diff --git a/loopy/__init__.py b/loopy/__init__.py
index 1e9463f23eeb780ffce4d550e2dc71ae10e11c7d..ca18981fae7e7de2139e449485add3340946a62f 100644
--- a/loopy/__init__.py
+++ b/loopy/__init__.py
@@ -770,10 +770,6 @@ def set_loop_priority(kernel, loop_priority):
     if isinstance(loop_priority, str):
         loop_priority = [s.strip() for s in loop_priority.split(",")]
 
-    for iname in loop_priority:
-        if not iname in kernel.all_inames():
-            raise LoopyError("iname '%s' not known" % iname)
-
     return kernel.copy(loop_priority=loop_priority)
 
 # }}}
diff --git a/loopy/check.py b/loopy/check.py
index 36a50df48908d8a067b9cbf3e20615a3f9623cc5..b56943918b9fc78ccbaae85ad4be99e41c2c92c9 100644
--- a/loopy/check.py
+++ b/loopy/check.py
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 # {{{ sanity checks run during scheduling
 
+def check_loop_priority_inames_known(kernel):
+    for iname in kernel.loop_priority:
+        if not iname in kernel.all_inames():
+            raise LoopyError("unknown iname '%s' in loop priorities" % iname)
+
+
 def check_for_unused_hw_axes_in_insns(kernel):
     group_size, local_size = kernel.get_grid_sizes_as_exprs()
 
@@ -316,6 +322,7 @@ def pre_schedule_checks(kernel):
 
         check_for_orphaned_user_hardware_axes(kernel)
         check_for_double_use_of_hw_axes(kernel)
+        check_loop_priority_inames_known(kernel)
         check_for_unused_hw_axes_in_insns(kernel)
         check_for_inactive_iname_access(kernel)
         check_for_write_races(kernel)
diff --git a/test/test_loopy.py b/test/test_loopy.py
index 5bccdd5dc093704546ed582e3afdbf63d5725cb6..dd8249143e4fd0ff7c4dfd82b784e70f59813b6f 100644
--- a/test/test_loopy.py
+++ b/test/test_loopy.py
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ def test_stencil(ctx_factory):
         knl = lp.split_iname(knl, "i", 16, outer_tag="g.1", inner_tag="l.1")
         knl = lp.split_iname(knl, "j", 16, outer_tag="g.0", inner_tag="l.0")
         knl = lp.add_prefetch(knl, "a", ["i_inner", "j_inner"])
-        knl = lp.set_loop_priority(knl, ["i_outer", "i_inner_0", "j_0"])
+        knl = lp.set_loop_priority(knl, ["a_dim_0_outer", "a_dim_1_outer"])
         return knl
 
     def variant_2(knl):
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ def test_stencil(ctx_factory):
         knl = lp.split_iname(knl, "j", 16, outer_tag="g.0", inner_tag="l.0")
         knl = lp.add_prefetch(knl, "a", ["i_inner", "j_inner"],
                 fetch_bounding_box=True)
-        knl = lp.set_loop_priority(knl, ["i_outer", "i_inner_0", "j_0"])
+        knl = lp.set_loop_priority(knl, ["a_dim_0_outer", "a_dim_1_outer"])
         return knl
 
     for variant in [variant_1, variant_2]:
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ def test_stencil_with_overfetch(ctx_factory):
                slabs=(1, 1))
         knl = lp.add_prefetch(knl, "a", ["i_inner", "j_inner"],
                 fetch_bounding_box=True)
-        knl = lp.set_loop_priority(knl, ["i_outer", "i_inner_0", "j_0"])
+        knl = lp.set_loop_priority(knl, ["a_dim_0_outer", "a_dim_1_outer"])
         return knl
 
     for variant in [variant_overfetch]: