diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index f96d019..80b00ef 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -207,17 +207,16 @@ const resCacher = {
   setContentType: 'application/json'
 }
 
-const startupTime = Date.now()
+let shutdownTime
+if (Settings.processLifespanLimitMs) {
+  Settings.processLifespanLimitMs +=
+    Settings.processLifespanLimitMs * (Math.random() / 10)
+  shutdownTime = Date.now() + Settings.processLifespanLimitMs
+  logger.info('Lifespan limited to ', shutdownTime)
+}
+
 const checkIfProcessIsTooOld = function(cont) {
-  if (typeof Settings.processLifespanLimitMs === 'string') {
-    Settings.processLifespanLimitMs = parseInt(Settings.processLifespanLimitMs)
-    Settings.processLifespanLimitMs +=
-      Settings.processLifespanLimitMs * (Math.random() / 10)
-  }
-  if (
-    Settings.processLifespanLimitMs &&
-    startupTime + Settings.processLifespanLimitMs < Date.now()
-  ) {
+  if (shutdownTime && shutdownTime < Date.now()) {
     logger.log('shutting down, process is too old')
     resCacher.send = function() {}
     resCacher.code = 500
diff --git a/config/settings.defaults.js b/config/settings.defaults.js
index fb7384b..e5df062 100644
--- a/config/settings.defaults.js
+++ b/config/settings.defaults.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ module.exports = {
   compileSizeLimit: process.env.COMPILE_SIZE_LIMIT || '7mb',
 
   processLifespanLimitMs:
-    process.env.PROCESS_LIFE_SPAN_LIMIT_MS || 60 * 60 * 24 * 1000 * 2,
+    parseInt(process.env.PROCESS_LIFE_SPAN_LIMIT_MS) || 60 * 60 * 24 * 1000 * 2,
 
   path: {
     compilesDir: Path.resolve(__dirname + '/../compiles'),