diff --git a/src/job.rs b/src/job.rs
index 8fe8bae26..23405ea41 100644
--- a/src/job.rs
+++ b/src/job.rs
@@ -205,17 +205,12 @@ impl Job {
                         Status::RetryLater
                     }
                     _ => {
-                        // if the connection was successfully used more than 60
-                        // seconds ago, try an immediate reconnect.
-                        let mut res2 = Status::RetryLater;
-                        if let Some(secs) = smtp.secs_since_last_success() {
-                            if secs > 60 {
-                                info!(context, "stale connection? triggering reconnect");
-                                res2 = Status::RetryNow;
-                            }
+                        if smtp.has_maybe_stale_connection() {
+                            info!(context, "stale connection? immediately reconnecting");
+                            Status::RetryNow
+                        } else {
+                            Status::RetryLater
                         }
-
-                        res2
                     }
                 };
 
diff --git a/src/smtp/mod.rs b/src/smtp/mod.rs
index 96c7daff6..39b999171 100644
--- a/src/smtp/mod.rs
+++ b/src/smtp/mod.rs
@@ -77,13 +77,13 @@ impl Smtp {
         self.last_success = None;
     }
 
-    /// Return number of seconds since last success or None if
-    /// no success-time is recorded in this session.
-    pub fn secs_since_last_success(&self) -> Option<u64> {
+    /// Return true if smtp was connected but is not known to
+    /// have been successfully used the last 60 seconds
+    pub fn has_maybe_stale_connection(&self) -> bool {
         if let Some(last_success) = self.last_success {
-            Some(Instant::now().duration_since(last_success).as_secs())
+            Instant::now().duration_since(last_success).as_secs() > 60
         } else {
-            None
+            false
         }
     }