diff --git a/src/object.c b/src/object.c
index 24e99d191..234e11f8a 100644
--- a/src/object.c
+++ b/src/object.c
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ sds getMemoryDoctorReport(void) {
 
 /* Set the object LRU/LFU depending on server.maxmemory_policy.
  * The lfu_freq arg is only relevant if policy is MAXMEMORY_FLAG_LFU.
- * The lru_idle and lru_clock args are only relevant if policy 
+ * The lru_idle and lru_clock args are only relevant if policy
  * is MAXMEMORY_FLAG_LRU.
  * Either or both of them may be <0, in that case, nothing is set. */
 void objectSetLRUOrLFU(robj *val, long long lfu_freq, long long lru_idle,
@@ -1210,16 +1210,20 @@ void objectSetLRUOrLFU(robj *val, long long lfu_freq, long long lru_idle,
             val->lru = (LFUGetTimeInMinutes()<<8) | lfu_freq;
         }
     } else if (lru_idle >= 0) {
-        /* Serialized LRU idle time is in seconds. Scale
+        /* Provided LRU idle time is in seconds. Scale
          * according to the LRU clock resolution this Redis
          * instance was compiled with (normally 1000 ms, so the
          * below statement will expand to lru_idle*1000/1000. */
         lru_idle = lru_idle*1000/LRU_CLOCK_RESOLUTION;
-        val->lru = lru_clock - lru_idle;
-        /* If the lru field overflows (since LRU it is a wrapping
-         * clock), the best we can do is to provide the maximum
-         * representable idle time. */
-        if (val->lru < 0) val->lru = lru_clock+1;
+        long lru_abs = lru_clock - lru_idle; /* Absolute access time. */
+        /* If the LRU field underflows (since LRU it is a wrapping
+         * clock), the best we can do is to provide a large enough LRU
+         * that is half-way in the circlular LRU clock we use: this way
+         * the computed idle time for this object will stay high for quite
+         * some time. */
+        if (lru_abs < 0)
+            lru_abs = (lru_clock+(LRU_CLOCK_MAX/2)) % LRU_CLOCK_MAX;
+        val->lru = lru_abs;
     }
 }