diff --git a/panda/src/express/config_express.cxx b/panda/src/express/config_express.cxx
index f5e0bd9c54..ade94b0da2 100644
--- a/panda/src/express/config_express.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/express/config_express.cxx
@@ -192,8 +192,7 @@ get_paranoid_clock() {
     paranoid_clock = new ConfigVariableBool
       ("paranoid-clock", false,
        PRC_DESC("Set this to true to double-check the results of the high-resolution "
-                "clock against the system clock.  This has no effect if NDEBUG is "
-                "defined."));
+                "clock against the system clock."));
   }
 
   return *paranoid_clock;
diff --git a/panda/src/express/trueClock.I b/panda/src/express/trueClock.I
index 21b734aa62..c93ee6f7e0 100644
--- a/panda/src/express/trueClock.I
+++ b/panda/src/express/trueClock.I
@@ -26,15 +26,15 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 INLINE double TrueClock::
 get_short_time() {
-  bool paranoid_clock = _paranoid_clock;
+  bool is_paranoid_clock = get_paranoid_clock();
 
-  if (paranoid_clock) {
+  if (is_paranoid_clock) {
     _lock.lock();
   }
 
   double time = get_short_raw_time();
 
-  if (paranoid_clock) {
+  if (is_paranoid_clock) {
     // Check for rollforwards, rollbacks, and compensate for Speed
     // Gear type programs by verifying against the time of day clock.
     time = correct_time(time);
diff --git a/panda/src/express/trueClock.cxx b/panda/src/express/trueClock.cxx
index 735f7c92e7..3ef225edd6 100644
--- a/panda/src/express/trueClock.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/express/trueClock.cxx
@@ -180,23 +180,16 @@ TrueClock() {
   // the above clocks if paranoid-clock is enabled.
   GetSystemTimeAsFileTime((FILETIME *)&_init_tod);
 
-  _paranoid_clock = get_paranoid_clock();
   _chase_clock = CC_keep_even;
 
-  if (_paranoid_clock) {
-    // If we'll be cross-checking the clock, we'd better start out
-    // with at least one timestamp, so we'll know if the clock jumps
-    // just after startup.
-    _timestamps.push_back(Timestamp(0.0, 0.0));
-  }
+  // In case we'll be cross-checking the clock, we'd better start out
+  // with at least one timestamp, so we'll know if the clock jumps
+  // just after startup.
+  _timestamps.push_back(Timestamp(0.0, 0.0));
 
   if (!_has_high_res) {
     clock_cat.warning()
       << "No high resolution clock available." << endl;
-
-  } else if (_paranoid_clock) {
-    clock_cat.info()
-      << "Not trusting the high resolution clock." << endl;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/panda/src/express/trueClock.h b/panda/src/express/trueClock.h
index b4574ba83f..59c9d70533 100644
--- a/panda/src/express/trueClock.h
+++ b/panda/src/express/trueClock.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "typedef.h"
 #include "pdeque.h"
 #include "mutexImpl.h"
+#include "config_express.h"
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //       Class : TrueClock
@@ -79,8 +80,6 @@ protected:
   int _init_tc;
   PN_uint64 _init_tod;
 
-  bool _paranoid_clock;
-
   // The rest of the data structures in this block are strictly for
   // implementing paranoid_clock: they are designed to allow us to
   // cross-check the high-resolution clock against the time-of-day