diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.cpp
index 485202b8fa..013c7f2af6 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,17 @@
 
 SETUP_LOG();
 
+static volatile int* uptimePtr = NULL;
+
+int upTime()
+{
+	static time_t firstCall = time(NULL);
+	if (uptimePtr != NULL)
+		return *uptimePtr;
+	cLog(lsWARNING) << "slow uptime";
+	return static_cast<int>(time(NULL) - firstCall);
+}
+
 LoadManager::LoadManager(int creditRate, int creditLimit, int debitWarn, int debitLimit) :
 		mCreditRate(creditRate), mCreditLimit(creditLimit), mDebitWarn(debitWarn), mDebitLimit(debitLimit),
 		mShutdown(false), mUptime(0), mCosts(LT_MAX)
@@ -26,15 +37,20 @@ LoadManager::LoadManager(int creditRate, int creditLimit, int debitWarn, int deb
 
 	addLoadCost(LoadCost(LT_RequestData,		5,		LC_Disk | LC_Network));
 	addLoadCost(LoadCost(LT_CheapQuery,			1,		LC_CPU));
+
 }
 
 void LoadManager::init()
 {
+	if (uptimePtr == NULL)
+		uptimePtr = static_cast<volatile int *>(&mUptime);
 	boost::thread(boost::bind(&LoadManager::threadEntry, this)).detach();
 }
 
 LoadManager::~LoadManager()
 {
+	if (uptimePtr == &mUptime)
+		uptimePtr = NULL;
 	{
 		boost::mutex::scoped_lock sl(mLock);
 		mShutdown = true;
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.h b/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.h
index 071d0f1436..dea9c6c0b4 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/LoadManager.h
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 #include "types.h"
 
+extern int upTime();
+
 enum LoadType
 { // types of load that can be placed on the server
 
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/RPCHandler.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/RPCHandler.cpp
index 7def72ca93..064b49860f 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/RPCHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/RPCHandler.cpp
@@ -1823,7 +1823,7 @@ Json::Value RPCHandler::doGetCounts(Json::Value jvRequest)
 		ret["dbKB"] = dbKB;
 
 	std::string uptime;
-	int s = theApp->getLoadManager().getUptime();
+	int s = upTime();
 	textTime(uptime, s, "year", 365*24*60*60);
 	textTime(uptime, s, "day", 24*60*60);
 	textTime(uptime, s, "hour", 24*60);