diff --git a/phagetermvirome/readsCoverage_res.py b/phagetermvirome/readsCoverage_res.py
index bc3d3c5d7c0819471edb4cf5f48eb0e87c7d26b8..ba94792a612d14af323e3d91bba979c3a7ad1105 100644
--- a/phagetermvirome/readsCoverage_res.py
+++ b/phagetermvirome/readsCoverage_res.py
@@ -214,13 +214,12 @@ class RCCheckpoint_handler:
     def __init__(self,chk_freq,dir_chk,test_mode=False):
         self.chk_freq=chk_freq
         self.test_mode = test_mode
-        self.start_t=0
+        self.start_t=time.perf_counter_ns()
         self.dir_chk = dir_chk
         # if self.test_mode == True:
         #     self.v38_C5 = checkpoint_visitor_38_Cos5()
         #     self.v11150_C5 = checkpoint_visitor_11150_Cos5()
         if self.test_mode==True:
-            self.start_t = time.perf_counter_ns()
             if os.path.exists(dir_chk):
                 if not (os.path.isdir(dir_chk)):
                     raise RuntimeError("dir_chk must point to a directory")