diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 50935a78..bf2f66c3 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2008-12-09
+	* Add an option to timed_thread_test() to not wait for the interval period
+	(so that IMAP IDLE works better)
+
 2008-12-08
 	* Fix runtime debugging macros again
 	* Big hddtemp rewrite
diff --git a/src/conky.c b/src/conky.c
index bb6997a5..04724512 100644
--- a/src/conky.c
+++ b/src/conky.c
@@ -1851,7 +1851,7 @@ void *imap_thread(void *arg)
 					FD_SET(sockfd, &fdset);
 					FD_SET(threadfd, &fdset);
 					res = select(MAX(sockfd + 1, threadfd + 1), &fdset, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-					if (timed_thread_test(mail->p_timed_thread) || (res == -1 && errno == EINTR) || FD_ISSET(threadfd, &fdset)) {
+					if (timed_thread_test(mail->p_timed_thread, 1) || (res == -1 && errno == EINTR) || FD_ISSET(threadfd, &fdset)) {
 						if ((fstat(sockfd, &stat_buf) == 0) && S_ISSOCK(stat_buf.st_mode)) {
 							/* if a valid socket, close it */
 							close(sockfd);
@@ -1975,7 +1975,7 @@ void *imap_thread(void *arg)
 			/* if a valid socket, close it */
 			close(sockfd);
 		}
-		if (timed_thread_test(mail->p_timed_thread)) {
+		if (timed_thread_test(mail->p_timed_thread, 0)) {
 			timed_thread_exit(mail->p_timed_thread);
 		}
 	}
@@ -2148,7 +2148,7 @@ void *pop3_thread(void *arg)
 			/* if a valid socket, close it */
 			close(sockfd);
 		}
-		if (timed_thread_test(mail->p_timed_thread)) {
+		if (timed_thread_test(mail->p_timed_thread, 0)) {
 			timed_thread_exit(mail->p_timed_thread);
 		}
 	}
@@ -2188,7 +2188,7 @@ void *threaded_exec(void *arg)
 			p2++;
 		}
 		timed_thread_unlock(obj->data.texeci.p_timed_thread);
-		if (timed_thread_test(obj->data.texeci.p_timed_thread)) {
+		if (timed_thread_test(obj->data.texeci.p_timed_thread, 0)) {
 			timed_thread_exit(obj->data.texeci.p_timed_thread);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/moc.c b/src/moc.c
index b9d18378..f15f2206 100644
--- a/src/moc.c
+++ b/src/moc.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ void *update_moc(void *arg)
 		timed_thread_lock(moc->timed_thread);
 		update_infos(moc);
 		timed_thread_unlock(moc->timed_thread);
-		if (timed_thread_test(moc->timed_thread)) {
+		if (timed_thread_test(moc->timed_thread, 0)) {
 			timed_thread_exit(moc->timed_thread);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/mpd.c b/src/mpd.c
index 150bb1cf..1f8c73a4 100644
--- a/src/mpd.c
+++ b/src/mpd.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ void *update_mpd(void *arg)
 			strncpy(mpd->status, "MPD not responding",
 				text_buffer_size - 1);
 			timed_thread_unlock(mpd->timed_thread);
-			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread)) {
+			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread, 0)) {
 				timed_thread_exit(mpd->timed_thread);
 			}
 			continue;
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ void *update_mpd(void *arg)
 			strncpy(mpd->status, "MPD not responding",
 				text_buffer_size - 1);
 			timed_thread_unlock(mpd->timed_thread);
-			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread)) {
+			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread, 0)) {
 				timed_thread_exit(mpd->timed_thread);
 			}
 			continue;
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ void *update_mpd(void *arg)
 			mpd_closeConnection(mpd->conn);
 			mpd->conn = 0;
 			timed_thread_unlock(mpd->timed_thread);
-			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread)) {
+			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread, 0)) {
 				timed_thread_exit(mpd->timed_thread);
 			}
 			continue;
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ void *update_mpd(void *arg)
 			mpd_closeConnection(mpd->conn);
 			mpd->conn = 0;
 			timed_thread_unlock(mpd->timed_thread);
-			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread)) {
+			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread, 0)) {
 				timed_thread_exit(mpd->timed_thread);
 			}
 			continue;
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ void *update_mpd(void *arg)
 			mpd_closeConnection(mpd->conn);
 			mpd->conn = 0;
 			timed_thread_unlock(mpd->timed_thread);
-			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread)) {
+			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread, 0)) {
 				timed_thread_exit(mpd->timed_thread);
 			}
 			continue;
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ void *update_mpd(void *arg)
 			// fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", mpd->conn->errorStr);
 			mpd_closeConnection(mpd->conn);
 			mpd->conn = 0;
-			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread)) {
+			if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread, 0)) {
 				timed_thread_exit(mpd->timed_thread);
 			}
 			continue;
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ void *update_mpd(void *arg)
 			mpd_closeConnection(mpd->conn);
 			mpd->conn = 0;
 		} */
-		if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread)) {
+		if (timed_thread_test(mpd->timed_thread, 0)) {
 			timed_thread_exit(mpd->timed_thread);
 		}
 		continue;
diff --git a/src/timed_thread.c b/src/timed_thread.c
index 8226d465..bdcf1744 100644
--- a/src/timed_thread.c
+++ b/src/timed_thread.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ int timed_thread_unlock(timed_thread *p_timed_thread)
 /* thread waits interval_usecs for runnable_cond to be signaled.
  * returns 1 if signaled, -1 on error, and 0 otherwise.
  * caller should call timed_thread_exit() on any non-zero return value. */
-int timed_thread_test(timed_thread *p_timed_thread)
+int timed_thread_test(timed_thread *p_timed_thread, int override_wait_time)
 {
 	struct timespec now_time;
 	int rc;
@@ -211,6 +211,10 @@ int timed_thread_test(timed_thread *p_timed_thread)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	if (override_wait_time && now(&p_timed_thread->wait_time)) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	/* release mutex and wait until future time for runnable_cond to signal */
 	rc = pthread_cond_timedwait(&p_timed_thread->runnable_cond,
 			&p_timed_thread->runnable_mutex, &p_timed_thread->wait_time);
diff --git a/src/timed_thread.h b/src/timed_thread.h
index 9ff26c1d..533e11f9 100644
--- a/src/timed_thread.h
+++ b/src/timed_thread.h
@@ -47,10 +47,9 @@ int timed_thread_lock(timed_thread *p_timed_thread);
 /* unlock a timed thread after critical section activity */
 int timed_thread_unlock(timed_thread *p_timed_thread);
 
-/* waits required interval for termination signal
- * returns 1 if received,
- * 0 otherwise */
-int timed_thread_test(timed_thread *p_timed_thread);
+/* waits required interval (unless override_wait_time is non-zero) for
+ * termination signal returns 1 if received, 0 otherwise. */
+int timed_thread_test(timed_thread *p_timed_thread, int override_wait_time);
 
 /* exit a timed thread */
 void timed_thread_exit(timed_thread *p_timed_thread) __attribute__((noreturn));