diff --git a/src/focus.c b/src/focus.c
index 489654bd30d94818e9ca955ddc16ff885f8626c5..ba79c4de3340dac58063e56056e0d965d9db232e 100644
--- a/src/focus.c
+++ b/src/focus.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ clientFocusNew(Client * c)
         }
         else if (FLAG_TEST (c->flags, CLIENT_FLAG_HAS_STARTUP_TIME | CLIENT_FLAG_HAS_USER_TIME))
         {
-            if (c->user_time < client_focus->user_time)
+            if (TIMESTAMP_IS_BEFORE (c->user_time, client_focus->user_time))
             {
                 TRACE ("Current %u, new %u", (unsigned int) client_focus->user_time, (unsigned int) c->user_time);
                 give_focus = FALSE;