diff --git a/src/internal/poll/fd_poll_runtime.go b/src/internal/poll/fd_poll_runtime.go
index a48e62eefa..f4540a60f6 100644
--- a/src/internal/poll/fd_poll_runtime.go
+++ b/src/internal/poll/fd_poll_runtime.go
@@ -136,15 +136,12 @@ func (fd *FD) SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error {
 }
 
 func setDeadlineImpl(fd *FD, t time.Time, mode int) error {
-	diff := int64(time.Until(t))
-	d := runtimeNano() + diff
-	if d <= 0 && diff > 0 {
-		// If the user has a deadline in the future, but the delay calculation
-		// overflows, then set the deadline to the maximum possible value.
-		d = 1<<63 - 1
-	}
-	if t.IsZero() {
-		d = 0
+	var d int64
+	if !t.IsZero() {
+		d = int64(time.Until(t))
+		if d == 0 {
+			d = -1 // don't confuse deadline right now with no deadline
+		}
 	}
 	if err := fd.incref(); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/src/runtime/netpoll.go b/src/runtime/netpoll.go
index f914844cdf..7e6e93d6c3 100644
--- a/src/runtime/netpoll.go
+++ b/src/runtime/netpoll.go
@@ -201,8 +201,13 @@ func poll_runtime_pollSetDeadline(pd *pollDesc, d int64, mode int) {
 	}
 	rd0, wd0 := pd.rd, pd.wd
 	combo0 := rd0 > 0 && rd0 == wd0
-	if d != 0 && d <= nanotime() {
-		d = -1
+	if d > 0 {
+		d += nanotime()
+		if d <= 0 {
+			// If the user has a deadline in the future, but the delay calculation
+			// overflows, then set the deadline to the maximum possible value.
+			d = 1<<63 - 1
+		}
 	}
 	if mode == 'r' || mode == 'r'+'w' {
 		pd.rd = d