diff --git a/include/Contact.php b/include/Contact.php
index 3c41f76508..c59038e5d7 100644
--- a/include/Contact.php
+++ b/include/Contact.php
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ function mark_for_death($contact) {
 if(! function_exists('unmark_for_death')) {
 function unmark_for_death($contact) {
 	// It's a miracle. Our dead contact has inexplicably come back to life.
-	q("UPDATE `contact` SET `term-date = '%s' WHERE `id` = %d LIMIT 1",
+	q("UPDATE `contact` SET `term-date` = '%s' WHERE `id` = %d LIMIT 1",
 		dbesc('0000-00-00 00:00:00'),
 		intval($contact['id'])
 	);
diff --git a/include/poller.php b/include/poller.php
index f116a56220..0980ca1fa5 100644
--- a/include/poller.php
+++ b/include/poller.php
@@ -105,12 +105,14 @@
 
 		if(intval($res->status) == 1)
 			mark_for_death($contact);
+		else {
+			if($contact['term-date'] != '0000-00-00 00:00:00')
+				unmark_for_death($contact);
+		}
 
 		if((intval($res->status) != 0) || (! strlen($res->challenge)) || (! strlen($res->dfrn_id)))
 			continue;
 
-		if($contact['term-date'] != '0000-00-00 00:00:00')
-			unmark_for_death($contact);
 
 		$postvars = array();