diff --git a/src/srun/io.c b/src/srun/io.c
index 7290ad5b0c2b711101c294afee194e2bc48841bd..4b9d83cf1c2389ff52840dc0462cd16b4d1bb616 100644
--- a/src/srun/io.c
+++ b/src/srun/io.c
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ _io_thr_poll(void *job_arg)
 	xassert(job != NULL);
 
 	debug3("IO thread pid = %ld", getpid());
+	time_startup = time(NULL);
 
 	/* need ioport + msgport + stdin + 2*nprocs fds */
 	fds = xmalloc(numfds*sizeof(*fds));
diff --git a/src/srun/msg.c b/src/srun/msg.c
index 64113375514d0d9a60f2ef8bd0abbdc85c66dbd1..f9b26a174b94b055064f5b3161c6ad4dfb4b7517 100644
--- a/src/srun/msg.c
+++ b/src/srun/msg.c
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ _msg_thr_poll(job_t *job)
 	while (1) {
 		while ((rc = poll(fds, nfds, POLL_TIMEOUT_MSEC)) <= 0) {
 			if (rc == 0) {	/* timeout */
-				i = time(NULL)-time_last_msg;
+				i = time(NULL) - time_last_msg;
 				if (job->state == SRUN_JOB_FAILED)
 					pthread_exit(0);
 				else if (check_launch_msg_sent)