diff --git a/src/unix/core.c b/src/unix/core.c
index 3dd3fd90..e14c327e 100644
--- a/src/unix/core.c
+++ b/src/unix/core.c
@@ -334,35 +334,36 @@ int uv_backend_fd(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
 }
 
 
-int uv_backend_timeout(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
-  if (loop->stop_flag != 0)
-    return 0;
-
-  if (!uv__has_active_handles(loop) && !uv__has_active_reqs(loop))
-    return 0;
-
-  if (!QUEUE_EMPTY(&loop->idle_handles))
-    return 0;
-
-  if (!QUEUE_EMPTY(&loop->pending_queue))
-    return 0;
-
-  if (loop->closing_handles)
-    return 0;
-
-  return uv__next_timeout(loop);
-}
-
-
 static int uv__loop_alive(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
   return uv__has_active_handles(loop) ||
          uv__has_active_reqs(loop) ||
+         !QUEUE_EMPTY(&loop->pending_queue) ||
          loop->closing_handles != NULL;
 }
 
 
+static int uv__backend_timeout(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
+  if (loop->stop_flag == 0 &&
+      /* uv__loop_alive(loop) && */
+      (uv__has_active_handles(loop) || uv__has_active_reqs(loop)) &&
+      QUEUE_EMPTY(&loop->pending_queue) &&
+      QUEUE_EMPTY(&loop->idle_handles) &&
+      loop->closing_handles == NULL)
+    return uv__next_timeout(loop);
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
+int uv_backend_timeout(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
+  if (QUEUE_EMPTY(&loop->watcher_queue))
+    return uv__backend_timeout(loop);
+  /* Need to call uv_run to update the backend fd state. */
+  return 0;
+}
+
+
 int uv_loop_alive(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
-    return uv__loop_alive(loop);
+  return uv__loop_alive(loop);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/win/core.c b/src/win/core.c
index e53a0f8e..68409e37 100644
--- a/src/win/core.c
+++ b/src/win/core.c
@@ -395,23 +395,28 @@ int uv_loop_fork(uv_loop_t* loop) {
 }
 
 
+static int uv__loop_alive(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
+  return uv__has_active_handles(loop) ||
+         uv__has_active_reqs(loop) ||
+         loop->pending_reqs_tail != NULL ||
+         loop->endgame_handles != NULL;
+}
+
+
+int uv_loop_alive(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
+  return uv__loop_alive(loop);
+}
+
+
 int uv_backend_timeout(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
-  if (loop->stop_flag != 0)
-    return 0;
-
-  if (!uv__has_active_handles(loop) && !uv__has_active_reqs(loop))
-    return 0;
-
-  if (loop->pending_reqs_tail)
-    return 0;
-
-  if (loop->endgame_handles)
-    return 0;
-
-  if (loop->idle_handles)
-    return 0;
-
-  return uv__next_timeout(loop);
+  if (loop->stop_flag == 0 &&
+      /* uv__loop_alive(loop) && */
+      (uv__has_active_handles(loop) || uv__has_active_reqs(loop)) &&
+      loop->pending_reqs_tail == NULL &&
+      loop->idle_handles == NULL &&
+      loop->endgame_handles == NULL)
+    return uv__next_timeout(loop);
+  return 0;
 }
 
 
@@ -581,18 +586,6 @@ static void uv__poll(uv_loop_t* loop, DWORD timeout) {
 }
 
 
-static int uv__loop_alive(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
-  return uv__has_active_handles(loop) ||
-         uv__has_active_reqs(loop) ||
-         loop->endgame_handles != NULL;
-}
-
-
-int uv_loop_alive(const uv_loop_t* loop) {
-    return uv__loop_alive(loop);
-}
-
-
 int uv_run(uv_loop_t *loop, uv_run_mode mode) {
   DWORD timeout;
   int r;
diff --git a/test/test-loop-time.c b/test/test-loop-time.c
index a2db42cc..087720b9 100644
--- a/test/test-loop-time.c
+++ b/test/test-loop-time.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ TEST_IMPL(loop_update_time) {
 
   start = uv_now(uv_default_loop());
   while (uv_now(uv_default_loop()) - start < 1000)
-    ASSERT(0 == uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_NOWAIT));
+    ASSERT_EQ(0, uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_NOWAIT));
 
   MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY();
   return 0;
@@ -43,20 +43,26 @@ TEST_IMPL(loop_backend_timeout) {
   uv_timer_t timer;
   int r;
 
-  r = uv_timer_init(loop, &timer);
-  ASSERT(r == 0);
+  /* The default loop has some internal watchers to initialize. */
+  loop->active_handles++;
+  r = uv_run(loop, UV_RUN_NOWAIT);
+  ASSERT_EQ(r, 1);
+  loop->active_handles--;
+  ASSERT_EQ(uv_loop_alive(loop), 0);
 
-  ASSERT(!uv_loop_alive(loop));
-  ASSERT(uv_backend_timeout(loop) == 0);
+  r = uv_timer_init(loop, &timer);
+  ASSERT_EQ(r, 0);
+
+  ASSERT_EQ(uv_loop_alive(loop), 0);
+  ASSERT_EQ(uv_backend_timeout(loop), 0);
 
   r = uv_timer_start(&timer, cb, 1000, 0); /* 1 sec */
-  ASSERT(r == 0);
-  ASSERT(uv_backend_timeout(loop) > 100); /* 0.1 sec */
-  ASSERT(uv_backend_timeout(loop) <= 1000); /* 1 sec */
+  ASSERT_EQ(r, 0);
+  ASSERT_EQ(uv_backend_timeout(loop), 1000);
 
   r = uv_run(loop, UV_RUN_DEFAULT);
-  ASSERT(r == 0);
-  ASSERT(uv_backend_timeout(loop) == 0);
+  ASSERT_EQ(r, 0);
+  ASSERT_EQ(uv_backend_timeout(loop), 0);
 
   MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY();
   return 0;