diff --git a/lib/Newsletter/Scheduler/Scheduler.php b/lib/Newsletter/Scheduler/Scheduler.php
index 250ff30538..9876226579 100644
--- a/lib/Newsletter/Scheduler/Scheduler.php
+++ b/lib/Newsletter/Scheduler/Scheduler.php
@@ -53,10 +53,10 @@ class Scheduler {
     if(empty($newsletters)) return false;
     foreach($newsletters as $newsletter) {
       if($newsletter->event === 'user') {
-        if($old_user_data) {
+        if(!empty($old_user_data['roles'])) {
           // do not schedule welcome newsletter if roles have not changed
-          $old_role = (array)$old_user_data->roles;
-          $new_role = (array)$wp_user->roles;
+          $old_role = $old_user_data['roles'];
+          $new_role = $wp_user['roles'];
           if($newsletter->role === self::WORDPRESS_ALL_ROLES ||
             !array_diff($old_role, $new_role)
           ) {
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class Scheduler {
           }
         }
         if($newsletter->role === self::WORDPRESS_ALL_ROLES ||
-          in_array($newsletter->role, (array)$wp_user->roles)
+          in_array($newsletter->role, $wp_user['roles'])
         ) {
           self::createWelcomeNotificationQueue($newsletter, $subscriber_id);
         }
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ class Scheduler {
         $scheduled_at = $current_time;
     }
     $queue->status = SendingQueue::STATUS_SCHEDULED;
+    $queue->priority = SendingQueue::PRIORITY_HIGH;
     $queue->scheduled_at = $scheduled_at;
     return $queue->save();
   }
diff --git a/lib/Segments/WP.php b/lib/Segments/WP.php
index c1e882b6f9..e0e01b4600 100644
--- a/lib/Segments/WP.php
+++ b/lib/Segments/WP.php
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class WP {
             Scheduler::scheduleWPUserWelcomeNotification(
               $subscriber->id,
               (array)$wp_user,
-              $old_wp_user_data
+              (array)$old_wp_user_data
             );
           }
         }
diff --git a/tests/unit/Newsletter/Scheduler/SchedulerTest.php b/tests/unit/Newsletter/Scheduler/SchedulerTest.php
index ea4d1b3962..d9745aac8a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Newsletter/Scheduler/SchedulerTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Newsletter/Scheduler/SchedulerTest.php
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
     expect($queue->newsletter_id)->equals($newsletter->id);
     expect($queue->status)->equals(SendingQueue::STATUS_SCHEDULED);
     expect($queue->scheduled_at)->equals(Scheduler::getNextRunDate('* 5 * * *'));
+    expect($queue->priority)->equals(SendingQueue::PRIORITY_MEDIUM);
 
     // duplicate queue record should not be created
     Scheduler::createPostNotificationQueue($newsletter);
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
       ->findOne();
     $current_time = Carbon::createFromTimestamp(current_time('timestamp'));
     expect($queue->id)->greaterOrEquals(1);
+    expect($queue->priority)->equals(SendingQueue::PRIORITY_HIGH);
     expect(Carbon::parse($queue->scheduled_at)->format('Y-m-d H:i'))
       ->equals($current_time->addHours(2)->format('Y-m-d H:i'));
     $this->_after();
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
     $queue = SendingQueue::where('newsletter_id', 1)
       ->findOne();
     expect($queue->id)->greaterOrEquals(1);
+    expect($queue->priority)->equals(SendingQueue::PRIORITY_HIGH);
     expect(Carbon::parse($queue->scheduled_at)->format('Y-m-d H:i'))
       ->equals($current_time->addDays(2)->format('Y-m-d H:i'));
     $this->_after();
@@ -95,6 +98,7 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
     $queue = SendingQueue::where('newsletter_id', 1)
       ->findOne();
     expect($queue->id)->greaterOrEquals(1);
+    expect($queue->priority)->equals(SendingQueue::PRIORITY_HIGH);
     expect(Carbon::parse($queue->scheduled_at)->format('Y-m-d H:i'))
       ->equals($current_time->addWeeks(2)->format('Y-m-d H:i'));
     $this->_after();
@@ -106,6 +110,7 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
     $queue = SendingQueue::where('newsletter_id', 1)
       ->findOne();
     expect($queue->id)->greaterOrEquals(1);
+    expect($queue->priority)->equals(SendingQueue::PRIORITY_HIGH);
     expect(Carbon::parse($queue->scheduled_at)->format('Y-m-d H:i'))
       ->equals($current_time->format('Y-m-d H:i'));
   }
@@ -221,8 +226,8 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
     );
     Scheduler::scheduleWPUserWelcomeNotification(
       $subscriber_id = 10,
-      $wp_user = (object)array('roles' => array('editor')),
-      $old_user_data = (object)array('roles' => array('editor'))
+      $wp_user = array('roles' => array('editor')),
+      $old_user_data = array('roles' => array('editor'))
     );
 
     // queue is not created
@@ -245,7 +250,7 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
     );
     Scheduler::scheduleWPUserWelcomeNotification(
       $subscriber_id = 10,
-      $wp_user = (object)array('roles' => array('administrator'))
+      $wp_user = array('roles' => array('administrator'))
     );
 
     // queue is not created
@@ -268,7 +273,7 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
     );
     Scheduler::scheduleWPUserWelcomeNotification(
       $subscriber_id = 10,
-      $wp_user = (object)array('roles' => array('administrator'))
+      $wp_user = array('roles' => array('administrator'))
     );
     $current_time = Carbon::createFromTimestamp(current_time('timestamp'));
 
@@ -293,7 +298,7 @@ class NewsletterSchedulerTest extends MailPoetTest {
     );
     Scheduler::scheduleWPUserWelcomeNotification(
       $subscriber_id = 10,
-      $wp_user = (object)array('roles' => array('administrator'))
+      $wp_user = array('roles' => array('administrator'))
     );
     $current_time = Carbon::createFromTimestamp(current_time('timestamp'));