diff --git a/ares/ares_init.c b/ares/ares_init.c
index 2627cb46ade384f12978791ab8e11754655c149b..0110f12794b5223a78c00a253f0a8b15f896c22b 100644
--- a/ares/ares_init.c
+++ b/ares/ares_init.c
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ int ares_init_options(ares_channel *channelptr, struct ares_options *options,
   int i;
   int status = ARES_SUCCESS;
   struct server_state *server;
-  struct timeval tv;
 
 #ifdef CURLDEBUG
   const char *env = getenv("CARES_MEMDEBUG");
@@ -147,8 +146,7 @@ int ares_init_options(ares_channel *channelptr, struct ares_options *options,
   channel->sock_state_cb = NULL;
   channel->sock_state_cb_data = NULL;
 
-  gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
-  channel->last_timeout_processed = tv.tv_sec;
+  channel->last_timeout_processed = (long)time(NULL);
 
   /* Initialize our lists of queries */
   ares__init_list_head(&(channel->all_queries));