diff --git a/tests/kernel/systhreads/Makefile b/tests/kernel/systhreads/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4de50f93d4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kernel/systhreads/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+BOARD ?= qemu_x86
+CONF_FILE = prj.conf
+
+include ${ZEPHYR_BASE}/Makefile.inc
diff --git a/tests/kernel/systhreads/README b/tests/kernel/systhreads/README
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6607b29fd03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kernel/systhreads/README
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+$make qemu
+
+Running test suite test_systhreads
+tc_start() - test_systhreads_main
+===================================================================
+PASS - test_systhreads_main.
+tc_start() - test_systhreads_idle
+===================================================================
+PASS - test_systhreads_idle.
+===================================================================
+PROJECT EXECUTION SUCCESSFUL
+
diff --git a/tests/kernel/systhreads/prj.conf b/tests/kernel/systhreads/prj.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fec5cd40331
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kernel/systhreads/prj.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+CONFIG_ZTEST=y
+CONFIG_SYS_POWER_MANAGEMENT=y
+CONFIG_SYS_POWER_LOW_POWER_STATE=y
+CONFIG_TICKLESS_IDLE=y
+CONFIG_LEGACY_KERNEL=n
diff --git a/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/Makefile b/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bf94ad389d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+include $(ZEPHYR_BASE)/tests/Makefile.test
+
+obj-y = main.o test_systhreads.o
diff --git a/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/main.c b/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c2b4e2c0a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 Intel Corporation
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @addtogroup t_kernel_threads
+ * @{
+ * @defgroup t_systhreads test_systhreads
+ * @brief TestPurpose: verify 2 system threads - main thread and idle thread
+ * @}
+ */
+
+#include <ztest.h>
+#include "test_systhreads.h"
+
+/* test case main entry */
+void test_main(void *p1, void *p2, void *p3)
+{
+	ARG_UNUSED(p1);
+	ARG_UNUSED(p2);
+	ARG_UNUSED(p3);
+
+	test_systhreads_setup();
+	ztest_test_suite(test_systhreads,
+		ztest_unit_test(test_systhreads_main),
+		ztest_unit_test(test_systhreads_idle));
+	ztest_run_test_suite(test_systhreads);
+}
diff --git a/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/test_systhreads.c b/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/test_systhreads.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c966c7920fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/test_systhreads.c
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 Intel Corporation
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+#include <ztest.h>
+
+static int main_prio;
+
+/* power hook functions if support */
+int _sys_soc_suspend(int32_t ticks)
+{
+	/** TESTPOINT: check idle thread priority */
+	assert_true(k_thread_priority_get(k_current_get()) ==
+			K_IDLE_PRIO, NULL);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* test cases */
+void test_systhreads_setup(void)
+{
+	main_prio = k_thread_priority_get(k_current_get());
+}
+
+void test_systhreads_main(void)
+{
+	assert_true(main_prio == CONFIG_MAIN_THREAD_PRIORITY, NULL);
+}
+
+void test_systhreads_idle(void)
+{
+	k_sleep(100);
+	/** TESTPOINT: check working thread priority should */
+	assert_true(k_thread_priority_get(k_current_get()) <
+			K_IDLE_PRIO, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/test_systhreads.h b/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/test_systhreads.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..652fa4606db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kernel/systhreads/src/test_systhreads.h
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 Intel Corporation
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+#ifndef __TEST_SYSTHREADS_H__
+#define __TEST_SYSTHREADS_H__
+
+void test_systhreads_setup(void);
+void test_systhreads_main(void);
+void test_systhreads_idle(void);
+
+#endif /* __TEST_SYSTHREADS_H__ */
diff --git a/tests/kernel/systhreads/testcase.ini b/tests/kernel/systhreads/testcase.ini
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1648d3a56d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/kernel/systhreads/testcase.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[test]
+tags = kernel
+# tickless is not supported on nios2 and riscv-machine
+arch_exclude = nios2 riscv32