diff --git a/ethcore/engines/authority-round/src/lib.rs b/ethcore/engines/authority-round/src/lib.rs
index 08366bd67ac..89a0b1b60c9 100644
--- a/ethcore/engines/authority-round/src/lib.rs
+++ b/ethcore/engines/authority-round/src/lib.rs
@@ -248,18 +248,26 @@ impl Step {
 		})
 	}
 
-	/// Finds the remaining duration of the current step. Returns `None` if there was a counter
-	/// under- or overflow.
-	fn opt_duration_remaining(&self) -> Option<Duration> {
-		let next_step = self.load().checked_add(1)?;
+	/// Convert a given step number to the corresponding expected time
+	fn step_to_time(&self, step: u64) -> Option<u64> {
 		let StepDurationInfo { transition_step, transition_timestamp, step_duration } =
 			self.durations.iter()
-			.take_while(|info| info.transition_step < next_step)
+			.take_while(|info| info.transition_step < step)
 			.last()
-			.expect("durations cannot be empty")
+			.expect("durations cannot be empty.")
 			.clone();
-		let next_time = transition_timestamp
-			.checked_add(next_step.checked_sub(transition_step)?.checked_mul(step_duration)?)?;
+
+		let time = transition_timestamp
+			.checked_add(step.checked_sub(transition_step)?.checked_mul(step_duration)?)?;
+		Some(time)
+	}
+
+
+	/// Finds the remaining duration of the current step. Returns `None` if there was a counter
+	/// under- or overflow.
+	fn opt_duration_remaining(&self) -> Option<Duration> {
+		let next_step = self.load().checked_add(1)?;
+		let next_time = self.step_to_time(next_step)?;
 		Some(Duration::from_secs(next_time.saturating_sub(unix_now().as_secs())))
 	}
 
@@ -318,13 +326,12 @@ impl Step {
 			Err(None)
 		// wait a bit for blocks in near future
 		} else if given > current {
-			let d = self.durations.iter().take_while(|info| info.transition_step <= current).last()
-				.expect("Duration map has at least a 0 entry.")
-				.step_duration;
+			let current_time = self.step_to_time(current).ok_or(None)?;
+			let given_time = self.step_to_time(given).ok_or(None)?;
 			Err(Some(OutOfBounds {
 				min: None,
-				max: Some(d * current),
-				found: d * given,
+				max: Some(current_time),
+				found: given_time,
 			}))
 		} else {
 			Ok(())
diff --git a/ethcore/verification/src/verification.rs b/ethcore/verification/src/verification.rs
index 9802159aa84..eeebe2a7a72 100644
--- a/ethcore/verification/src/verification.rs
+++ b/ethcore/verification/src/verification.rs
@@ -374,10 +374,9 @@ fn verify_parent(header: &Header, parent: &Header, engine: &dyn Engine) -> Resul
 			"Parent hash should already have been verified; qed");
 
 	if !engine.is_timestamp_valid(header.timestamp(), parent.timestamp()) {
-		let now = SystemTime::now();
-		let min = CheckedSystemTime::checked_add(now, Duration::from_secs(parent.timestamp().saturating_add(1)))
+		let min = CheckedSystemTime::checked_add(UNIX_EPOCH, Duration::from_secs(parent.timestamp().saturating_add(1)))
 			.ok_or(BlockError::TimestampOverflow)?;
-		let found = CheckedSystemTime::checked_add(now, Duration::from_secs(header.timestamp()))
+		let found = CheckedSystemTime::checked_add(UNIX_EPOCH, Duration::from_secs(header.timestamp()))
 			.ok_or(BlockError::TimestampOverflow)?;
 		return Err(From::from(BlockError::InvalidTimestamp(OutOfBounds { max: None, min: Some(min), found }.into())))
 	}