diff --git a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/safety.h b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/safety.h
index 3271476de6..1ae996c89f 100644
--- a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/safety.h
+++ b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/safety.h
@@ -603,8 +603,9 @@ void pcm_cruise_check(bool cruise_engaged) {
 void speed_mismatch_check(const float speed_2) {
   // Disable controls if speeds from two sources are too far apart.
   // For safety modes that use speed to adjust torque or angle limits
-  const float MAX_SPEED_DELTA = 2.0;  // m/s
-  bool is_invalid_speed = SAFETY_ABS(speed_2 - ((float)vehicle_speed.values[0] / VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR)) > MAX_SPEED_DELTA;
+  // compared in vehicle_speed's integer units, so the limit is exact
+  const int MAX_SPEED_DELTA = 2 * (int)VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR;  // 2 m/s
+  bool is_invalid_speed = SAFETY_ABS(ROUND(speed_2 * VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR) - vehicle_speed.values[0]) > MAX_SPEED_DELTA;
   if (is_invalid_speed) {
     controls_allowed = false;
   }
diff --git a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/common.py b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/common.py
index 7a3d71868c..711beb1153 100644
--- a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/common.py
+++ b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/common.py
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ def round_speed(v):
   return round(v * VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR) / VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR
 
 
+def speeds_within_delta(speed, speed_2):
+  # safety compares the speeds in integer VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR units
+  delta = away_round(speed * VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR) - away_round(speed_2 * VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR)
+  return abs(delta) <= MAX_SPEED_DELTA * VEHICLE_SPEED_FACTOR
+
+
 def make_msg(bus, addr, length=8, dat=None):
   if dat is None:
     dat = b'\x00' * length
@@ -1218,7 +1224,7 @@ class CarSafetyTest(SafetyTest):
         self.safety.set_controls_allowed(True)
         self._rx(self._speed_msg_2(speed_2))
 
-        within_delta = abs(speed - speed_2) <= MAX_SPEED_DELTA
+        within_delta = speeds_within_delta(speed, speed_2)
         self.assertEqual(self.safety.get_controls_allowed(), within_delta)
 
   def test_safety_tick(self):
diff --git a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_ford.py b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_ford.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 62684f0635..46190c06d4
--- a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_ford.py
+++ b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_ford.py
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class TestFordSafetyBase(common.CarSafetyTest):
         self.safety.set_controls_allowed(True)
         self._tx(self._lat_ctl_msg(True, 0, 0, 0, 0))
 
-        within_delta = abs(speed - speed_2) <= common.MAX_SPEED_DELTA
+        within_delta = common.speeds_within_delta(speed, speed_2)
         self.assertEqual(self.safety.get_controls_allowed(), within_delta)
 
   def test_rx_hook(self):
diff --git a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_tesla.py b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_tesla.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index ca9040f5bd..6344400a0c
--- a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_tesla.py
+++ b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_tesla.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from opendbc.car.structs import CarParams
 from opendbc.car.vehicle_model import VehicleModel
 from opendbc.can import CANDefine
 import opendbc.safety.tests.common as common
-from opendbc.safety.tests.common import MAX_SPEED_DELTA, MAX_WRONG_COUNTERS, away_round, round_speed
+from opendbc.safety.tests.common import MAX_WRONG_COUNTERS, away_round, round_speed, speeds_within_delta
 
 MSG_DAS_steeringControl = 0x488
 MSG_APS_eacMonitor = 0x27d
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ class TestTeslaSafetyBase(common.CarSafetyTest, common.AngleSteeringSafetyTest,
         self.safety.set_controls_allowed(True)
         self.assertTrue(self._rx(self._speed_msg_2(speed_2)))
 
-        within_delta = abs(speed - speed_2) <= MAX_SPEED_DELTA
+        within_delta = speeds_within_delta(speed, speed_2)
         self.assertEqual(self.safety.get_controls_allowed(), within_delta)
 
     # Test ESP_B quality flag
diff --git a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_volkswagen_meb.py b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_volkswagen_meb.py
index 6521b80a39..68de2982bc 100644
--- a/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_volkswagen_meb.py
+++ b/opendbc_repo/opendbc/safety/tests/test_volkswagen_meb.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class TestVolkswagenMebSafetyBase(common.CarSafetyTest, common.CurvatureSteering
         self.safety.set_controls_allowed(True)
         self._tx(self._curvature_cmd_msg(0, steer_req=True))
 
-        within_delta = abs(speed - speed_2) <= common.MAX_SPEED_DELTA
+        within_delta = common.speeds_within_delta(speed, speed_2)
         self.assertEqual(self.safety.get_controls_allowed(), within_delta)
 
   def test_curvature_violation(self):