diff --git a/livelog.go b/livelog.go
index e36fce74..0447f826 100644
--- a/livelog.go
+++ b/livelog.go
@@ -154,7 +154,8 @@ func (l *LiveLogTask) reinstateBackingLog() {
 }
 
 func (l *LiveLogTask) uploadLiveLog() error {
-	maxRunTimeDeadline := l.task.LocalClaimTime.Add(time.Duration(l.task.Payload.MaxRunTime) * time.Second)
+	// add an extra 15 minutes, to adequately cover client/server clock drift or task initialisation delays
+	maxRunTimeDeadline := time.Now().Add(time.Duration(l.task.Payload.MaxRunTime+900) * time.Second)
 	// deduce stateless DNS name to use
 	statelessHostname := hostname.New(config.PublicIP, config.Subdomain, maxRunTimeDeadline, config.LiveLogSecret)
 	getURL, err := url.Parse(l.liveLog.GetURL)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6521892f..8989f61f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -1046,8 +1046,7 @@ func (task *TaskRun) resolve(e *ExecutionErrors) *CommandExecutionError {
 
 func (task *TaskRun) setMaxRunTimer() *time.Timer {
 	return time.AfterFunc(
-		// Round(0) forces wall time calculation instead of monotonic time in case machine slept etc
-		task.maxRunTimeDeadline.Round(0).Sub(time.Now()),
+		time.Second*time.Duration(task.Payload.MaxRunTime),
 		func() {
 			// ignore any error the Abort function returns - we are in the
 			// wrong go routine to properly handle it
@@ -1141,8 +1140,6 @@ func (task *TaskRun) Run() (err *ExecutionErrors) {
 	log.Printf("Running task https://tools.taskcluster.net/task-inspector/#%v/%v", task.TaskID, task.RunID)
 
 	task.Commands = make([]*process.Command, len(task.Payload.Command))
-	// need to include deadline in commands, so need to set it already here
-	task.maxRunTimeDeadline = time.Now().Add(time.Second * time.Duration(task.Payload.MaxRunTime))
 	// generate commands, in case features want to modify them
 	for i := range task.Payload.Command {
 		err := task.generateCommand(i) // platform specific
diff --git a/model.go b/model.go
index fe945479..558fd98d 100644
--- a/model.go
+++ b/model.go
@@ -25,13 +25,12 @@ type (
 		Status    TaskStatus              `json:"-"`
 		Commands  []*process.Command      `json:"-"`
 		// not exported
-		logMux             sync.RWMutex
-		logWriter          io.Writer
-		maxRunTimeDeadline time.Time
-		queueMux           sync.RWMutex
-		Queue              *tcqueue.Queue     `json:"-"`
-		StatusManager      *TaskStatusManager `json:"-"`
-		LocalClaimTime     time.Time          `json:"-"`
+		logMux         sync.RWMutex
+		logWriter      io.Writer
+		queueMux       sync.RWMutex
+		Queue          *tcqueue.Queue     `json:"-"`
+		StatusManager  *TaskStatusManager `json:"-"`
+		LocalClaimTime time.Time          `json:"-"`
 		// PlatformData contains platform-specific data related to the
 		// execution environment, such as access tokens on Windows
 		PlatformData *PlatformData `json:"-"`