diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 2da1d8da0..6ff2ef990 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2004-12-24  Elijah Newren  <newren@gmail.com>
+
+	* src/window.c (window_takes_focus_on_map): Fix error in
+	distinguishing < vs. <= introduced by the patch in #154598,
+	restructure code so that verbose log matches code better in order
+	ensure such mistakes are harder to make in the future (fixes
+	#162172)
+
 2004-12-24  Elijah Newren  <newren@gmail.com>
 
 	Thanks to mild7@users.sourceforge.net for this fix.
diff --git a/src/window.c b/src/window.c
index ccc2a5539..3b6a089d9 100644
--- a/src/window.c
+++ b/src/window.c
@@ -1624,21 +1624,21 @@ window_takes_focus_on_map (MetaWindow *window)
       compare = window->initial_timestamp_set ? window->initial_timestamp : 0;
       compare = window->net_wm_user_time_set  ? window->net_wm_user_time  : compare;
 
-      if ((window->display->focus_window == NULL) ||
-          XSERVER_TIME_IS_BEFORE (window->display->focus_window->net_wm_user_time, compare))
-        {
-          meta_topic (META_DEBUG_STARTUP,
-                      "new window %s with no intervening events\n",
-                      window->desc);
-          return TRUE;
-        }
-      else
+      if ((window->display->focus_window != NULL) &&
+          XSERVER_TIME_IS_BEFORE (compare, window->display->focus_window->net_wm_user_time))
         {
           meta_topic (META_DEBUG_STARTUP,
                       "window %s focus prevented by other activity; %lu is before %lu\n",
                       window->desc, compare, window->display->focus_window->net_wm_user_time);
           return FALSE;
         }
+      else
+        {
+          meta_topic (META_DEBUG_STARTUP,
+                      "new window %s with no intervening events\n",
+                      window->desc);
+          return TRUE;
+        }
 
       break;
     }