diff --git a/src/flow-manager.c b/src/flow-manager.c
index 328e973519f6..0535dbd19f40 100644
--- a/src/flow-manager.c
+++ b/src/flow-manager.c
@@ -740,6 +740,12 @@ static TmEcode FlowManager(ThreadVars *th_v, void *thread_data)
 */
     memset(&ts, 0, sizeof(ts));
 
+    /* don't start our activities until time is setup */
+    while (!TimeModeIsReady()) {
+        if (suricata_ctl_flags != 0)
+            return TM_ECODE_OK;
+    }
+
     while (1)
     {
         if (TmThreadsCheckFlag(th_v, THV_PAUSE)) {
diff --git a/src/tm-threads.c b/src/tm-threads.c
index 74ba6e0eb2d0..15d9999db249 100644
--- a/src/tm-threads.c
+++ b/src/tm-threads.c
@@ -2103,6 +2103,8 @@ typedef struct Thread_ {
 
     struct timeval pktts;   /**< current packet time of this thread
                              *   (offline mode) */
+    uint32_t sys_sec_stamp; /**< timestamp in seconds of the real system
+                             *   time when the pktts was last updated. */
 } Thread;
 
 typedef struct Threads_ {
@@ -2226,17 +2228,40 @@ void TmThreadsSetThreadTimestamp(const int id, const struct timeval *ts)
     int idx = id - 1;
     Thread *t = &thread_store.threads[idx];
     COPY_TIMESTAMP(ts, &t->pktts);
+    struct timeval systs;
+    gettimeofday(&systs, NULL);
+    t->sys_sec_stamp = (uint32_t)systs.tv_sec;
     SCMutexUnlock(&thread_store_lock);
 }
 
+bool TmThreadsTimeSubsysIsReady(void)
+{
+    bool ready = true;
+    SCMutexLock(&thread_store_lock);
+    for (size_t s = 0; s < thread_store.threads_size; s++) {
+        Thread *t = &thread_store.threads[s];
+        if (!t->in_use)
+            break;
+        if (t->sys_sec_stamp == 0) {
+            ready = false;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    SCMutexUnlock(&thread_store_lock);
+    return ready;
+}
+
 void TmThreadsInitThreadsTimestamp(const struct timeval *ts)
 {
+    struct timeval systs;
+    gettimeofday(&systs, NULL);
     SCMutexLock(&thread_store_lock);
     for (size_t s = 0; s < thread_store.threads_size; s++) {
         Thread *t = &thread_store.threads[s];
         if (!t->in_use)
             break;
         COPY_TIMESTAMP(ts, &t->pktts);
+        t->sys_sec_stamp = (uint32_t)systs.tv_sec;
     }
     SCMutexUnlock(&thread_store_lock);
 }
@@ -2248,13 +2273,19 @@ void TmThreadsGetMinimalTimestamp(struct timeval *ts)
     memset(&nullts, 0, sizeof(nullts));
     int set = 0;
     size_t s;
+    struct timeval systs;
+    gettimeofday(&systs, NULL);
 
     SCMutexLock(&thread_store_lock);
     for (s = 0; s < thread_store.threads_size; s++) {
         Thread *t = &thread_store.threads[s];
-        if (t == NULL || t->in_use == 0)
-            continue;
+        if (t->in_use == 0)
+            break;
         if (!(timercmp(&t->pktts, &nullts, ==))) {
+            /* ignore sleeping threads */
+            if (t->sys_sec_stamp + 1 < (uint32_t)systs.tv_sec)
+                continue;
+
             if (!set) {
                 local.tv_sec = t->pktts.tv_sec;
                 local.tv_usec = t->pktts.tv_usec;
diff --git a/src/tm-threads.h b/src/tm-threads.h
index 1c838a781353..6d901e8f18d2 100644
--- a/src/tm-threads.h
+++ b/src/tm-threads.h
@@ -243,5 +243,6 @@ int TmThreadsInjectPacketsById(Packet **, int id);
 void TmThreadsInitThreadsTimestamp(const struct timeval *ts);
 void TmThreadsSetThreadTimestamp(const int id, const struct timeval *ts);
 void TmThreadsGetMinimalTimestamp(struct timeval *ts);
+bool TmThreadsTimeSubsysIsReady(void);
 
 #endif /* __TM_THREADS_H__ */
diff --git a/src/util-time.c b/src/util-time.c
index 5aec73e3b0fe..2d63196e774a 100644
--- a/src/util-time.c
+++ b/src/util-time.c
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ void TimeDeinit(void)
     SCSpinDestroy(&current_time_spinlock);
 }
 
+bool TimeModeIsReady(void)
+{
+    if (live_time_tracking)
+        return true;
+    return TmThreadsTimeSubsysIsReady();
+}
+
 void TimeModeSetLive(void)
 {
     live_time_tracking = true;
diff --git a/src/util-time.h b/src/util-time.h
index 48319c805ba9..a8fb6db67282 100644
--- a/src/util-time.h
+++ b/src/util-time.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ void TimeSetToCurrentTime(void);
 void TimeSetIncrementTime(uint32_t);
 #endif
 
+bool TimeModeIsReady(void);
 void TimeModeSetLive(void);
 void TimeModeSetOffline (void);
 bool TimeModeIsLive(void);