diff --git a/io.c b/io.c
index abb0f7ab..8b5c690f 100644
--- a/io.c
+++ b/io.c
@@ -801,12 +801,8 @@ static char *perform_io(size_t needed, int flags)
 					who_am_i(), (SIZE_T_FMT_CAST)n);
 			}
 
-			if (io_timeout || stop_at_utime) {
+			if (io_timeout) {
 				last_io_in = time(NULL);
-				if (stop_at_utime && last_io_in >= stop_at_utime) {
-					rprintf(FERROR, "stopping at requested limit\n");
-					exit_cleanup(RERR_TIMEOUT);
-				}
 				if (io_timeout && flags & PIO_NEED_INPUT)
 					maybe_send_keepalive(last_io_in, 0);
 			}
@@ -815,6 +811,11 @@ static char *perform_io(size_t needed, int flags)
 			iobuf.in.len += n;
 		}
 
+		if (stop_at_utime && time(NULL) >= stop_at_utime) {
+			rprintf(FERROR, "stopping at requested limit\n");
+			exit_cleanup(RERR_TIMEOUT);
+		}
+
 		if (out && FD_ISSET(iobuf.out_fd, &w_fds)) {
 			size_t len = iobuf.raw_flushing_ends_before ? iobuf.raw_flushing_ends_before - out->pos : out->len;
 			ssize_t n;