diff --git a/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_scheduler_t.c b/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_scheduler_t.c
index a5ad6d3..8eb0f85 100644
--- a/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_scheduler_t.c
+++ b/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_scheduler_t.c
@@ -213,6 +213,102 @@ embb_mtapi_thread_context_t * embb_mtapi_scheduler_get_current_thread_context(
   return context;
 }
 
+mtapi_boolean_t embb_mtapi_scheduler_execute_task(
+  embb_mtapi_task_t * task,
+  embb_mtapi_node_t * node,
+  embb_mtapi_thread_context_t * thread_context) {
+  embb_mtapi_task_context_t task_context;
+  mtapi_boolean_t result = MTAPI_FALSE;
+  embb_mtapi_queue_t * local_queue = MTAPI_NULL;
+  embb_mtapi_group_t * local_group = MTAPI_NULL;
+  embb_mtapi_action_t * local_action = MTAPI_NULL;
+
+  /* is task associated with a queue? */
+  if (embb_mtapi_queue_pool_is_handle_valid(
+    node->queue_pool, task->queue)) {
+    local_queue =
+      embb_mtapi_queue_pool_get_storage_for_handle(
+        node->queue_pool, task->queue);
+  }
+
+  /* is task associated with a group? */
+  if (embb_mtapi_group_pool_is_handle_valid(
+    node->group_pool, task->group)) {
+    local_group =
+      embb_mtapi_group_pool_get_storage_for_handle(
+        node->group_pool, task->group);
+  }
+
+  if (embb_mtapi_action_pool_is_handle_valid(
+    node->action_pool, task->action)) {
+    local_action =
+      embb_mtapi_action_pool_get_storage_for_handle(
+        node->action_pool, task->action);
+  }
+
+  switch (embb_atomic_load_int(&task->state)) {
+  case MTAPI_TASK_SCHEDULED:
+    /* multi-instance task, another instance might be running */
+  case MTAPI_TASK_RUNNING:
+    /* there was work, execute it */
+    embb_mtapi_task_context_initialize_with_thread_context_and_task(
+      &task_context, thread_context, task);
+    if (embb_mtapi_task_execute(task, &task_context)) {
+      /* tell queue that a task is done */
+      if (MTAPI_NULL != local_queue) {
+        embb_mtapi_queue_task_finished(local_queue);
+      }
+    }
+    result = MTAPI_TRUE;
+    break;
+
+  case MTAPI_TASK_RETAINED:
+    /* put task into queue again for later execution */
+    embb_mtapi_scheduler_schedule_task(
+      node->scheduler, task, 0);
+    /* yield, as there may be only retained tasks in the queue */
+    embb_thread_yield();
+    /* task is not done, so do not notify queue */
+    break;
+
+  case MTAPI_TASK_CANCELLED:
+    /* set return value to cancelled */
+    task->error_code = MTAPI_ERR_ACTION_CANCELLED;
+    if (embb_atomic_fetch_and_add_unsigned_int(
+      &task->instances_todo, (unsigned int)-1) == 0) {
+      /* tell queue that a task is done */
+      if (MTAPI_NULL != local_queue) {
+        embb_mtapi_queue_task_finished(local_queue);
+      }
+      if (MTAPI_NULL != local_group) {
+        embb_mtapi_task_queue_push(&local_group->queue, task);
+      }
+    }
+    if (MTAPI_NULL != local_action) {
+      embb_atomic_fetch_and_add_int(&local_action->num_tasks, -1);
+    }
+    break;
+
+  case MTAPI_TASK_COMPLETED:
+  case MTAPI_TASK_DELETED:
+  case MTAPI_TASK_WAITING:
+  case MTAPI_TASK_CREATED:
+  case MTAPI_TASK_PRENATAL:
+  case MTAPI_TASK_ERROR:
+  case MTAPI_TASK_INTENTIONALLY_UNUSED:
+  default:
+    /* do nothing, although this is an error */
+    break;
+  }
+
+  /* issue task complete callback if set */
+  if (MTAPI_NULL != task->attributes.complete_func) {
+    task->attributes.complete_func(task->handle, MTAPI_NULL);
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
 void embb_mtapi_scheduler_execute_task_or_yield(
   embb_mtapi_scheduler_t * that,
   embb_mtapi_node_t * node,
@@ -225,10 +321,7 @@ void embb_mtapi_scheduler_execute_task_or_yield(
       that, node, thread_context);
     /* if there was work, execute it */
     if (MTAPI_NULL != new_task) {
-      embb_mtapi_task_context_t task_context;
-      embb_mtapi_task_context_initialize_with_thread_context_and_task(
-        &task_context, thread_context, new_task);
-      embb_mtapi_task_execute(new_task, &task_context);
+      embb_mtapi_scheduler_execute_task(new_task, node, thread_context);
     } else {
       embb_thread_yield();
     }
@@ -253,7 +346,6 @@ embb_mtapi_scheduler_worker_func(embb_mtapi_scheduler_t * that) {
 int embb_mtapi_scheduler_worker(void * arg) {
   embb_mtapi_thread_context_t * thread_context =
     (embb_mtapi_thread_context_t*)arg;
-  embb_mtapi_task_context_t task_context;
   embb_mtapi_node_t * node;
   embb_duration_t sleep_duration;
   int err;
@@ -293,91 +385,8 @@ int embb_mtapi_scheduler_worker(void * arg) {
       node->scheduler, node, thread_context);
     /* check if there was work */
     if (MTAPI_NULL != task) {
-      embb_mtapi_queue_t * local_queue = MTAPI_NULL;
-      embb_mtapi_group_t * local_group = MTAPI_NULL;
-      embb_mtapi_action_t * local_action = MTAPI_NULL;
-
-      /* is task associated with a queue? */
-      if (embb_mtapi_queue_pool_is_handle_valid(
-        node->queue_pool, task->queue)) {
-        local_queue =
-          embb_mtapi_queue_pool_get_storage_for_handle(
-            node->queue_pool, task->queue);
-      }
-
-      /* is task associated with a group? */
-      if (embb_mtapi_group_pool_is_handle_valid(
-        node->group_pool, task->group)) {
-        local_group =
-          embb_mtapi_group_pool_get_storage_for_handle(
-            node->group_pool, task->group);
-      }
-
-      if (embb_mtapi_action_pool_is_handle_valid(
-        node->action_pool, task->action)) {
-        local_action =
-          embb_mtapi_action_pool_get_storage_for_handle(
-            node->action_pool, task->action);
-      }
-
-      switch (embb_atomic_load_int(&task->state)) {
-      case MTAPI_TASK_SCHEDULED:
-      /* multi-instance task, another instance might be running */
-      case MTAPI_TASK_RUNNING:
-        /* there was work, execute it */
-        embb_mtapi_task_context_initialize_with_thread_context_and_task(
-          &task_context, thread_context, task);
-        if (embb_mtapi_task_execute(task, &task_context)) {
-          /* tell queue that a task is done */
-          if (MTAPI_NULL != local_queue) {
-            embb_mtapi_queue_task_finished(local_queue);
-          }
-        }
+      if (embb_mtapi_scheduler_execute_task(task, node, thread_context)) {
         counter = 0;
-        break;
-
-      case MTAPI_TASK_RETAINED:
-        /* put task into queue again for later execution */
-        embb_mtapi_scheduler_schedule_task(
-          node->scheduler, task, 0);
-        /* yield, as there may be only retained tasks in the queue */
-        embb_thread_yield();
-        /* task is not done, so do not notify queue */
-        break;
-
-      case MTAPI_TASK_CANCELLED:
-        /* set return value to cancelled */
-        task->error_code = MTAPI_ERR_ACTION_CANCELLED;
-        if (embb_atomic_fetch_and_add_unsigned_int(
-          &task->instances_todo, (unsigned int)-1) == 0) {
-          /* tell queue that a task is done */
-          if (MTAPI_NULL != local_queue) {
-            embb_mtapi_queue_task_finished(local_queue);
-          }
-          if (MTAPI_NULL != local_group) {
-            embb_mtapi_task_queue_push(&local_group->queue, task);
-          }
-        }
-        if (MTAPI_NULL != local_action) {
-          embb_atomic_fetch_and_add_int(&local_action->num_tasks, -1);
-        }
-        break;
-
-      case MTAPI_TASK_COMPLETED:
-      case MTAPI_TASK_DELETED:
-      case MTAPI_TASK_WAITING:
-      case MTAPI_TASK_CREATED:
-      case MTAPI_TASK_PRENATAL:
-      case MTAPI_TASK_ERROR:
-      case MTAPI_TASK_INTENTIONALLY_UNUSED:
-      default:
-        /* do nothing, although this is an error */
-        break;
-      }
-
-      /* issue task complete callback if set */
-      if (MTAPI_NULL != task->attributes.complete_func) {
-        task->attributes.complete_func(task->handle, MTAPI_NULL);
       }
     } else if (counter < 1024) {
       /* spin and yield for a while before going to sleep */
diff --git a/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_scheduler_t.h b/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_scheduler_t.h
index ac94a0d..c56688b 100644
--- a/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_scheduler_t.h
+++ b/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_scheduler_t.h
@@ -138,6 +138,15 @@ embb_mtapi_thread_context_t * embb_mtapi_scheduler_get_current_thread_context(
   embb_mtapi_scheduler_t * that);
 
 /**
+ * Executes the given task if the thread context is valid.
+ * \memberof embb_mtapi_scheduler_struct
+ */
+mtapi_boolean_t embb_mtapi_scheduler_execute_task(
+  embb_mtapi_task_t * task,
+  embb_mtapi_node_t * node,
+  embb_mtapi_thread_context_t * thread_context);
+
+/**
  * Fetches and executes a single task if the thread context is valid,
  * yields otherwise.
  * \memberof embb_mtapi_scheduler_struct