diff --git a/src/usr.sbin/ntpd/ntp.c b/src/usr.sbin/ntpd/ntp.c
index 5b2635b1..afd8e24e 100644
--- a/src/usr.sbin/ntpd/ntp.c
+++ b/src/usr.sbin/ntpd/ntp.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$OpenBSD: ntp.c,v 1.53 2005/03/08 16:27:14 deraadt Exp $ */
+/*	$OpenBSD: ntp.c,v 1.54 2005/03/08 16:33:43 henning Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2003, 2004 Henning Brauer <henning@openbsd.org>
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ ntp_main(int pipe_prnt[2], struct ntpd_conf *nconf)
 {
 	int			 a, b, nfds, i, j, idx_peers, timeout, nullfd;
 	u_int			 pfd_elms = 0, idx2peer_elms = 0;
-	u_int			 listener_cnt, new_cnt, sent_cnt;
+	u_int			 listener_cnt, new_cnt, sent_cnt, trial_cnt;
 	pid_t			 pid;
 	struct pollfd		*pfd = NULL;
 	struct passwd		*pw;
@@ -193,13 +193,15 @@ ntp_main(int pipe_prnt[2], struct ntpd_conf *nconf)
 		}
 
 		idx_peers = i;
-		sent_cnt = 0;
+		sent_cnt = trial_cnt = 0;
 		TAILQ_FOREACH(p, &conf->ntp_peers, entry) {
 			if (p->next > 0 && p->next < nextaction)
 				nextaction = p->next;
-			if (p->next > 0 && p->next <= time(NULL))
+			if (p->next > 0 && p->next <= time(NULL)) {
+				trial_cnt++;
 				if (client_query(p) == 0)
 					sent_cnt++;
+			}
 
 			if (p->deadline > 0 && p->deadline < nextaction)
 				nextaction = p->deadline;
@@ -225,7 +227,7 @@ ntp_main(int pipe_prnt[2], struct ntpd_conf *nconf)
 			}
 		}
 
-		if (sent_cnt == 0 && conf->settime)
+		if (trial_cnt > 0 && sent_cnt == 0 && conf->settime)
 			priv_settime(0);	/* no good peers, don't wait */
 
 		if (ibuf_main->w.queued > 0)