diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 1cd84287..a08398c7 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ byobu (4.21) unreleased; urgency=low
   [ Scott Moser ]
   * usr/bin/byobu-ctrl-a:
     - support taking an argument screen|emacs on the command line
+  * usr/bin/byobu-statusd, usr/lib/byobu/.shutil:
+    - avoid forks on the $(date) command
 
  -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:57:52 -0500
 
diff --git a/usr/bin/byobu-statusd b/usr/bin/byobu-statusd
index 12649dce..2762c934 100755
--- a/usr/bin/byobu-statusd
+++ b/usr/bin/byobu-statusd
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ while true; do
 		rm -f "$BYOBU_RUN_DIR/status"/* "$BYOBU_RUN_DIR/.last"/*
 		exit 0
 	fi
-	now=$(date +%s)
+	getnow; now=${_RET}
 	# Re-source configuration, if changed since last run
 	for i in "${BYOBU_PREFIX}/share/$PKG/status/status" "${BYOBU_PREFIX}/share/$PKG/status/statusrc" "$BYOBU_CONFIG_DIR/status" "$BYOBU_CONFIG_DIR/statusrc"; do
 		[ -r "$i" ] && [ "$i" -nt "$BYOBU_RUN_DIR/status" ] && . "$i"
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ while true; do
 			continue
 		fi
 		[ -r "$last" ] && read lastrun < "$last" || lastrun=0
+
+		# if, for any reason the lastrun has a value greater that
+		# current time, we should run again
+		[ $lastrun -le $now ] || lastrun=0
+
 		status_freq "$i"
 		expiry=$(($lastrun+$_RET))
 		find_script "$i" && path="$_RET" || path=/dev/null
@@ -65,7 +70,7 @@ while true; do
 			if [ "$path" -nt "$last" ] || [ ! -e "$last" ]; then
 				. "$path"
 			fi
-			eval "__$i" > "$cache"
+			"__$i" > "$cache"
 			echo "$now" > "$last"
 		fi
 	done
diff --git a/usr/lib/byobu/.shutil b/usr/lib/byobu/.shutil
index e0db59f2..5b47ef11 100755
--- a/usr/lib/byobu/.shutil
+++ b/usr/lib/byobu/.shutil
@@ -257,4 +257,18 @@ status_freq() {
 	esac
 }
 
+getnow() { _RET=$(date +%s); }
+if [ -n "${BASH_VERSION}" -a -n "${SECONDS}" ]; then
+	getnow() {
+		_RET=${SECONDS}
+	}
+elif [ -r /proc/cpuinfo ]; then
+	getnow() {
+		# return the integer part of the first item in /proc/uptime
+		local s c
+		read s c < /proc/uptime
+		_RET=${s%.*}
+	}
+fi
+
 # vi: syntax=sh ts=4 noexpandtab