diff --git a/src/sbbs3/main.cpp b/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
index 6cb1c9bee24488ad699af36548306dfbda9490c2..b3a6f4373868cd291e718b29431a81637b0a6e18 100644
--- a/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
+++ b/src/sbbs3/main.cpp
@@ -1950,7 +1950,7 @@ void event_thread(void* arg)
 						while(!sbbs->terminated) {
 							mswait(1000);
 							now=time(NULL);
-							if(now-lastnodechk<10)
+							if(now-start>10 && now-lastnodechk<10)
 								continue;
 							for(j=first_node;j<=last_node;j++) {
 								if(sbbs->getnodedat(j,&node,1)!=0)
@@ -1990,7 +1990,7 @@ void event_thread(void* arg)
 						while(!sbbs->terminated) {
 							mswait(1000);
 							now=time(NULL);
-							if(now-lastnodechk<10)
+							if(now-start>10 && now-lastnodechk<10)
 								continue;
 							lastnodechk=now;
 							// Check/change the status of the nodes that we're in control of