diff --git a/include/cyclic.h b/include/cyclic.h
index 89ccb240..829f9610 100644
--- a/include/cyclic.h
+++ b/include/cyclic.h
@@ -5,15 +5,12 @@
 #include "senddata.h"
 #include "rcommand.h"
 #include "spislave.h"
-#include "timekeeper.h"
 #include <lmic.h>
 
 #ifdef HAS_BME
 #include "bme680mems.h"
 #endif
 
-
-
 void doHousekeeping(void);
 uint64_t uptime(void);
 void reset_counters(void);
diff --git a/include/lorawan.h b/include/lorawan.h
index d02e8931..ddc2fc41 100644
--- a/include/lorawan.h
+++ b/include/lorawan.h
@@ -35,7 +35,4 @@ void lora_queuereset(void);
 void lora_housekeeping(void);
 void user_request_network_time_callback(void *pVoidUserUTCTime,
                                         int flagSuccess);
-time_t set_loratime(time_t t);
-time_t get_loratime(void);
-
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/timekeeper.h b/include/timekeeper.h
index 2b36bbf2..198d8987 100644
--- a/include/timekeeper.h
+++ b/include/timekeeper.h
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ extern const char timeSetSymbols[];
 void IRAM_ATTR CLOCKIRQ(void);
 void clock_init(void);
 void clock_loop(void *pvParameters);
-void time_sync(void);
+time_t time_sync(void);
 void timepulse_start(void);
-uint8_t syncTime(getExternalTime getTimeFunction, timesource_t const caller);
+time_t syncTime(getExternalTime getTimeFunction, timesource_t const caller);
 uint8_t timepulse_init(void);
 uint8_t TimeIsValid(time_t const t);
 time_t syncProvider_CB(void);
diff --git a/src/cyclic.cpp b/src/cyclic.cpp
index 021ea8d6..3d170eb1 100644
--- a/src/cyclic.cpp
+++ b/src/cyclic.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ void doHousekeeping() {
 
   spi_housekeeping();
   lora_housekeeping();
-  time_sync();
 
   // task storage debugging //
   ESP_LOGD(TAG, "IRQhandler %d bytes left | Taskstate = %d",
diff --git a/src/display.cpp b/src/display.cpp
index f0c556d6..d5e2b382 100644
--- a/src/display.cpp
+++ b/src/display.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ void refreshtheDisplay() {
 
   uint8_t msgWaiting;
   char timeState, buff[16];
-  time_t t;
+  time_t t = myTZ.toLocal(now()); // note: call now() here *before* locking mutex!
 
   // block i2c bus access
   if (I2C_MUTEX_LOCK()) {
@@ -216,8 +216,7 @@ void refreshtheDisplay() {
     // update LoRa status display (line 6)
     u8x8.printf("%-16s", display_line6);
 #else // we want a systime display instead LoRa status
-    t = myTZ.toLocal(now());
-    timeState = TimePulseTick ? ' ' :  timeSetSymbols[timeSource];
+    timeState = TimePulseTick ? ' ' : timeSetSymbols[timeSource];
     TimePulseTick = false;
     u8x8.printf("%02d:%02d:%02d%c %2d.%3s", hour(t), minute(t), second(t),
                 timeState, day(t), printmonth[month(t)]);
diff --git a/src/lorawan.cpp b/src/lorawan.cpp
index b4067cd9..02503aba 100644
--- a/src/lorawan.cpp
+++ b/src/lorawan.cpp
@@ -472,19 +472,11 @@ void user_request_network_time_callback(void *pVoidUserUTCTime,
   *pUserUTCTime += requestDelaySec;
 
   // Update system time with time read from the network
-  set_loratime(*pUserUTCTime); // store time in time sync provider function
-  if (syncTime(get_loratime, _lora))
+  if (TimeIsValid(*pUserUTCTime)) {
+    setTime(*pUserUTCTime);
     ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Received recent time from LoRa");
+    }
   else
     ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Invalid time received from LoRa");
 #endif // HAS_LORA
-} // user_request_network_time_callback
-
-time_t set_loratime(time_t t) {
-  static time_t loratime = 0; // stores time for retrieval
-  if (t > loratime)
-    loratime = t; // store time if it is recent
-  return loratime;
-}
-
-time_t get_loratime(void) { return set_loratime(0); }
+} // user_request_network_time_callback
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 27c6fa3c..a2a807ab 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -363,9 +363,8 @@ void setup() {
   timepulse_start();
 #ifdef TIME_SYNC_INTERVAL
   setSyncInterval(TIME_SYNC_INTERVAL * 60); // controls timeStatus() via Time.h
-  setSyncProvider(syncProvider_CB); // is called by Time.h
+  setSyncProvider(time_sync); // is called by Time.h
 #endif
-  time_sync(); // sync time
 
   // start wifi in monitor mode and start channel rotation timer
   ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Starting Wifi...");
diff --git a/src/timekeeper.cpp b/src/timekeeper.cpp
index 316835ec..712fd09b 100644
--- a/src/timekeeper.cpp
+++ b/src/timekeeper.cpp
@@ -8,22 +8,23 @@ const char timeSetSymbols[] = {'G', 'R', 'L', '?'};
 
 getExternalTime TimeSourcePtr; // pointer to time source function
 
-void time_sync() {
+time_t time_sync() {
   // check synchonization of systime, called by cyclic.cpp
 
+  time_t t = 0;
+
 #ifdef TIME_SYNC_INTERVAL
 
-  if (timeStatus() == timeSet) // timeStatus() is flipped in Time.h
-    return;
-
 #ifdef HAS_GPS
-  if (syncTime(get_gpstime, _gps))
-    return; // attempt sync with GPS time
+  t = syncTime(get_gpstime, _gps);
+  if (t)
+    return t; // attempt sync with GPS time
 #endif
 
 // no GPS -> fallback to RTC time while trying lora sync
 #ifdef HAS_RTC
-  if (!syncTime(get_rtctime, _rtc)) // sync with RTC time
+  t = syncTime(get_rtctime, _rtc); // sync with RTC time
+  if (!t)
     ESP_LOGW(TAG, "no confident RTC time");
 #endif
 
@@ -33,26 +34,25 @@ void time_sync() {
 #endif
 
 #endif // TIME_SYNC_INTERVAL
+
+  return t;
 } // time_sync()
 
 // sync time on start of next second from GPS or RTC
-uint8_t syncTime(getExternalTime getTimeFunction, timesource_t const caller) {
+time_t syncTime(getExternalTime getTimeFunction, timesource_t const caller) {
 
-  TimeSourcePtr = getTimeFunction;
   time_t t;
-
+  TimeSourcePtr = getTimeFunction;
   if (!TimeSourcePtr)
     goto error;
 
-  if ((caller == _gps || caller == _rtc))           // ticking timesource?
-    xSemaphoreTake(TimePulse, pdMS_TO_TICKS(1000)); // then wait on pps
+  xSemaphoreTake(TimePulse, pdMS_TO_TICKS(1000)); // wait for pps
 
   t = TimeSourcePtr(); // get time from given timesource
 
   if (TimeIsValid(t)) {
     if (caller == _gps) // gps time concerns past second
       t++;
-    setTime(t); // flips timeStatus() in Time.h
     timeSource = caller;
     ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Time source %c set time to %02d:%02d:%02d",
              timeSetSymbols[timeSource], hour(t), minute(t), second(t));
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ uint8_t syncTime(getExternalTime getTimeFunction, timesource_t const caller) {
       set_rtctime(t);
 #endif
 
-    return 1; // success
+    return t; // success
   }
 
 error:
@@ -72,14 +72,6 @@ error:
 
 } // syncTime()
 
-
-// callback function called by Time.h in interval set in main.cpp
-time_t syncProvider_CB(void) {
-  timeSource = _unsynced;
-  return 0;
-}
-
-
 // helper function to setup a pulse per second for time synchronisation
 uint8_t timepulse_init() {