diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/net/IncomingTcpConnection.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/net/IncomingTcpConnection.java
index 7d3c607e69bc..987859052269 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/net/IncomingTcpConnection.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/net/IncomingTcpConnection.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import org.xerial.snappy.SnappyInputStream;
 import org.apache.cassandra.config.DatabaseDescriptor;
 import org.apache.cassandra.db.UnknownColumnFamilyException;
+import org.apache.cassandra.db.monitoring.ApproximateTime;
 import org.apache.cassandra.io.util.DataInputPlus;
 import org.apache.cassandra.io.util.DataInputPlus.DataInputStreamPlus;
 import org.apache.cassandra.io.util.NIODataInputStream;
@@ -187,8 +188,8 @@ private InetAddress receiveMessage(DataInputPlus input, int version) throws IOEx
             id = Integer.parseInt(input.readUTF());
         else
             id = input.readInt();
-
-        MessageIn message = MessageIn.read(input, version, id, MessageIn.readConstructionTime(from, input));
+        long currentTime = ApproximateTime.currentTimeMillis();
+        MessageIn message = MessageIn.read(input, version, id, MessageIn.readConstructionTime(from, input, currentTime));
         if (message == null)
         {
             // callback expired; nothing to do
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/net/MessageIn.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/net/MessageIn.java
index a25474199e6f..0de9520688bb 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/net/MessageIn.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/net/MessageIn.java
@@ -124,10 +124,8 @@ public static <T2> MessageIn<T2> read(DataInputPlus in, int version, int id, lon
         return MessageIn.create(from, payload, parameters, verb, version, constructionTime);
     }
 
-    public static long readConstructionTime(InetAddress from, DataInputPlus input) throws IOException
+    public static long readConstructionTime(InetAddress from, DataInputPlus input, long currentTime) throws IOException
     {
-        long currentTime = ApproximateTime.currentTimeMillis();
-
         // Reconstruct the message construction time sent by the remote host (we sent only the lower 4 bytes, assuming the
         // higher 4 bytes wouldn't change between the sender and receiver)
         int partial = input.readInt(); // make sure to readInt, even if cross_node_to is not enabled
diff --git a/test/unit/org/apache/cassandra/net/MessagingServiceTest.java b/test/unit/org/apache/cassandra/net/MessagingServiceTest.java
index ec27b7e23dde..11d17b842549 100644
--- a/test/unit/org/apache/cassandra/net/MessagingServiceTest.java
+++ b/test/unit/org/apache/cassandra/net/MessagingServiceTest.java
@@ -34,20 +34,18 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
-
 import com.codahale.metrics.Timer;
 
+import org.apache.cassandra.config.DatabaseDescriptor;
+import org.apache.cassandra.db.monitoring.ApproximateTime;
 import org.apache.cassandra.io.util.DataInputPlus.DataInputStreamPlus;
 import org.apache.cassandra.io.util.DataOutputStreamPlus;
 import org.apache.cassandra.io.util.WrappedDataOutputStreamPlus;
 import org.caffinitas.ohc.histo.EstimatedHistogram;
-
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
-import org.apache.cassandra.config.DatabaseDescriptor;
-
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 public class MessagingServiceTest
@@ -100,15 +98,13 @@ public void testDroppedMessages()
     public void testDCLatency() throws Exception
     {
         int latency = 100;
-
         ConcurrentHashMap<String, Timer> dcLatency = MessagingService.instance().metrics.dcLatency;
         dcLatency.clear();
 
-        long now = System.currentTimeMillis();
+        long now = ApproximateTime.currentTimeMillis();
         long sentAt = now - latency;
-
         assertNull(dcLatency.get("datacenter1"));
-        addDCLatency(sentAt);
+        addDCLatency(sentAt, now);
         assertNotNull(dcLatency.get("datacenter1"));
         assertEquals(1, dcLatency.get("datacenter1").getCount());
         long expectedBucket = bucketOffsets[Math.abs(Arrays.binarySearch(bucketOffsets, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.toNanos(latency))) - 1];
@@ -124,11 +120,11 @@ public void testNegativeDCLatency() throws Exception
         ConcurrentHashMap<String, Timer> dcLatency = MessagingService.instance().metrics.dcLatency;
         dcLatency.clear();
 
-        long now = System.currentTimeMillis();
+        long now = ApproximateTime.currentTimeMillis();
         long sentAt = now - latency;
 
         assertNull(dcLatency.get("datacenter1"));
-        addDCLatency(sentAt);
+        addDCLatency(sentAt, now);
         assertNull(dcLatency.get("datacenter1"));
     }
 
@@ -221,7 +217,7 @@ public void testDoesntApplyBackPressureToBroadcastAddress() throws UnknownHostEx
         assertFalse(MockBackPressureStrategy.applied);
     }
 
-    private static void addDCLatency(long sentAt) throws IOException
+    private static void addDCLatency(long sentAt, long nowTime) throws IOException
     {
         ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
         try (DataOutputStreamPlus out = new WrappedDataOutputStreamPlus(baos))
@@ -229,7 +225,7 @@ private static void addDCLatency(long sentAt) throws IOException
             out.writeInt((int) sentAt);
         }
         DataInputStreamPlus in = new DataInputStreamPlus(new ByteArrayInputStream(baos.toByteArray()));
-        MessageIn.readConstructionTime(InetAddress.getLocalHost(), in);
+        MessageIn.readConstructionTime(InetAddress.getLocalHost(), in, nowTime);
     }
 
     public static class MockBackPressureStrategy implements BackPressureStrategy<MockBackPressureStrategy.MockBackPressureState>