diff --git a/windows/winplink.c b/windows/winplink.c
index 1c4f3307..43826622 100644
--- a/windows/winplink.c
+++ b/windows/winplink.c
@@ -661,6 +661,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
         if (toplevel_callback_pending()) {
             ticks = 0;
+            next = now;
         } else if (run_timers(now, &next)) {
 	    then = now;
 	    now = GETTICKCOUNT();
@@ -670,6 +671,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		ticks = next - now;
 	} else {
 	    ticks = INFINITE;
+            /* no need to initialise next here because we can never
+             * get WAIT_TIMEOUT */
 	}
 
 	handles = handle_get_events(&nhandles);
diff --git a/windows/winsftp.c b/windows/winsftp.c
index 25ac6c94..f37ef243 100644
--- a/windows/winsftp.c
+++ b/windows/winsftp.c
@@ -495,6 +495,7 @@ int do_eventsel_loop(HANDLE other_event)
 
     if (toplevel_callback_pending()) {
         ticks = 0;
+        next = now;
     } else if (run_timers(now, &next)) {
 	then = now;
 	now = GETTICKCOUNT();
@@ -504,6 +505,8 @@ int do_eventsel_loop(HANDLE other_event)
 	    ticks = next - now;
     } else {
 	ticks = INFINITE;
+        /* no need to initialise next here because we can never get
+         * WAIT_TIMEOUT */
     }
 
     handles = handle_get_events(&nhandles);