diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/FailureDetector.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/FailureDetector.java
index 4a73c5789b..5a72976a0e 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/FailureDetector.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/FailureDetector.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class FailureDetector implements IFailureDetector, FailureDetectorMBean
     private static final long DEFAULT_MAX_PAUSE = 5000L * 1000000L; // 5 seconds
     private static final long MAX_LOCAL_PAUSE_IN_NANOS = getMaxLocalPause();
     private long lastInterpret = System.nanoTime();
-    private boolean wasPaused = false;
+    private long lastPause = 0L;
 
     private static long getMaxLocalPause()
     {
@@ -241,12 +241,12 @@ public class FailureDetector implements IFailureDetector, FailureDetectorMBean
         if (diff > MAX_LOCAL_PAUSE_IN_NANOS)
         {
             logger.warn("Not marking nodes down due to local pause of {} > {}", diff, MAX_LOCAL_PAUSE_IN_NANOS);
-            wasPaused = true;
+            lastPause = now;
             return;
         }
-        if (wasPaused)
+        if (System.nanoTime() - lastPause < MAX_LOCAL_PAUSE_IN_NANOS)
         {
-            wasPaused = false;
+            logger.debug("Still not marking nodes down due to local pause");
             return;
         }
         double phi = hbWnd.phi(now);