diff --git a/loopy/auto_test.py b/loopy/auto_test.py
index 92c01addb27dd232fd41f40048cb15d5510d765a..66b3cb0bde00dee3ae46fcf63052219cc3664360 100644
--- a/loopy/auto_test.py
+++ b/loopy/auto_test.py
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ def auto_test_vs_ref(
 
         logger.info("%s: timing run" % (knl.name))
 
-        timing_rounds = warmup_rounds
+        timing_rounds = max(warmup_rounds, 1)
 
         while True:
             from time import time
diff --git a/test/test_loopy.py b/test/test_loopy.py
index 89b4f5e639a031d3f2d4d89b470d2ccf5fb4b848..231b70bf71d865e5b9832332c90f3228a0a26b82 100644
--- a/test/test_loopy.py
+++ b/test/test_loopy.py
@@ -953,6 +953,23 @@ def test_auto_test_can_detect_problems(ctx_factory):
                 parameters=dict(n=123))
 
 
+def test_auto_test_zero_warmup_rounds(ctx_factory):
+    ctx = ctx_factory()
+
+    ref_knl = lp.make_kernel(
+        "{[i,j]: 0<=i,j<n}",
+        """
+        a[i,j] = 25
+        """)
+
+    ref_knl = lp.add_and_infer_dtypes(ref_knl, dict(a=np.float32))
+
+    lp.auto_test_vs_ref(
+            ref_knl, ctx, ref_knl,
+            parameters=dict(n=12),
+            warmup_rounds=0)
+
+
 def test_sci_notation_literal(ctx_factory):
     ctx = ctx_factory()
     queue = cl.CommandQueue(ctx)