diff --git a/repos/base-nova/src/core/include/util.h b/repos/base-nova/src/core/include/util.h
index 7167b2e327..1fd1cc7554 100644
--- a/repos/base-nova/src/core/include/util.h
+++ b/repos/base-nova/src/core/include/util.h
@@ -40,6 +40,22 @@ namespace Genode {
 		return size_log2 > MAX_MAP_LOG2 ? (size_t)MAX_MAP_LOG2 : size_log2;
 	}
 
+	inline unsigned scale_priority(unsigned const prio, char const * name)
+	{
+		using Nova::Qpd;
+		unsigned priority = Cpu_session::scale_priority(Qpd::DEFAULT_PRIORITY,
+		                                                prio);
+		if (priority == 0) {
+			warning("priority of thread '", name, "' below minimum - boost to 1");
+			priority = 1;
+		}
+		if (priority > Nova::Qpd::DEFAULT_PRIORITY) {
+			warning("priority of thread '", name, "' above maximum - limit to ",
+			        (unsigned)Qpd::DEFAULT_PRIORITY);
+			priority = Qpd::DEFAULT_PRIORITY;
+		}
+		return priority;
+	}
 }
 
 #endif /* _CORE__INCLUDE__UTIL_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/base-nova/src/core/platform_thread.cc b/repos/base-nova/src/core/platform_thread.cc
index 283b39f1a0..b7574e02f3 100644
--- a/repos/base-nova/src/core/platform_thread.cc
+++ b/repos/base-nova/src/core/platform_thread.cc
@@ -343,19 +343,9 @@ Platform_thread::Platform_thread(size_t, const char *name, unsigned prio,
 	_pd(0), _pager(0), _id_base(cap_map().insert(2)),
 	_sel_exc_base(Native_thread::INVALID_INDEX), _location(affinity),
 	_features(0),
-	_priority(Cpu_session::scale_priority(Nova::Qpd::DEFAULT_PRIORITY, prio)),
+	_priority(scale_priority(prio, name)),
 	_name(name)
-{
-	if (_priority == 0) {
-		warning("priority of thread '", _name, "' below minimum - boost to 1");
-		_priority = 1;
-	}
-	if (_priority > Nova::Qpd::DEFAULT_PRIORITY) {
-		warning("priority of thread '", _name, "' above maximum - limit to ",
-		        (unsigned)Nova::Qpd::DEFAULT_PRIORITY);
-		_priority = Nova::Qpd::DEFAULT_PRIORITY;
-	}
-}
+{ }
 
 
 Platform_thread::~Platform_thread()
diff --git a/repos/base-nova/src/core/vm_session_component.cc b/repos/base-nova/src/core/vm_session_component.cc
index 04adf535f7..0711716418 100644
--- a/repos/base-nova/src/core/vm_session_component.cc
+++ b/repos/base-nova/src/core/vm_session_component.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <vm_session_component.h>
 #include <platform.h>
 #include <pager.h>
+#include <util.h>
 
 #include <nova/cap_map.h>
 
@@ -222,7 +223,6 @@ void Vm_session_component::_run(Vcpu_id const vcpu_id)
 	if (!vcpu.init())
 		return;
 
-	addr_t const _priority = 1; /* XXX */
 	uint8_t res = _with_kernel_quota_upgrade(_pd_sel, [&] {
 		return Nova::create_sc(vcpu.sc_sel(), _pd_sel, vcpu.ec_sel(),
 		                       Nova::Qpd(Nova::Qpd::DEFAULT_QUANTUM, _priority));
@@ -277,14 +277,14 @@ Vm_session_component::Vm_session_component(Rpc_entrypoint &ep,
                                            Diag,
                                            Ram_allocator &ram,
                                            Region_map &local_rm,
-                                           unsigned)
+                                           unsigned const priority)
 :
 	Ram_quota_guard(resources.ram_quota),
 	Cap_quota_guard(resources.cap_quota),
 	_ep(ep),
 	_constrained_md_ram_alloc(ram, _ram_quota_guard(), _cap_quota_guard()),
 	_sliced_heap(_constrained_md_ram_alloc, local_rm),
-	_priority(1 /*scale_priority(priority, "VM session")*/)
+	_priority(scale_priority(priority, "VM sesssion"))
 {
 	_cap_quota_guard().withdraw(Cap_quota{1});