diff --git a/apps/time/java/src/net/i2p/time/NtpMessage.java b/apps/time/java/src/net/i2p/time/NtpMessage.java
index 3e693449ab..c7076a9565 100644
--- a/apps/time/java/src/net/i2p/time/NtpMessage.java
+++ b/apps/time/java/src/net/i2p/time/NtpMessage.java
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ public class NtpMessage {
         // low order bits of the timestamp with a random, unbiased
         // bitstring, both to avoid systematic roundoff errors and as
         // a means of loop detection and replay detection.
-        array[7] = (byte) (Math.random()*255.0);
+        array[7+pointer] = (byte) (Math.random()*255.0);
     }