diff --git a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
index 28ed3bc6d..fa310e502 100644
--- a/src/misc.c
+++ b/src/misc.c
@@ -1267,7 +1267,10 @@ int HAMLIB_API elapsed_ms(struct timespec *start, int option)
     switch (option)
     {
     case ELAPSED_GET:
-        if (start->tv_nsec == 0) { return 1000000; } // if we haven't done SET yet
+        if (start->tv_nsec == 0) { // if we haven't done SET yet
+            clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, start);
+            return 1000 * 1000; 
+        }
         clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &stop);
         break;
 
@@ -1275,16 +1278,17 @@ int HAMLIB_API elapsed_ms(struct timespec *start, int option)
         clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, start);
         rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s: after gettime, start = %ld,%ld\n", __func__,
                   (long)start->tv_sec, (long)start->tv_nsec);
+        return 999 * 1000; // so we can tell the difference in debug where we came from
         break;
 
-    case ELAPSED_INVALIDATE: // we take care of this below
+    case ELAPSED_INVALIDATE: 
+        start->tv_sec -= 3600*24*365; // let's back off 1 year -- should expire most elapsed measurements
         break;
     }
+    elapsed_msec = ((stop.tv_sec - start->tv_sec) + (stop.tv_nsec/1e9 -
+                    start->tv_nsec/1e9)) / 1e3;
 
-    elapsed_msec = ((stop.tv_sec - start->tv_sec) + ((stop.tv_nsec -
-                    start->tv_nsec) / 1e6)) / 1e3;
-
-    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s: elapse_secs=%g\n", __func__, elapsed_msec);
+    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s: elapsed_secs=%g\n", __func__, elapsed_msec);
 
     if (elapsed_msec < 0 || option == ELAPSED_INVALIDATE) { return 1000000; }
 
diff --git a/src/rig.c b/src/rig.c
index e1972b687..0f6995201 100644
--- a/src/rig.c
+++ b/src/rig.c
@@ -1345,7 +1345,7 @@ int HAMLIB_API rig_get_freq(RIG *rig, vfo_t vfo, freq_t *freq)
     }
     else
     {
-        rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s: cache miss age=%dms\n", __func__, cache_ms);
+        rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s: cache miss age=%dms, cached_vfo=%s, asked_vfo=%s\n", __func__, cache_ms, rig_strvfo(rig->state.cache.vfo_freq), rig_strvfo(vfo));
     }
 
     caps = rig->caps;
@@ -1410,7 +1410,7 @@ int HAMLIB_API rig_get_freq(RIG *rig, vfo_t vfo, freq_t *freq)
 
 
     cache_ms = elapsed_ms(&(rig->state.cache.time_freq), ELAPSED_SET);
-    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s: cache reset age=%dm, vfo=%s, freq=%g\n",
+    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_TRACE, "%s: cache reset age=%dms, vfo=%s, freq=%g\n",
               __func__, cache_ms, rig_strvfo(vfo), *freq);
     rig->state.cache.freq = *freq;
     rig->state.cache.vfo_freq = vfo;
@@ -1812,7 +1812,7 @@ int HAMLIB_API rig_set_vfo(RIG *rig, vfo_t vfo)
     }
 
     // we need to update our internal freq to avoid getting detected as twiddling
-    if (caps->get_freq) { retcode = rig_get_freq(rig, RIG_VFO_CURR, &curr_freq); }
+    if (caps->get_freq) { retcode = rig_get_freq(rig, vfo, &curr_freq); }
 
     rig->state.cache.vfo = vfo;
     // expire several cached items when we switch VFOs