diff --git a/build.yaml b/build.yaml
index 8c27c8e3da2..a2bbcaf41db 100644
--- a/build.yaml
+++ b/build.yaml
@@ -3638,6 +3638,7 @@ targets:
 - name: generic_end2end_test
   build: test
   language: c++
+  cpu_cost: 0.1
   src:
   - test/cpp/end2end/generic_end2end_test.cc
   deps:
@@ -3743,6 +3744,7 @@ targets:
 - name: grpc_tool_test
   build: test
   language: c++
+  cpu_cost: 0.2
   src:
   - src/proto/grpc/testing/echo.proto
   - src/proto/grpc/testing/echo_messages.proto
@@ -3771,9 +3773,9 @@ targets:
   - grpc++
   - grpc
 - name: grpclb_test
+  cpu_cost: 0.1
   build: test
   language: c++
-  cpu_cost: 0.1
   src:
   - src/proto/grpc/lb/v1/load_balancer.proto
   - test/cpp/grpclb/grpclb_test.cc
@@ -4263,7 +4265,7 @@ targets:
   - gpr_test_util
   - gpr
 - name: writes_per_rpc_test
-  cpu_cost: 0.5
+  cpu_cost: 0.8
   build: test
   language: c++
   src:
diff --git a/test/cpp/qps/gen_build_yaml.py b/test/cpp/qps/gen_build_yaml.py
index 805b0faeece..2edcb86a684 100755
--- a/test/cpp/qps/gen_build_yaml.py
+++ b/test/cpp/qps/gen_build_yaml.py
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ def _scenario_json_string(scenario_json, is_tsan):
 
 def threads_required(scenario_json, where, is_tsan):
   scenario_json = mutate_scenario(scenario_json, is_tsan)
+  if scenario_json['client_config']['outstanding_rpcs_per_channel'] == 1 and scenario_json['client_config']['client_channels'] == 1:
+    return 0.4
   if scenario_json['%s_config' % where]['%s_type' % where] == 'ASYNC_%s' % where.upper():
     if scenario_json['client_config']['client_channels'] == 1: return 1
     return scenario_json['%s_config' % where].get('async_%s_threads' % where, 0)
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/generated/tests.json b/tools/run_tests/generated/tests.json
index a5bc8fa0ea5..daa9f5b0e66 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/generated/tests.json
+++ b/tools/run_tests/generated/tests.json
@@ -2613,7 +2613,7 @@
       "posix", 
       "windows"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 0.6, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "exclude_configs": [], 
     "exclude_iomgrs": [], 
     "flaky": false, 
@@ -2964,7 +2964,7 @@
       "mac", 
       "posix"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 1.0, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.5, 
     "exclude_configs": [], 
     "exclude_iomgrs": [], 
     "flaky": false, 
@@ -3225,7 +3225,7 @@
       "posix", 
       "windows"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 0.5, 
+    "cpu_cost": 1.0, 
     "exclude_configs": [], 
     "exclude_iomgrs": [], 
     "flaky": false, 
@@ -3381,7 +3381,7 @@
       "posix", 
       "windows"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 1.0, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.1, 
     "exclude_configs": [], 
     "exclude_iomgrs": [], 
     "flaky": false, 
@@ -3832,7 +3832,7 @@
       "mac", 
       "posix"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 0.5, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "exclude_configs": [], 
     "exclude_iomgrs": [], 
     "flaky": false, 
@@ -41274,7 +41274,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -41476,7 +41476,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -41528,7 +41528,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -41553,7 +41553,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -41603,7 +41603,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -41653,7 +41653,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -41753,7 +41753,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -41853,7 +41853,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -42055,7 +42055,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -42107,7 +42107,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -42132,7 +42132,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -42182,7 +42182,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -42232,7 +42232,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -42332,7 +42332,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "tsan", 
@@ -42432,7 +42432,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -42730,7 +42730,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -42806,7 +42806,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -42843,7 +42843,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -42917,7 +42917,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -42991,7 +42991,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -43139,7 +43139,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -43287,7 +43287,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -43585,7 +43585,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -43661,7 +43661,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -43698,7 +43698,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -43772,7 +43772,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -43846,7 +43846,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
@@ -43994,7 +43994,7 @@
     "ci_platforms": [
       "linux"
     ], 
-    "cpu_cost": 2, 
+    "cpu_cost": 0.8, 
     "defaults": "boringssl", 
     "exclude_configs": [
       "asan-noleaks", 
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/run_tests.py b/tools/run_tests/run_tests.py
index cfa7071e002..32da7fb02a2 100755
--- a/tools/run_tests/run_tests.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/run_tests.py
@@ -1466,7 +1466,7 @@ def _build_and_run(
     # When running on travis, we want out test runs to be as similar as possible
     # for reproducibility purposes.
     if args.travis:
-      massaged_one_run = sorted(one_run, key=lambda x: x.shortname)
+      massaged_one_run = sorted(one_run, key=lambda x: (x.cpu_cost, x.shortname))
     else:
       # whereas otherwise, we want to shuffle things up to give all tests a
       # chance to run.