diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/LeaseSet2.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/LeaseSet2.java
index 68629f4ca..76d20336c 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/LeaseSet2.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/LeaseSet2.java
@@ -544,7 +544,12 @@ public class LeaseSet2 extends LeaseSet {
         long pub1k = _published / 1000;
         DataHelper.writeLong(out, 4, pub1k);
         // Divide separately to prevent rounding errors
-        DataHelper.writeLong(out, 2, ((_expires / 1000) - pub1k));
+        long exp = (_expires / 1000) - pub1k;
+        // writeLong() will throw if we try to write a negative, so preempt it with a better message
+        // This will only happen on the client side for leasesets we create.
+        if (exp < 0)
+            throw new DataFormatException("Leaseset expired " + (0 - exp) + " seconds ago");
+        DataHelper.writeLong(out, 2, exp);
         DataHelper.writeLong(out, 2, _flags);
         if (isOffline())
             writeOfflineBytes(out);
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPool.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPool.java
index cd0ca2328..e6147a77d 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPool.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/tunnel/pool/TunnelPool.java
@@ -770,7 +770,8 @@ public class TunnelPool {
                 return null;
         }
 
-        long expireAfter = _context.clock().now(); // + _settings.getRebuildPeriod();
+        // we don't want it to expire before the client signs it or the ff gets it
+        long expireAfter = _context.clock().now() - 10*1000;
         
         TunnelInfo zeroHopTunnel = null;
         Lease zeroHopLease = null;