diff --git a/criu/pie/restorer.c b/criu/pie/restorer.c
index 51ed6ed4c8..8b29b589d8 100644
--- a/criu/pie/restorer.c
+++ b/criu/pie/restorer.c
@@ -2210,7 +2210,7 @@ __visible long __export_restore_task(struct task_restore_args *args)
 	 * code below doesn't fail due to bad timing values.
 	 */
 
-#define itimer_armed(args, i) (args->itimers[i].it_interval.tv_sec || args->itimers[i].it_interval.tv_usec)
+#define itimer_armed(args, i) (args->itimers[i].it_interval.tv_sec || args->itimers[i].it_interval.tv_usec || args->itimers[i].it_value.tv_sec || args->itimers[i].it_value.tv_usec)
 
 	if (itimer_armed(args, 0))
 		sys_setitimer(ITIMER_REAL, &args->itimers[0], NULL);
diff --git a/criu/timer.c b/criu/timer.c
index e94cf0280d..64d79704de 100644
--- a/criu/timer.c
+++ b/criu/timer.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ static inline int timeval_valid(struct timeval *tv)
 
 static inline int decode_itimer(char *n, ItimerEntry *ie, struct itimerval *val)
 {
-	if (ie->isec == 0 && ie->iusec == 0) {
+	if (ie->isec == 0 && ie->iusec == 0 && ie->vsec == 0 && ie->vusec == 0) {
 		memzero_p(val);
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -29,17 +29,8 @@ static inline int decode_itimer(char *n, ItimerEntry *ie, struct itimerval *val)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (ie->vsec == 0 && ie->vusec == 0) {
-		/*
-		 * Remaining time was too short. Set it to
-		 * interval to make the timer armed and work.
-		 */
-		val->it_value.tv_sec = ie->isec;
-		val->it_value.tv_usec = ie->iusec;
-	} else {
-		val->it_value.tv_sec = ie->vsec;
-		val->it_value.tv_usec = ie->vusec;
-	}
+	val->it_value.tv_sec = ie->vsec;
+	val->it_value.tv_usec = ie->vusec;
 
 	if (!timeval_valid(&val->it_value)) {
 		pr_err("Invalid timer value\n");
diff --git a/test/zdtm/static/timers.c b/test/zdtm/static/timers.c
index e5f7f2a022..5a919f2b5c 100644
--- a/test/zdtm/static/timers.c
+++ b/test/zdtm/static/timers.c
@@ -33,13 +33,9 @@ static void timer_tick(int sig)
 		}
 }
 
-static void setup_timers(void)
+static void setup_timers(const struct itimerval *tv)
 {
 	int i;
-	struct itimerval tv = {
-		.it_interval = { .tv_sec = 0, .tv_usec = 100000 },
-		.it_value = { .tv_sec = 0, .tv_usec = 100 },
-	};
 
 	for (i = 0; i < NUM_TIMERS; i++) {
 		if (signal(timer_tests[i].signal, timer_tick) == SIG_ERR) {
@@ -47,7 +43,7 @@ static void setup_timers(void)
 			exit(1);
 		}
 
-		if (setitimer(timer_tests[i].timer_type, &tv, NULL) < 0) {
+		if (setitimer(timer_tests[i].timer_type, tv, NULL) < 0) {
 			pr_perror("can't set timer %d", i);
 			exit(1);
 		}
@@ -77,13 +73,27 @@ static void check_timers(void)
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	test_init(argc, argv);
+	const struct itimerval tv = {
+		.it_interval = { .tv_sec = 0, .tv_usec = 100000 },
+		.it_value = { .tv_sec = 0, .tv_usec = 100 },
+	};
+	const struct itimerval oneshot_tv = {
+		.it_interval = { .tv_sec = 0, .tv_usec = 0 },
+		.it_value = { .tv_sec = 1, .tv_usec = 100 },
+	};
+	const struct itimerval tvs[2] = {
+		tv,
+		oneshot_tv,
+	};
 
-	setup_timers();
+	test_init(argc, argv);
+	for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+		setup_timers(&tvs[i]);
 
-	test_daemon();
-	test_waitsig();
+		test_daemon();
+		test_waitsig();
 
-	check_timers();
+		check_timers();
+	}
 	return 0;
 }