diff --git a/common/workunit/wujobq.cpp b/common/workunit/wujobq.cpp
index f7b5d9c286d..99c02da2fe7 100644
--- a/common/workunit/wujobq.cpp
+++ b/common/workunit/wujobq.cpp
@@ -1128,9 +1128,11 @@ class CJobQueue: public CJobQueueBase, implements IJobQueue
             ForEachQueue(qd)
             {
                 IPropertyTree *croot = queryClientRootSession(*qd);
-                unsigned newConnectedCount = croot->getPropInt64("@connected",0)-1;
-                if (newConnectedCount)
-                    croot->setPropInt64("@connected", newConnectedCount);
+                unsigned connectedCount = croot->getPropInt64("@connected");
+                if (connectedCount) // should never be 0, but guard JIC
+                    connectedCount--;
+                if (connectedCount)
+                    croot->setPropInt64("@connected", connectedCount);
                 else
                     qd->root->removeTree(croot);
             }