diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
index eddeb87a8..8b3cdeba3 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay.cpp
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ killSocket( int socket, const char* why )
 }
 
 time_t
-now() 
+now( void ) 
 {
     static time_t startTime = time(NULL);
     return time(NULL) - startTime;
@@ -524,6 +524,8 @@ main( int argc, char** argv )
     bool doDaemon = true;
     bool doFork = true;
 
+    (void)now();                      /* force capture of start time */
+
     /* Verify sizes here... */
     assert( sizeof(CookieID) == 2 );
                    
diff --git a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay_priv.h b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay_priv.h
index 60ed6a2ca..02f0f55d6 100644
--- a/xwords4/relay/xwrelay_priv.h
+++ b/xwords4/relay/xwrelay_priv.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ void killSocket( int socket, const char* why );
 
 bool send_with_length_unsafe( int socket, unsigned char* buf, int bufLen );
 
-time_t now();
+time_t now(void);
 
 int make_socket( unsigned long addr, unsigned short port );