Aspects include computing devices, systems, and methods for implementing scheduling and execution of lightweight kernels as simple tasks directly by a thread without setting up a task structure. A computing device may determine whether a task pointer in a task queue is a simple task pointer for the lightweight kernel. The computing device may schedule a first simple task for the lightweight kernel for execution by the thread. The computing device may retrieve, from an entry of a simple task table, a kernel pointer for the lightweight kernel. The entry in the simple task table may be associated with the simple task pointer. The computing device may directly execute the lightweight kernel as the simple task.