diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 3ca13ebe8..2813200a9 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
  - (dtucker) [regress/Makefile regress/test-exec.sh] Don't try to use test -nt
    since some platforms (eg really old FreeBSD) don't have it.  Instead,
    run "make clean" before a complete regress run.  ok djm.
+ - (dtucker) [misc.c] Fall back to time(2) at runtime if clock_gettime(
+   CLOCK_MONOTONIC...) fails.  Some older versions of RHEL have the
+   CLOCK_MONOTONIC define but don't actually support it.  Found and tested
+   by Kevin Brott, ok djm.
 
 20130804
  - (dtucker) [auth-krb5.c configure.ac openbsd-compat/bsd-misc.h] Add support
diff --git a/misc.c b/misc.c
index 2bdfb6507..85c404218 100644
--- a/misc.c
+++ b/misc.c
@@ -854,19 +854,24 @@ ms_to_timeval(struct timeval *tv, int ms)
 	tv->tv_usec = (ms % 1000) * 1000;
 }
 
+#define clock_gettime(a,b) -1
+
 time_t
 monotime(void)
 {
 #if defined(HAVE_CLOCK_GETTIME) && defined(CLOCK_MONOTONIC)
 	struct timespec ts;
+	static int gettime_failed = 0;
 
-	if (clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts) != 0)
-		fatal("clock_gettime: %s", strerror(errno));
-
-	return (ts.tv_sec);
-#else
-	return time(NULL);
+	if (!gettime_failed) {
+		if (clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts) == 0)
+			return (ts.tv_sec);
+		debug3("clock_gettime: %s", strerror(errno));
+		gettime_failed = 1;
+	}
 #endif
+
+	return time(NULL);
 }
 
 void