diff --git a/Lib/test/test_thread.py b/Lib/test/test_thread.py
index 41fb3acd7b3..a191e157bc3 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_thread.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_thread.py
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ class ThreadRunningTests(BasicThreadTest):
             thread.start_new_thread(task, ())
             started.acquire()
             while thread._count() > c:
-                pass
+                time.sleep(0.01)
         self.assertIn("Traceback", stderr.getvalue())