diff --git a/src/anopa/start-stop.c b/src/anopa/start-stop.c
index 8d7f776..70b2778 100644
--- a/src/anopa/start-stop.c
+++ b/src/anopa/start-stop.c
@@ -1145,19 +1145,15 @@ process_timeouts (aa_mode mode, aa_scan_cb scan_cb)
                 /* timeout expired? */
                 if (tain_less (&ts, &STAMP))
                 {
-                    aa_service_status *svst = &aa_service (si)->st;
-
+                    /* flag it to avoid race: by the time it'll be processed for
+                     * dependencies, s6 state could have changed, especially if
+                     * this is a readiness timeout, and change doesn't imply
+                     * success (service could have gone down), hence the flag */
+                    aa_service (si)->timedout = 1;
                     aa_unsubscribe_for (aa_service (si)->ft_id);
                     aa_service (si)->ft_id = 0;
                     --nb_wait_longrun;
 
-                    svst->event = (mode & AA_MODE_START) ? AA_EVT_STARTING_FAILED: AA_EVT_STOPPING_FAILED;
-                    svst->code = ERR_TIMEDOUT;
-                    tain_copynow (&svst->stamp);
-                    aa_service_status_set_msg (svst, "");
-                    if (aa_service_status_write (svst, aa_service_name (aa_service (si))) < 0)
-                        aa_strerr_warnu2sys ("write service status file for ", aa_service_name (aa_service (si)));
-
                     put_err_service (aa_service_name (aa_service (si)), ERR_TIMEDOUT, 1);
                     genalloc_append (int, &ga_timedout, &si);
                     if (mode & AA_MODE_START)
diff --git a/src/libanopa/service.c b/src/libanopa/service.c
index 2fc2d50..34ebb01 100644
--- a/src/libanopa/service.c
+++ b/src/libanopa/service.c
@@ -567,6 +567,11 @@ service_is_ok (aa_mode mode, aa_service *s)
 
     /* TYPE_LONGRUN -- we make assumptions here:
      * - we have a local status, since we started the service
+     * - if it's flagged timedout, that's a fail (flag is used to avoid possible
+     *   race condition: it was processed as timedout (might be for readiness)
+     *   and by the time we're checking here, s6 state has changed (e.g. it now
+     *   is ready, or down...) This should obviously remain a fail, not assume
+     *   it was good (e.g. ready) & process it as success.)
      * - if there's no s6 status, that's a fail (probably fail to even exec run)
      * - we compare stamp, if s6 is more recent, it's good (since we got the
      *   event we were waiting for); else it's a fail (must be our
@@ -575,7 +580,7 @@ service_is_ok (aa_mode mode, aa_service *s)
      *   EVT_STARTING because there's a possible race condition there.
      */
     event = (mode & AA_MODE_START) ? AA_EVT_STARTING : AA_EVT_STOPPING;
-    if (s6_svstatus_read (aa_service_name (s), &st6)
+    if (!s->timedout && s6_svstatus_read (aa_service_name (s), &st6)
             && (tain_less (&svst->stamp, &st6.stamp) || svst->event == event))
         r = 1;
     else