diff --git a/apache2/modsecurity.c b/apache2/modsecurity.c
index a6891711..6b77132d 100644
--- a/apache2/modsecurity.c
+++ b/apache2/modsecurity.c
@@ -391,11 +391,9 @@ apr_status_t modsecurity_tx_init(modsec_rec *msr) {
     if (msr->matched_vars == NULL) return -1;
     apr_table_clear(msr->matched_vars);
 
-    if(msr->txcfg->max_rule_time > 0)   {
-        msr->perf_rules = apr_table_make(msr->mp, 8);
-        if (msr->perf_rules == NULL) return -1;
-        apr_table_clear(msr->perf_rules);
-    }
+    msr->perf_rules = apr_table_make(msr->mp, 8);
+    if (msr->perf_rules == NULL) return -1;
+    apr_table_clear(msr->perf_rules);
 
     /* Locate the cookie headers and parse them */
     arr = apr_table_elts(msr->request_headers);
diff --git a/apache2/re.c b/apache2/re.c
index 975d7e09..952a7867 100644
--- a/apache2/re.c
+++ b/apache2/re.c
@@ -2604,12 +2604,16 @@ static int execute_operator(msre_var *var, msre_rule *rule, modsec_rec *msr,
             rt_time = apr_table_get(msr->perf_rules, rule->actionset->id);
             if(rt_time == NULL) {
                 rt_time = apr_psprintf(msr->mp, "%" APR_TIME_T_FMT, (t1 - time_before_op));
-                apr_table_setn(msr->perf_rules, rule->actionset->id, rt_time);
+                rule_time = (apr_time_t)atoi(rt_time);
+                if(rule_time >= msr->txcfg->max_rule_time)
+                    apr_table_setn(msr->perf_rules, rule->actionset->id, rt_time);
             } else  {
                 rule_time = (apr_time_t)atoi(rt_time);
                 rule_time += (t1 - time_before_op);
-                rt_time = apr_psprintf(msr->mp, "%" APR_TIME_T_FMT, rule_time);
-                apr_table_setn(msr->perf_rules, rule->actionset->id, rt_time);
+                if(rule_time >= msr->txcfg->max_rule_time)  {
+                    rt_time = apr_psprintf(msr->mp, "%" APR_TIME_T_FMT, rule_time);
+                    apr_table_setn(msr->perf_rules, rule->actionset->id, rt_time);
+                }
             }
         }
     }