diff --git a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3.cpp b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3.cpp
index 7b6c0e0ff2..cba2b06aff 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3.cpp
@@ -607,9 +607,16 @@ bool NavEKF3::InitialiseFilter(void)
     if (_enable == 0) {
         return false;
     }
+    const AP_InertialSensor &ins = _ahrs->get_ins();
 
     imuSampleTime_us = AP_HAL::micros64();
 
+    // remember expected frame time
+    _frameTimeUsec = 1e6 / ins.get_sample_rate();
+
+    // expected number of IMU frames per prediction
+    _framesPerPrediction = uint8_t((EKF_TARGET_DT / (_frameTimeUsec * 1.0e-6) + 0.5));
+    
     if (core == nullptr) {
 
         // see if we will be doing logging
@@ -619,7 +626,6 @@ bool NavEKF3::InitialiseFilter(void)
         }
 
         // don't run multiple filters for 1 IMU
-        const AP_InertialSensor &ins = _ahrs->get_ins();
         uint8_t mask = (1U<<ins.get_accel_count())-1;
         _imuMask.set(_imuMask.get() & mask);
         
@@ -705,10 +711,12 @@ void NavEKF3::UpdateFilter(void)
 
     bool statePredictEnabled[num_cores];
     for (uint8_t i=0; i<num_cores; i++) {
-        // if the previous core has only recently finished a new state prediction cycle, then
-        // don't start a new cycle to allow time for fusion operations to complete if the update
-        // rate is higher than 200Hz
-        if ((i > 0) && (core[i-1].getFramesSincePredict() < 2) && (ins.get_sample_rate() > 200)) {
+        // if we have not overrun by more than 3 IMU frames, and we
+        // have already used more than 1/3 of the CPU budget for this
+        // loop then suppress the prediction step. This allows
+        // multiple EKF instances to cooperate on scheduling
+        if (core[i].getFramesSincePredict() < (_framesPerPrediction+3) &&
+            (AP_HAL::micros() - ins.get_last_update_usec()) > _frameTimeUsec/3) {
             statePredictEnabled[i] = false;
         } else {
             statePredictEnabled[i] = true;
diff --git a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3.h b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3.h
index b48adb1596..ab68243e66 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3.h
@@ -339,6 +339,9 @@ private:
     AP_Baro &_baro;
     const RangeFinder &_rng;
 
+    uint32_t _frameTimeUsec;        // time per IMU frame
+    uint8_t  _framesPerPrediction;  // expected number of IMU frames per prediction
+    
     // EKF Mavlink Tuneable Parameters
     AP_Int8  _enable;               // zero to disable EKF3
     AP_Float _gpsHorizVelNoise;     // GPS horizontal velocity measurement noise : m/s
diff --git a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_Measurements.cpp b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_Measurements.cpp
index fc0ee49723..ae00893f94 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_Measurements.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_Measurements.cpp
@@ -352,7 +352,8 @@ void NavEKF3_core::readIMUData()
      * then store the accumulated IMU data to be used by the state prediction, ignoring the frontend permission if more
      * than twice the target time has lapsed.
      */
-    if ((imuDataDownSampledNew.delAngDT >= EKF_TARGET_DT && startPredictEnabled) || (imuDataDownSampledNew.delAngDT >= 2.0f*EKF_TARGET_DT)) {
+    if ((imuDataDownSampledNew.delAngDT >= (EKF_TARGET_DT-(dtIMUavg*0.5)) && startPredictEnabled) ||
+        (imuDataDownSampledNew.delAngDT >= 2.0f*EKF_TARGET_DT)) {
 
         // convert the accumulated quaternion to an equivalent delta angle
         imuQuatDownSampleNew.to_axis_angle(imuDataDownSampledNew.delAng);
diff --git a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_core.h b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_core.h
index 6201a96537..1c2f51e362 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_core.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_core.h
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@
 #define ACCEL_BIAS_LIM_SCALER 0.2f
 
 // target update time for the EKF in msec and sec
-#define EKF_TARGET_DT_MS    10.0f
-#define EKF_TARGET_DT       0.01f
+#define EKF_TARGET_DT_MS 10.0
+#define EKF_TARGET_DT    0.01
 
 class AP_AHRS;