout_t init_delay;
 };
 
 #define Z_THREAD_INITIALIZER(thread, stack, stack_size,           \
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ struct _static_thread_data {
 	.init_p3 = (void *)p3,                                   \
 	.init_prio = (prio),                                     \
 	.init_options = (options),                               \
-	.init_delay = (delay),                                   \
+	.init_delay = SYS_TIMEOUT_MS(delay),			 \
 	.init_name = STRINGIFY(tname),                           \
 	}
 
diff --git a/kernel/thread.c b/kernel/thread.c
index 49b97e6cb4b..2b0b5ce0aac 100644
--- a/kernel/thread.c
+++ b/kernel/thread.c
@@ -790,9 +790,9 @@ void z_init_static_threads(void)
 	 */
 	k_sched_lock();
 	_FOREACH_STATIC_THREAD(thread_data) {
-		if (thread_data->init_delay != K_TICKS_FOREVER) {
+		if (!K_TIMEOUT_EQ(thread_data->init_delay, K_FOREVER)) {
 			schedule_new_thread(thread_data->init_thread,
-					    K_MSEC(thread_data->init_delay));
+					    thread_data->init_delay);
 		}
 	}
 	k_sched_unlock();