diff --git a/qa/312 b/qa/312
index 6f035bc..f3e0d75 100755
--- a/qa/312
+++ b/qa/312
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ trap "rm -f $tmp.*; exit \$status" 0 1 2 3 15
 echo 'load = sample.load;' | pmie -v -t 1hour >$tmp.out 2>$tmp.err &
 pmie_pid=$!
 
-sleep 2
+pmsleep 0.5
 $signal -s TERM $pmie_pid
 wait
 
diff --git a/qa/518 b/qa/518
index b16f106..2af3907 100755
--- a/qa/518
+++ b/qa/518
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ sleep 2
 # 518.out expects exactly three evaluation rounds to be complete by the
 # time the following operation is invoked.  If sudo/pmie is too slow,
 # it'll lose the race (actions<5).  If this thread is too slow, pmie
-# will go ahead (actions>5).  So we tolerate values in the range 4,5,6
+# will go ahead (actions>5).  So we tolerate values in the range 4,5,6-9
 # for the true, false and action counts, but the counts for each must
 # be equal.
 
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ s/)$/ )/
 '$debug' == "true"		{ print "state=" state " want=" want ": " $0 }
 state==1 && /'`echo $tmp.pmie | sed -e s@/@\\\\\\\\/@g`' \(2 rule\)/	{ print; want = 1; next }
 state==1 && / \(actions=/	{ if ($3 == $5 && $5 == $9) {
-				      if ($3 >= 4 && $3 <= 6) $3 = "OK"
-				      if ($5 >= 4 && $5 <= 6) $5 = "OK"
-				      if ($9 >= 4 && $9 <= 6) $9 = "OK"
+				      if ($3 >= 4 && $3 <= 9) $3 = "OK"
+				      if ($5 >= 4 && $5 <= 9) $5 = "OK"
+				      if ($9 >= 4 && $9 <= 9) $9 = "OK"
 				  }
 				}
 state==1 && / rule\)/		{ want = 0 }
diff --git a/src/pmie/src/pmie.c b/src/pmie/src/pmie.c
index 4b1d0df..6560788 100644
--- a/src/pmie/src/pmie.c
+++ b/src/pmie/src/pmie.c
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ getargs(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
 
     /* initialize time */
-    now = archives ? first : getReal() + 1.0;
+    now = archives ? first : getReal() + 0.000000001;
     zoneInit();
     reflectTime(dfltDelta);
 
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ getargs(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     /* really parse time window */
     if (!archives) {
-	now = getReal() + 1.0;
+	now = getReal() + 0.000000001;
 	reflectTime(dfltDelta);
     }
     __pmtimevalFromReal(now, &tv1);