diff --git a/esmvalcore/preprocessor/_time.py b/esmvalcore/preprocessor/_time.py
index 1890e9739c..2466e5a064 100644
--- a/esmvalcore/preprocessor/_time.py
+++ b/esmvalcore/preprocessor/_time.py
@@ -1233,7 +1233,7 @@ def resample_hours(cube: Cube, interval: int, offset: int = 0) -> Cube:
                          f'the interval ({interval})')
     time = cube.coord('time')
     cube_period = time.cell(1).point - time.cell(0).point
-    if cube_period.total_seconds() / 3600 >= interval:
+    if cube_period.total_seconds() / 3600 > interval:
         raise ValueError(f"Data period ({cube_period}) should be lower than "
                          f"the interval ({interval})")
     hours = [PartialDateTime(hour=h) for h in range(0 + offset, 24, interval)]
diff --git a/tests/unit/preprocessor/_time/test_time.py b/tests/unit/preprocessor/_time/test_time.py
index a1ae135c25..03ca53dd24 100644
--- a/tests/unit/preprocessor/_time/test_time.py
+++ b/tests/unit/preprocessor/_time/test_time.py
@@ -2082,8 +2082,9 @@ def test_resample_same_interval(self):
         times = np.arange(0, 48, 12)
         cube = self._create_cube(data, times)
 
-        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            resample_hours(cube, interval=12)
+        result = resample_hours(cube, interval=12)
+        expected = np.arange(0, 48, 12)
+        assert_array_equal(result.data, expected)
 
     def test_resample_nodata(self):
         """Test average of a 1D field."""