diff --git a/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_priority_queue_t.c b/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_priority_queue_t.c
index 2dc2aeb..dd9025f 100644
--- a/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_priority_queue_t.c
+++ b/mtapi_c/src/embb_mtapi_priority_queue_t.c
@@ -134,15 +134,15 @@ embb_mtapi_task_t * embb_mtapi_priority_queue_pop(embb_mtapi_priority_queue_t* t
         if(that->task_buffer[ii + 1] != MTAPI_NULL) {
           left_deadline  = get_deadline(that->task_buffer[ii + 1]->handle);
         } else {
+          /* set the time to an invalid value. */
           left_deadline.seconds     = ULLONG_MAX;
-          left_deadline.nanoseconds = ULONG_MAX;
         }
 
         if(that->task_buffer[ii + 2] != MTAPI_NULL) {
           right_deadline = get_deadline(that->task_buffer[ii + 2]->handle);
         } else {
+          /* set the time to an invalid value. */
           right_deadline.seconds     = ULLONG_MAX;
-          right_deadline.nanoseconds = ULONG_MAX;
         }
 
         /* min Heap, swap with the smaller of both children. */