diff --git a/gunicorn/arbiter.py b/gunicorn/arbiter.py
index 4b1a2950..95ae4104 100644
--- a/gunicorn/arbiter.py
+++ b/gunicorn/arbiter.py
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ class Arbiter(object):
                 sig = self.SIG_QUEUE.pop(0) if len(self.SIG_QUEUE) else None
                 if sig is None:
                     self.sleep()
+                    self.murder_workers()
                     self.manage_workers()
                     continue
                 
@@ -363,7 +364,22 @@ class Arbiter(object):
         util._setproctitle("master [%s]" % self.proc_name)
         
         # manage workers
-        self.manage_workers()
+        self.manage_workers() 
+        
+    def murder_workers(self):
+        """\
+        Kill unused/idle workers
+        """
+        for (pid, worker) in list(self.WORKERS.items()):
+            try:
+                diff = time.time() - os.fstat(worker.tmp.fileno()).st_ctime
+                if diff <= self.timeout:
+                    continue
+            except ValueError:
+                continue
+
+            self.log.critical("WORKER TIMEOUT (pid:%s)" % pid)
+            self.kill_worker(pid, signal.SIGKILL)
         
     def reap_workers(self):
         """\
@@ -396,26 +412,10 @@ class Arbiter(object):
         Maintain the number of workers by spawning or killing
         as required.
         """
-        active_workers = []
-        for (pid, worker) in list(self.WORKERS.items()):
-            try:
-                stat = os.fstat(worker.tmp.fileno())
-                diff = time.time() - stat.st_ctime
-                if diff <= self.timeout:
-                    # A fully booted worker will have called notify()
-                    if stat.st_mtime < stat.st_ctime:
-                        active_workers.append(pid)
-                    continue
-            except ValueError:
-                continue
-
-            self.log.critical("WORKER TIMEOUT (pid:%s)" % pid)
-            self.kill_worker(pid, signal.SIGKILL)
-
         if len(self.WORKERS.keys()) < self.num_workers:
             self.spawn_workers()
 
-        num_to_kill = len(active_workers) - self.num_workers
+        num_to_kill = len(self.WORKERS) - self.num_workers
         for i in range(num_to_kill, 0, -1):
             pid, age = 0, sys.maxint
             for (wpid, worker) in self.WORKERS.iteritems():