diff --git a/kernel/src/task/exec.rs b/kernel/src/task/exec.rs
index 3890664ef..68950de2c 100644
--- a/kernel/src/task/exec.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/task/exec.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use crate::error::SvsmError;
 use crate::fs::open;
 use crate::mm::vm::VMFileMappingFlags;
 use crate::mm::USER_MEM_END;
-use crate::task::{create_user_task, current_task, schedule};
+use crate::task::{create_user_task, current_task, finish_user_task, schedule};
 use crate::types::PAGE_SIZE;
 use crate::utils::align_up;
 use elf::{Elf64File, Elf64PhdrFlags};
@@ -28,6 +28,15 @@ fn convert_elf_phdr_flags(flags: Elf64PhdrFlags) -> VMFileMappingFlags {
     vm_flags
 }
 
+/// Loads and executes an ELF binary in user-mode.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+///
+/// * binary: Path to file in the file-system
+///
+/// # Returns
+///
+/// `()` on success, [`SvsmError`] on failure.
 pub fn exec_user(binary: &str) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
     let fh = open(binary)?;
     let file_size = fh.size();
@@ -88,6 +97,7 @@ pub fn exec_user(binary: &str) -> Result<(), SvsmError> {
     let stack_addr = USER_MEM_END - user_stack_size;
     task.mmap_user(stack_addr, None, 0, user_stack_size, stack_flags)?;
 
+    finish_user_task(task);
     schedule();
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/kernel/src/task/mod.rs b/kernel/src/task/mod.rs
index 8d46602cc..74e2b0b3d 100644
--- a/kernel/src/task/mod.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/task/mod.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ mod tasks;
 mod waiting;
 
 pub use schedule::{
-    create_user_task, current_task, current_task_terminated, is_current_task, schedule,
-    schedule_init, schedule_task, start_kernel_task, terminate, RunQueue, TASKLIST,
+    create_user_task, current_task, current_task_terminated, finish_user_task, is_current_task,
+    schedule, schedule_init, schedule_task, start_kernel_task, terminate, RunQueue, TASKLIST,
 };
 
 pub use tasks::{
diff --git a/kernel/src/task/schedule.rs b/kernel/src/task/schedule.rs
index 243ecd02b..c1745fae7 100644
--- a/kernel/src/task/schedule.rs
+++ b/kernel/src/task/schedule.rs
@@ -255,15 +255,33 @@ pub fn start_kernel_task(entry: extern "C" fn()) -> Result<TaskPointer, SvsmErro
     Ok(task)
 }
 
+/// Creates and initializes the kernel state of a new user task. The task is
+/// not added to the TASKLIST or run-queue yet.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+///
+/// * user_entry: The user-space entry point.
+///
+/// # Returns
+///
+/// A new instance of [`TaskPointer`] on success, [`SvsmError`] on failure.
 pub fn create_user_task(user_entry: usize) -> Result<TaskPointer, SvsmError> {
     let cpu = this_cpu();
-    let task = Task::create_user(cpu, user_entry)?;
+    Task::create_user(cpu, user_entry)
+}
+
+/// Finished user-space task creation by putting the task on the global
+/// TASKLIST and adding it to the run-queue.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+///
+/// * task: Pointer to user task
+pub fn finish_user_task(task: TaskPointer) {
+    // Add task to global TASKLIST
     TASKLIST.lock().list().push_back(task.clone());
 
     // Put task on the runqueue of this CPU
-    cpu.runqueue().lock_write().handle_task(task.clone());
-
-    Ok(task)
+    this_cpu().runqueue().lock_write().handle_task(task);
 }
 
 pub fn current_task() -> TaskPointer {