diff --git a/kernelci/runtime/lava.py b/kernelci/runtime/lava.py
index c7a231727d..e5b865e542 100644
--- a/kernelci/runtime/lava.py
+++ b/kernelci/runtime/lava.py
@@ -339,39 +339,38 @@ def __init__(self, configs, kcictx=None, **kwargs):
         self._context = kcictx
         self._server = self._connect()
 
+    def _resolve_priority(self, value, default):
+        """Resolve a priority value (string, number, or None) to an integer."""
+        if value is None:
+            return default
+        if isinstance(value, str):
+            priority_map = {
+                'high': self.PRIORITY_HIGH,
+                'medium': self.PRIORITY_MEDIUM,
+                'low': self.PRIORITY_LOW,
+            }
+            return priority_map.get(value.lower(), default)
+        return max(0, min(100, int(value)))
+
     def _get_priority(self, job):
         node = job.node
         submitter = node.get('submitter')
 
-        priority_map = {
-            'high': self.PRIORITY_HIGH,
-            'medium': self.PRIORITY_MEDIUM,
-            'low': self.PRIORITY_LOW,
-        }
-
         if submitter and submitter != self.SERVICE_PIPELINE:
-            # Human submission - check for user-specified priority
             user_priority = node.get('data', {}).get('priority')
-            if user_priority:
-                if isinstance(user_priority, str):
-                    priority = priority_map.get(user_priority.lower(), self.PRIORITY_HIGHEST)
-                elif isinstance(user_priority, (int, float)):
-                    priority = max(0, min(100, user_priority))
-                else:
-                    priority = self.PRIORITY_HIGHEST
-            else:
-                priority = self.PRIORITY_HIGHEST
+            priority = self._resolve_priority(
+                user_priority, self.PRIORITY_HIGHEST
+            )
         else:
-            # Pipeline submission - use tree priority
             tree_priority = node.get('data', {}).get('tree_priority')
-
-            if tree_priority and isinstance(tree_priority, str):
-                priority = priority_map.get(tree_priority.lower(), self.PRIORITY_LOW)
-            elif tree_priority and isinstance(tree_priority, (int, float)):
-                priority = max(0, min(100, tree_priority))
+            if tree_priority is not None:
+                priority = self._resolve_priority(
+                    tree_priority, self.PRIORITY_LOW
+                )
             else:
-                job_priority = job.config.priority
-                priority = job_priority if job_priority is not None else self.PRIORITY_LOW
+                priority = self._resolve_priority(
+                    job.config.priority, self.PRIORITY_LOW
+                )
 
         if self.config.priority:
             priority = int(priority * self.config.priority / 100)
diff --git a/tests/test_runtime.py b/tests/test_runtime.py
index efc8842f6a..52d2615adf 100644
--- a/tests/test_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/test_runtime.py
@@ -129,6 +129,30 @@ def test_lava_priority_hierarchy():
     assert lab._get_priority(job_human_set_numeric) == expected_priority
 
 
+def test_lava_priority_job_config_fallback():
+    """Test priority fallback to job.config.priority with string values"""
+    config = kernelci.config.load('tests/configs/lava-runtimes.yaml')
+    runtimes = config['runtimes']
+    runtime_config = runtimes['lab-min-12-max-40-new-runtime']
+    lab = kernelci.runtime.get_runtime(runtime_config)
+
+    job_config_medium = type('JobConfig', (), {'priority': 'medium'})()
+    job_fallback_str = type('Job', (), {
+        'node': {'data': {}, 'submitter': 'service:pipeline'},
+        'config': job_config_medium
+    })()
+    expected_priority = int(12 + (40 - 12) * 40 / 100)
+    assert lab._get_priority(job_fallback_str) == expected_priority
+
+    job_config_high = type('JobConfig', (), {'priority': 'high'})()
+    job_fallback_high = type('Job', (), {
+        'node': {'data': {}, 'submitter': 'service:pipeline'},
+        'config': job_config_high
+    })()
+    expected_priority = int(12 + (40 - 12) * 60 / 100)
+    assert lab._get_priority(job_fallback_high) == expected_priority
+
+
 def test_lava_priority_scale():
     """Test the logic for determining the priority of LAVA jobs"""
     config = kernelci.config.load('tests/configs/lava-runtimes.yaml')