diff --git a/servers/slapd/overlays/refint.c b/servers/slapd/overlays/refint.c
index dc7077d0de..a704e42373 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/overlays/refint.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/overlays/refint.c
@@ -96,8 +96,6 @@ typedef struct refint_pre_s {
 	int do_sub;
 } refint_pre;
 
-#define	RUNQ_INTERVAL	36000	/* a long time */
-
 static MatchingRule	*mr_dnSubtreeMatch;
 
 enum {
@@ -921,18 +919,18 @@ refint_qtask( void *ctx, void *arg )
 		fptr = f_next;
 	}
 
-	/* wait until we get explicitly scheduled again */
+	/* wait until there's more work to do */
+	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &id->qmutex );
 	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &slapd_rq.rq_mutex );
 	ldap_pvt_runqueue_stoptask( &slapd_rq, id->qtask );
-	if ( pausing ) {
-		/* try to run again as soon as the pause is done */
-		id->qtask->interval.tv_sec = 0;
+	if ( pausing || id->qhead ) {
+		/* try to run again when possible */
 		ldap_pvt_runqueue_resched( &slapd_rq, id->qtask, 0 );
-		id->qtask->interval.tv_sec = RUNQ_INTERVAL;
 	} else {
-		ldap_pvt_runqueue_resched( &slapd_rq,id->qtask, 1 );
+		ldap_pvt_runqueue_resched( &slapd_rq, id->qtask, 1 );
 	}
 	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &slapd_rq.rq_mutex );
+	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &id->qmutex );
 
 	return NULL;
 }
@@ -986,15 +984,12 @@ refint_response(
 
 	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_lock( &slapd_rq.rq_mutex );
 	if ( !id->qtask ) {
-		id->qtask = ldap_pvt_runqueue_insert( &slapd_rq, RUNQ_INTERVAL,
+		id->qtask = ldap_pvt_runqueue_insert( &slapd_rq, 0,
 			refint_qtask, id, "refint_qtask",
 			op->o_bd->be_suffix[0].bv_val );
 	} else {
-		if ( !ldap_pvt_runqueue_isrunning( &slapd_rq, id->qtask ) &&
-			!id->qtask->next_sched.tv_sec ) {
-			id->qtask->interval.tv_sec = 0;
+		if ( !ldap_pvt_runqueue_isrunning( &slapd_rq, id->qtask ) ) {
 			ldap_pvt_runqueue_resched( &slapd_rq, id->qtask, 0 );
-			id->qtask->interval.tv_sec = RUNQ_INTERVAL;
 		}
 	}
 	ldap_pvt_thread_mutex_unlock( &slapd_rq.rq_mutex );