diff --git a/agents/check_mk_agent.linux b/agents/check_mk_agent.linux
index 37511177ac5..ddddb1bfb04 100755
--- a/agents/check_mk_agent.linux
+++ b/agents/check_mk_agent.linux
@@ -415,6 +415,73 @@ run_real_time_checks() {
     done
 }
 
+# Helper function for 'section_ntp()'
+get_ntpq() {
+    # If 'ntpq' isn't in PATH, there's no point going further
+    inpath ntpq || return 1
+    [ "${1}" = "--header" ] && echo '<<<ntp>>>'
+    ntpq -np | sed -e 1,2d -e 's/^\\(.\\)/\\1 /' -e 's/^ /%/' || true
+}
+
+# Function to pull timesync information from chrony
+section_chrony() {
+    # The "| cat" has been added for some kind of regression in RedHat 7.5. The
+    # SELinux rules shipped with that release were denying the chronyc call without cat.
+    if inpath chronyc; then
+        # Identify if the daemon is active...
+        if [ "$(systemctl | awk '/chronyd.service/{print $3; exit}')" = "active" ]; then
+            run_cached chrony 30 "waitmax 5 chronyc -n tracking | cat || true"
+        fi
+    fi
+}
+
+# Requires 'get_ntpq()'
+section_ntp() {
+    # If '${timesync_rc}' is 0, then 'section_timesyncd()' has returned successfully in
+    # which case we do not want to proceed with 'ntpq', so return and skip further processing
+    [ "${timesync_rc}" -eq 0 ] && return 0
+
+    # If 'ntpq' isn't in PATH, there's no point going further
+    inpath ntpq || return 1
+
+    # First we try to identify if we're beholden to systemd
+    if inpath systemctl; then
+        # shellcheck disable=SC2016
+        if [ "$(systemctl | awk '/ntp.service|ntpd.service/{print $3; exit}')" = "active" ]; then
+            # remove heading, make first column space separated
+            run_cached -s ntp 30 "waitmax 5 get_ntpq"
+        fi
+        # Return to leave the function with no further processing
+        return
+    fi
+
+    # If we get to this point, we attempt to test classic ntp daemons
+    # Try to determine status via /etc/init.d
+    # This might also be appropriate for AIX, Solaris and others
+    for _ntp_daemon in ntp ntpd openntpd; do
+        # Check for a service script
+        if [ -x /etc/init.d/"${_ntp_daemon}" ]; then
+            # If the status returns 0, we assume we have a running service
+            if /etc/init.d/"${_ntp_daemon}" status >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+                run_cached -s ntp 30 "waitmax 5 get_ntpq"
+            fi
+        fi
+    done
+    unset -v _ntp_daemon
+}
+
+# Function to pull timesync information via timedatectl (if possible)
+section_timesyncd() {
+    # If 'timedatectl' is not in path, or if it doesn't support 'timesync-status'
+    # then return and skip further processing
+    inpath timedatectl || return 1
+    timedatectl timesync-status >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
+    echo "<<<timesyncd>>>"
+    timedatectl timesync-status
+    get_file_mtime /var/lib/systemd/timesync/clock | awk '{print "[[["$1"]]]"}'
+    return 0
+}
+
 echo "<<<check_mk>>>"
 echo "Version: 1.7.0i1"
 echo "AgentOS: linux"
@@ -732,38 +799,14 @@ if [ -e /etc/openvpn/openvpn-status.log ]; then
         sed -e 1,3d -e '$d'
 fi
 
-is_timesync_succesful=false
-if inpath systemctl; then
-    timesync_status=$(systemctl status ntp | awk '{if(NR==3) print $2}')
-    if [ $timesync_status == "active" ]; then
-        if inpath ntpq; then
-            # remove heading, make first column space separated
-            run_cached -s ntp 30 "waitmax 5 ntpq -np | sed -e 1,2d -e 's/^\(.\)/\1 /' -e 's/^ /%/' || true"
-            is_timesync_succesful=true
-        fi
-    fi
-fi
-
-if ! $is_timesync_succesful && inpath systemd; then
-    systemd_version=$(systemd --version | awk '{if(NR==1) print $2}')
-    if [ $systemd_version -ge 239 ]; then
-        if inpath timedatectl; then
-            echo "<<<timesyncd>>>"
-            timedatectl timesync-status
-            stat -c %Y /var/lib/systemd/timesync/clock | awk '{print "[[["$1"]]]"}'
-        fi
-    fi
-fi
-
-# Time synchronization with Chrony
-if inpath chronyc; then
-    # Force successful exit code. Otherwise section will be missing if daemon not running
-    #
-    # The "| cat" has been added for some kind of regression in RedHat 7.5. The
-    # SELinux rules shipped with that release were denying the chronyc call
-    # without cat.
-    run_cached -s chrony 30 "waitmax 5 chronyc -n tracking | cat || true"
-fi
+# Call the NTP audit functions
+section_timesyncd
+# Grab the exit code from 'section_timesyncd()' as this determines 'section_ntp()'s behaviour
+# Our goal here is to avoid multiple outputs e.g. timedatectl + ntpq
+timesync_rc="${?}"
+section_ntp
+unset -v timesync_rc
+section_chrony
 
 if inpath nvidia-settings && [ -S /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 ]; then
     echo '<<<nvidia>>>'
@@ -1282,4 +1325,4 @@ if [ -d "$SPOOLDIR" ] && [ -r "$SPOOLDIR" ]; then
         cat "$file"
     done
     popd >/dev/null
-fi
+fi
\ No newline at end of file