diff --git a/pkg/pillar/types/zedroutertypes.go b/pkg/pillar/types/zedroutertypes.go
index 8fb40a8f3d..d6733dd537 100644
--- a/pkg/pillar/types/zedroutertypes.go
+++ b/pkg/pillar/types/zedroutertypes.go
@@ -877,6 +877,14 @@ func (config DevicePortConfig) IsDPCTestable(minTimeSinceFailure time.Duration)
 	if config.LastSucceeded.After(config.LastFailed) {
 		return true
 	}
+	if config.LastFailed.After(time.Now()) {
+		// Clocks are not in sync - most likely they are still around
+		// the start of the epoch.
+		// Network is likely needed to synchronize the clocks using NTP,
+		// and we should attempt to establish network connectivity using
+		// any DPC available.
+		return true
+	}
 	return time.Since(config.LastFailed) >= minTimeSinceFailure
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/pillar/types/zedroutertypes_test.go b/pkg/pillar/types/zedroutertypes_test.go
index ac7f43f4b4..cf0b70c4d7 100755
--- a/pkg/pillar/types/zedroutertypes_test.go
+++ b/pkg/pillar/types/zedroutertypes_test.go
@@ -183,56 +183,75 @@ func TestIsDPCUsable(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestIsDPCTestable(t *testing.T) {
-	n := time.Now()
 	testMatrix := map[string]struct {
 		devicePortConfig DevicePortConfig
 		expectedValue    bool
 	}{
-		"Difference is exactly 60 seconds": {
+		"DPC always failed test and not enough time passed since the last test": {
 			devicePortConfig: DevicePortConfig{
 				TestResults: TestResults{
-					LastFailed:    n.Add(time.Second * 60),
-					LastSucceeded: n,
+					LastFailed:    time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Minute),
+					LastSucceeded: time.Time{},
 				},
 				Ports: usablePorts,
 			},
 			expectedValue: false,
 		},
-		"Difference is 61 seconds": {
+		"DPC succeeded, then failed and not enough time passed since then": {
 			devicePortConfig: DevicePortConfig{
 				TestResults: TestResults{
-					LastFailed:    n.Add(time.Second * 61),
-					LastSucceeded: n,
+					LastFailed:    time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Minute),
+					LastSucceeded: time.Now().Add(-4 * time.Minute),
 				},
 				Ports: usablePorts,
 			},
 			expectedValue: false,
 		},
-		"Difference is 59 seconds": {
+		"DPC always failed test but enough time passed since the last test": {
 			devicePortConfig: DevicePortConfig{
 				TestResults: TestResults{
-					LastFailed:    n.Add(time.Second * 59),
-					LastSucceeded: n,
+					LastFailed:    time.Now().Add(-6 * time.Minute),
+					LastSucceeded: time.Time{},
 				},
 				Ports: usablePorts,
 			},
-			expectedValue: false,
+			expectedValue: true,
 		},
-		"LastFailed is 0": {
+		"DPC succeeded, then failed but enough time passed since then": {
+			devicePortConfig: DevicePortConfig{
+				TestResults: TestResults{
+					LastFailed:    time.Now().Add(-6 * time.Minute),
+					LastSucceeded: time.Now().Add(-8 * time.Minute),
+				},
+				Ports: usablePorts,
+			},
+			expectedValue: true,
+		},
+		"DPC always succeeded test": {
 			devicePortConfig: DevicePortConfig{
 				TestResults: TestResults{
 					LastFailed:    time.Time{},
-					LastSucceeded: n,
+					LastSucceeded: time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Minute),
 				},
 				Ports: usablePorts,
 			},
 			expectedValue: true,
 		},
-		"Last Succeeded is after Last Failed": {
+		"DPC failed but later succeeded test": {
 			devicePortConfig: DevicePortConfig{
 				TestResults: TestResults{
-					LastFailed:    n,
-					LastSucceeded: n.Add(time.Second * 61),
+					LastFailed:    time.Now().Add(-4 * time.Minute),
+					LastSucceeded: time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Minute),
+				},
+				Ports: usablePorts,
+			},
+			expectedValue: true,
+		},
+		"Clocks are not synchronized": {
+			devicePortConfig: DevicePortConfig{
+				TestResults: TestResults{
+					LastFailed:    time.Now().Add(time.Hour),
+					LastSucceeded: time.Time{},
 				},
 				Ports: usablePorts,
 			},