diff --git a/NEWS.adoc b/NEWS.adoc
index e1fcf94194..d203b6b1cc 100644
--- a/NEWS.adoc
+++ b/NEWS.adoc
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ https://github.com/networkupstools/nut/milestone/11
    * Addition of "NUT Simulated devices" support to `nut-scanner` in v2.8.2
      broke detection of (in-)ability to find and query "Old NUT" servers via
      `libupsclient.so` (internal flag got always enabled). [#2246]
+   * A fix for `upsmon` v2.8.1 setting of `OFFDURATION` [PR #2108, issue #2104,
+     revisiting PR #2055, issue #2044] was overly zealous and impacted also
+     the `OB` state in cases where communications to the data server were
+     severed and `DEADTIME` setting was not honored. [PR #2462, issue #2454]
 
  - drivers, `upsd`, `upsmon`: reduce "scary noise" about failure to `fopen()`
    the PID file (which most of the time means that no previous instance of
diff --git a/clients/upsmon.c b/clients/upsmon.c
index 28c7c1d1f5..65b0234c88 100644
--- a/clients/upsmon.c
+++ b/clients/upsmon.c
@@ -1111,14 +1111,6 @@ static int is_ups_critical(utype_t *ups)
 				ups->sys);
 			return 1;
 		}
-
-		if (ups->linestate == 0) {
-			upslogx(LOG_WARNING,
-				"UPS [%s] was last known to be not fully online "
-				"and currently is not communicating, assuming dead",
-				ups->sys);
-			return 1;
-		}
 	}
 
 	/* administratively OFF (long enough, see OFFDURATION) */