diff --git a/src/ngircd/conn-func.c b/src/ngircd/conn-func.c
index 72d38b86..3cf8a3a6 100644
--- a/src/ngircd/conn-func.c
+++ b/src/ngircd/conn-func.c
@@ -45,13 +45,17 @@ Conn_UpdateIdle(CONN_ID Idx)
 /**
  * Update "ping timestamp", the time of the last outgoing PING request.
  *
+ * the value 0 signals a newly connected client including servers during the
+ * initial "server burst"; and 1 means that no PONG is pending for a PING.
+ *
  * @param Idx Connection index.
+ * @param TimeStamp 0, 1, or time stamp.
  */
 GLOBAL void
-Conn_UpdatePing(CONN_ID Idx)
+Conn_UpdatePing(CONN_ID Idx, time_t TimeStamp)
 {
 	assert(Idx > NONE);
-	My_Connections[Idx].lastping = time(NULL);
+	My_Connections[Idx].lastping = TimeStamp;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/ngircd/conn-func.h b/src/ngircd/conn-func.h
index 1d05acc8..37f70363 100644
--- a/src/ngircd/conn-func.h
+++ b/src/ngircd/conn-func.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 
 GLOBAL void Conn_UpdateIdle PARAMS((CONN_ID Idx));
-GLOBAL void Conn_UpdatePing PARAMS((CONN_ID Idx));
+GLOBAL void Conn_UpdatePing PARAMS((CONN_ID Idx, time_t TimeStamp));
 
 GLOBAL time_t Conn_GetSignon PARAMS((CONN_ID Idx));
 GLOBAL time_t Conn_GetIdle PARAMS(( CONN_ID Idx ));
diff --git a/src/ngircd/conn.c b/src/ngircd/conn.c
index c304fdb5..94c6c4a8 100644
--- a/src/ngircd/conn.c
+++ b/src/ngircd/conn.c
@@ -1866,6 +1866,9 @@ Check_Connections(void)
 	CLIENT *c;
 	CONN_ID i;
 	char msg[64];
+	time_t time_now;
+
+	time_now = time(NULL);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < Pool_Size; i++) {
 		if (My_Connections[i].sock < 0)
@@ -1880,7 +1883,7 @@ Check_Connections(void)
 			    My_Connections[i].lastdata) {
 				/* We already sent a ping */
 				if (My_Connections[i].lastping <
-				    time(NULL) - Conf_PongTimeout) {
+				    time_now - Conf_PongTimeout) {
 					/* Timeout */
 					snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg),
 						 "Ping timeout: %d seconds",
@@ -1889,10 +1892,10 @@ Check_Connections(void)
 					Conn_Close(i, NULL, msg, true);
 				}
 			} else if (My_Connections[i].lastdata <
-				   time(NULL) - Conf_PingTimeout) {
+				   time_now - Conf_PingTimeout) {
 				/* We need to send a PING ... */
 				LogDebug("Connection %d: sending PING ...", i);
-				Conn_UpdatePing(i);
+				Conn_UpdatePing(i, time_now);
 				Conn_WriteStr(i, "PING :%s",
 					      Client_ID(Client_ThisServer()));
 			}
@@ -1903,7 +1906,7 @@ Check_Connections(void)
 			 * still not registered. */
 
 			if (My_Connections[i].lastdata <
-			    time(NULL) - Conf_PongTimeout) {
+			    time_now - Conf_PongTimeout) {
 				LogDebug
 				    ("Unregistered connection %d timed out ...",
 				     i);
diff --git a/src/ngircd/irc-login.c b/src/ngircd/irc-login.c
index 846b10d6..f682e216 100644
--- a/src/ngircd/irc-login.c
+++ b/src/ngircd/irc-login.c
@@ -877,11 +877,12 @@ IRC_PONG(CLIENT *Client, REQUEST *Req)
 		    (long)(time(NULL) - Conn_GetSignon(conn)),
 		    time(NULL) - Conn_GetSignon(conn) == 1 ? "" : "s",
 		    Client_UserCount(), Channel_CountVisible(NULL));
-		Conn_UpdatePing(conn);
 	} else
 		LogDebug("Connection %d: received PONG. Lag: %ld seconds.",
 			 conn, (long)(time(NULL) - Conn_LastPing(conn)));
 
+	/* We got a PONG, so signal that none is pending on this connection. */
+	Conn_UpdatePing(conn, 1);
 	return CONNECTED;
 } /* IRC_PONG */