diff --git a/event.c b/event.c
index eee150a4..c64a66de 100644
--- a/event.c
+++ b/event.c
@@ -1765,7 +1765,6 @@ event_base_once(struct event_base *base, evutil_socket_t fd, short events,
     void *arg, const struct timeval *tv)
 {
 	struct event_once *eonce;
-	struct timeval etv;
 	int res = 0;
 
 	/* We cannot support signals that just fire once, or persistent
@@ -1780,12 +1779,16 @@ event_base_once(struct event_base *base, evutil_socket_t fd, short events,
 	eonce->arg = arg;
 
 	if (events == EV_TIMEOUT) {
-		if (tv == NULL) {
-			evutil_timerclear(&etv);
-			tv = &etv;
-		}
-
 		evtimer_assign(&eonce->ev, base, event_once_cb, eonce);
+
+		if (tv == NULL || ! evutil_timerisset(tv)) {
+			/* If the event is going to become active immediately,
+			 * don't put it on the timeout queue.  This is one
+			 * idiom for scheduling a callback, so let's make
+			 * it fast (and order-preserving). */
+			event_active(&eonce->ev, EV_TIMEOUT, 1);
+			return 0;
+		}
 	} else if (events & (EV_READ|EV_WRITE)) {
 		events &= EV_READ|EV_WRITE;
 
diff --git a/test/regress.c b/test/regress.c
index 985c0938..1d2d2dcc 100644
--- a/test/regress.c
+++ b/test/regress.c
@@ -2018,6 +2018,15 @@ end:
 	;
 }
 
+static void
+immediate_called_twice_cb(evutil_socket_t fd, short event, void *arg)
+{
+	tt_int_op(event, ==, EV_TIMEOUT);
+	called += 1000;
+end:
+	;
+}
+
 static void
 test_event_once(void *ptr)
 {
@@ -2036,6 +2045,14 @@ test_event_once(void *ptr)
 	tt_int_op(r, ==, 0);
 	r = event_base_once(data->base, -1, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 	tt_int_op(r, <, 0);
+	r = event_base_once(data->base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT,
+	    immediate_called_twice_cb, NULL, NULL);
+	tt_int_op(r, ==, 0);
+	tv.tv_sec = 0;
+	tv.tv_usec = 0;
+	r = event_base_once(data->base, -1, EV_TIMEOUT,
+	    immediate_called_twice_cb, NULL, &tv);
+	tt_int_op(r, ==, 0);
 
 	if (write(data->pair[1], TEST1, strlen(TEST1)+1) < 0) {
 		tt_fail_perror("write");
@@ -2045,7 +2062,7 @@ test_event_once(void *ptr)
 
 	event_base_dispatch(data->base);
 
-	tt_int_op(called, ==, 101);
+	tt_int_op(called, ==, 2101);
 end:
 	;
 }