diff --git a/zircon/system/uapp/kstress/BUILD.gn b/zircon/system/uapp/kstress/BUILD.gn
index e4e7ea8e8042f7460b8da0999d6a7d9915f82020..f746bc68acd9cc38a91c0c1e9cdb9afaa7dc1740 100644
--- a/zircon/system/uapp/kstress/BUILD.gn
+++ b/zircon/system/uapp/kstress/BUILD.gn
@@ -16,4 +16,11 @@ executable("kstress") {
     "$zx/system/ulib/zircon",
     "$zx/system/ulib/zx",
   ]
+
+  # The vmstress test has starvation issues when run without the fair scheduler.
+  if (enable_fair_scheduler) {
+    sources += ["vmstress.cpp"]
+  } else {
+    defines = [ "DISABLE_VMSTRESS" ]
+  }
 }