diff --git a/src/disk_io_thread.cpp b/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
index 1780c9f04..4a3011bdd 100644
--- a/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
+++ b/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
@@ -1611,6 +1611,10 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 			disk_io_job j;
 
+			ptime now = time_now_hires();
+			m_queue_time.add_sample(total_microseconds(now - j.start_time));
+			ptime operation_start = now;
+
 			if (!m_jobs.empty())
 			{
 				// we have a job in the job queue. If it's
@@ -1751,13 +1755,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 				m_ios.post(m_queue_callback);
 			}
 
-			ptime now = time_now_hires();
-			m_queue_time.add_sample(total_microseconds(now - j.start_time));
-
 			flush_expired_pieces();
 
-			ptime operation_start = now;
-
 			int ret = 0;
 
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(j.storage