diff --git a/brozzler/frontier.py b/brozzler/frontier.py
index 86bfe48..7a6f826 100644
--- a/brozzler/frontier.py
+++ b/brozzler/frontier.py
@@ -102,21 +102,28 @@ class RethinkDbFrontier:
                         ["ACTIVE", r.minval], ["ACTIVE", r.maxval],
                         index="sites_last_disclaimed")
                     .order_by(index="sites_last_disclaimed")
-                    .filter((r.row["claimed"] != True) | (
-                        r.row["last_claimed"] < r.now() - 60*60))
+                    .filter(r.row["claimed"] != True)
+                    # XXX
+                    # .filter((r.row["claimed"] != True) | (
+                    #     r.row["last_claimed"] < r.now() - 60*60))
                     .limit(1)
                     .update(
                         # try to avoid a race condition resulting in multiple
                         # brozzler-workers claiming the same site
                         # see https://github.com/rethinkdb/rethinkdb/issues/3235#issuecomment-60283038
-                        r.branch((r.row["claimed"] != True) | (
-                            r.row["last_claimed"] < r.now() - 60*60), {
+                        r.branch(r.row["claimed"] != True, {
                                 "claimed": True, "last_claimed_by": worker_id,
                                 "last_claimed": doublethink.utcnow()}, {}),
+                        # XXX
+                        # r.branch((r.row["claimed"] != True) | (
+                        #     r.row["last_claimed"] < r.now() - 60*60), {
+                        #         "claimed": True, "last_claimed_by": worker_id,
+                        #         "last_claimed": doublethink.utcnow()}, {}),
                             return_changes=True)).run()
             self._vet_result(result, replaced=[0,1], unchanged=[0,1])
             if result["replaced"] == 1:
                 if result["changes"][0]["old_val"]["claimed"]:
+                    # XXX impossible at the moment
                     self.logger.warn(
                             "re-claimed site that was still marked 'claimed' "
                             "because it was last claimed a long time ago "
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2205f82..7c3e695 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def find_package_data(package):
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='brozzler',
-        version='1.1b12.dev257',
+        version='1.1b12.dev258',
         description='Distributed web crawling with browsers',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/brozzler',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/tests/test_frontier.py b/tests/test_frontier.py
index f4fcec3..7c2a328 100644
--- a/tests/test_frontier.py
+++ b/tests/test_frontier.py
@@ -723,14 +723,17 @@ def test_claim_site():
     with pytest.raises(brozzler.NothingToClaim):
         claimed_site = frontier.claim_site(worker_id='test_claim_site')
 
-    # site last_claimed more than 1 hour ago can be reclaimed
+    ### temporarily changing this behavior
+    ### # site last_claimed more than 1 hour ago can be reclaimed
     site = claimed_site
     claimed_site = None
     site.last_claimed = doublethink.utcnow() - datetime.timedelta(minutes=65)
     site.save()
-    claimed_site = frontier.claim_site(worker_id='test_claim_site')
-    assert claimed_site.id == site.id
+    ### claimed_site = frontier.claim_site(worker_id='test_claim_site')
+    ### assert claimed_site.id == site.id
+    with pytest.raises(brozzler.NothingToClaim):
+        claimed_site = frontier.claim_site(worker_id='test_claim_site')
 
     # clean up
-    rr.table('sites').get(claimed_site.id).delete().run()
+    rr.table('sites').get(site.id).delete().run()