diff --git a/src/sbbs3/main.cpp b/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
index 20492ea8f7ac08f492dd6516f024668a8d8ffac9..6b3a9bb6e032a5939e57f4ad86787a6e0d838ba4 100644
--- a/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
+++ b/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
@@ -2522,7 +2522,6 @@ void node_thread(void* arg)
 	user_t			user;
 	sbbs_t*			sbbs = (sbbs_t*) arg;
 
-    node_threads_running++;
 	update_clients();
 	thread_up();
 
@@ -3536,6 +3535,7 @@ void DLLCALL bbs_thread(void* arg)
 			new_node->sys_status|=SS_RLOGIN;
 		}
 
+	    node_threads_running++;
 		new_node->input_thread=(HANDLE)_beginthread(input_thread,0, new_node);
 		_beginthread(output_thread, 0, new_node);
 		_beginthread(node_thread, 0, new_node);