diff --git a/src/rtctime.cpp b/src/rtctime.cpp
index 50ee9fb4..4fe5ca47 100644
--- a/src/rtctime.cpp
+++ b/src/rtctime.cpp
@@ -97,14 +97,16 @@ time_t get_rtctime(void) {
 } // get_rtctime()
 
 void sync_rtctime(void) {
-  if (timeStatus() != timeSet) {
-    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Unable to sync with the RTC");
-  } else {
-    time_t t = now();
-    setTime(t);
-    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "RTC has set system time to %02d/%02d/%d %02d:%02d:%02d",
-             month(t), day(t), year(t), hour(t), minute(t), second(t));
+  if (timeStatus() != timeSet) { // do we need time sync?
+    time_t t = get_rtctime();
+    if (t) { // do we have valid time by RTC?
+      setTime(t);
+      ESP_LOGI(TAG, "RTC has set system time to %02d/%02d/%d %02d:%02d:%02d",
+               month(t), day(t), year(t), hour(t), minute(t), second(t));
+    } else
+      ESP_LOGE(TAG, "RTC has no confident time, not synced");
   }
+
 #ifdef TIME_SYNC_INTERVAL_RTC
   setSyncProvider(&get_rtctime);
   setSyncInterval(TIME_SYNC_INTERVAL_RTC);