diff --git a/lib/backchannel.js b/lib/backchannel.js
index c173843f5..bc2bfe641 100644
--- a/lib/backchannel.js
+++ b/lib/backchannel.js
@@ -155,7 +155,11 @@ BackChannel.prototype = {
       if (err) return console.error('Error finding job', err.message)
       if (!job) return console.error('job.done but job not found:', data.id)
       _.extend(job, data)
-      job.duration = data.finished.getTime() - data.started.getTime()
+      try {
+        job.duration = data.finished.getTime() - data.started.getTime()
+      } catch (ignore) {
+        job.duration = 1
+      }
       job.markModified('phases')
       job.markModified('plugin_data')
       job.test_exitcode = job.phases.test && job.phases.test.exitCode