diff --git a/src/core/manager.c b/src/core/manager.c
index b7af1594497..29bb7cca1ab 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.c
+++ b/src/core/manager.c
@@ -3419,7 +3419,7 @@ usec_t manager_get_watchdog(Manager *m, WatchdogType t) {
         if (MANAGER_IS_USER(m))
                 return USEC_INFINITY;
 
-        if (timestamp_is_set(m->watchdog_overridden[t]))
+        if (m->watchdog_overridden[t] != USEC_INFINITY)
                 return m->watchdog_overridden[t];
 
         return m->watchdog[t];
@@ -3435,17 +3435,18 @@ void manager_set_watchdog(Manager *m, WatchdogType t, usec_t timeout) {
         if (m->watchdog[t] == timeout)
                 return;
 
-        if (t == WATCHDOG_RUNTIME) {
-                if (!timestamp_is_set(m->watchdog_overridden[WATCHDOG_RUNTIME]))
+        if (m->watchdog_overridden[t] == USEC_INFINITY) {
+                if (t == WATCHDOG_RUNTIME)
                         (void) watchdog_setup(timeout);
-        } else if (t == WATCHDOG_PRETIMEOUT)
-                if (m->watchdog_overridden[WATCHDOG_PRETIMEOUT] == USEC_INFINITY)
+                else if (t == WATCHDOG_PRETIMEOUT)
                         (void) watchdog_setup_pretimeout(timeout);
+        }
 
         m->watchdog[t] = timeout;
 }
 
 void manager_override_watchdog(Manager *m, WatchdogType t, usec_t timeout) {
+        usec_t usec;
 
         assert(m);
 
@@ -3455,12 +3456,11 @@ void manager_override_watchdog(Manager *m, WatchdogType t, usec_t timeout) {
         if (m->watchdog_overridden[t] == timeout)
                 return;
 
-        if (t == WATCHDOG_RUNTIME) {
-                usec_t usec = timestamp_is_set(timeout) ? timeout : m->watchdog[t];
-
+        usec = (timeout == USEC_INFINITY) ? m->watchdog[t] : timeout;
+        if (t == WATCHDOG_RUNTIME)
                 (void) watchdog_setup(usec);
-        } else if (t == WATCHDOG_PRETIMEOUT)
-                (void) watchdog_setup_pretimeout(timeout);
+        else if (t == WATCHDOG_PRETIMEOUT)
+                (void) watchdog_setup_pretimeout(usec);
 
         m->watchdog_overridden[t] = timeout;
 }