diff --git a/src/devices/cpu/z80/kp64.cpp b/src/devices/cpu/z80/kp64.cpp
index aac78425951..697ed65268a 100644
--- a/src/devices/cpu/z80/kp64.cpp
+++ b/src/devices/cpu/z80/kp64.cpp
@@ -189,11 +189,13 @@ u16 kp64_device::count_value() const noexcept
 void kp64_device::reload_count()
 {
 	m_count = BIT(m_status, 5) ? 0xffff : m_cr;
-	if (BIT(m_status, 0)) {
-		if(m_cr == 0)
-			m_cr = 0xffff;
-
-		m_count_timer->adjust(clocks_to_attotime(u32(m_count) + 1));
+	if (BIT(m_status, 0))
+	{
+		// hng64 network MCU configures this supposedly invalid value and thrashes the scheduler if the timer is enabled
+		if (m_count == 0)
+			logerror("%s: Zero reload value specified for timer\n", machine().describe_context());
+		else
+			m_count_timer->adjust(clocks_to_attotime(u32(m_count) + 1));
 	}
 
 	// Count is now started whether or not it was before