diff --git a/src/daemon/dlt-daemon.c b/src/daemon/dlt-daemon.c
index f0d5a1657..9b320dbc8 100644
--- a/src/daemon/dlt-daemon.c
+++ b/src/daemon/dlt-daemon.c
@@ -1549,14 +1549,25 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 #ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
     {
         char *watchdogUSec = getenv("WATCHDOG_USEC");
-        int watchdogTimeoutSeconds = 0;
+        // set a sensible default, in case the environment variable is not set
+        int watchdogTimeoutSeconds = 30;
 
         dlt_log(LOG_DEBUG, "Systemd watchdog initialization\n");
 
-        if (watchdogUSec)
+        if (watchdogUSec) {
+            // WATCHDOG_USEC is the timeout in micrsoseconds
+            // divide this by 2*10^6 to get the interval in seconds
+            // 2 * because we notify systemd after half the timeout
             watchdogTimeoutSeconds = atoi(watchdogUSec) / 2000000;
+        }
+
+        if (watchdogTimeoutSeconds == 0) {
+            dlt_log(LOG_WARNING, "Watchdog timeout is too small, need at least 1s, setting 1s timeout\n");
+            watchdogTimeoutSeconds = 1;
+        }
 
         daemon.watchdog_trigger_interval = watchdogTimeoutSeconds;
+        daemon.watchdog_last_trigger_time = 0U;
         create_timer_fd(&daemon_local,
                         watchdogTimeoutSeconds,
                         watchdogTimeoutSeconds,
@@ -3152,6 +3163,17 @@ int dlt_daemon_process_user_messages(DltDaemon *daemon,
 
     /* look through buffer as long as data is in there */
     while ((receiver->bytesRcvd >= min_size) && run_loop) {
+#ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
+        /* this loop may be running long, so we have to exit it at some point to be able to
+         * to process other events, like feeding the watchdog
+         */
+        bool watchdog_triggered= dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(daemon);
+        if (watchdog_triggered) {
+            dlt_vlog(LOG_WARNING, "%s yields due to watchdog.\n", __func__);
+            run_loop = 0; // exit loop in next iteration
+        }
+#endif
+
         dlt_daemon_process_user_message_func func = NULL;
 
         offset = 0;
@@ -3798,12 +3820,9 @@ int dlt_daemon_process_user_message_log(DltDaemon *daemon,
 
     while (1) {
 #ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
-        const unsigned int uptime = dlt_uptime();
-        if ((uptime - start_time) / 10000 > daemon->watchdog_trigger_interval) {
-            dlt_vlog(LOG_WARNING,
-                     "spent already 1 watchdog trigger interval in %s, yielding to process other events.\n", __func__);
-            if (sd_notify(0, "WATCHDOG=1") < 0)
-                dlt_vlog(LOG_CRIT, "Could not reset systemd watchdog from %s\n", __func__);
+        bool watchdog_triggered = dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(daemon);
+        if (watchdog_triggered) {
+            dlt_vlog(LOG_WARNING, "%s yields due to watchdog.\n", __func__);
             break;
         }
 #endif
@@ -4162,7 +4181,7 @@ int dlt_daemon_send_ringbuffer_to_client(DltDaemon *daemon, DltDaemonLocal *daem
 
     while ((length = dlt_buffer_copy(&(daemon->client_ringbuffer), data, sizeof(data))) > 0) {
 #ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
-        dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(&curr_time, daemon->watchdog_trigger_interval);
+        dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(daemon);
 #endif
 
         if ((ret =
diff --git a/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_client.c b/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_client.c
index 5b6fd5bcc..26f7fdd15 100644
--- a/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_client.c
+++ b/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_client.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ static int dlt_daemon_client_send_all_multiple(DltDaemon *daemon,
                                                int verbose)
 {
     int sent = 0;
-    unsigned int i = 0;
+    nfds_t i = 0;
     int ret = 0;
     DltConnection *temp = NULL;
     int type_mask =
@@ -125,6 +125,13 @@ static int dlt_daemon_client_send_all_multiple(DltDaemon *daemon,
 
     for (i = 0; i < daemon_local->pEvent.nfds; i++)
     {
+#ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
+        bool watchdog_triggered = dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(daemon);
+        if (watchdog_triggered) {
+            dlt_vlog(LOG_WARNING, "%s notified watchdog, processed %lu/%lu fds already.\n",
+                     __func__, i, daemon_local->pEvent.nfds);
+        }
+#endif
         temp = dlt_event_handler_find_connection(&(daemon_local->pEvent),
                                         daemon_local->pEvent.pfd[i].fd);
 
@@ -152,7 +159,7 @@ static int dlt_daemon_client_send_all_multiple(DltDaemon *daemon,
         if (ret != DLT_DAEMON_ERROR_OK)
             dlt_vlog(LOG_WARNING, "%s: send dlt message failed\n", __func__);
         else
-            /* If sent to at  least one client,
+            /* If sent to at least one client,
              * then do not store in ring buffer
              */
             sent = 1;
@@ -2398,8 +2405,7 @@ int dlt_daemon_process_systemd_timer(DltDaemon *daemon,
     daemon->received_message_since_last_watchdog_interval = 0;
 #endif
 
-    if (sd_notify(0, "WATCHDOG=1") < 0)
-        dlt_log(LOG_CRIT, "Could not reset systemd watchdog\n");
+    dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(daemon);
 
     dlt_log(LOG_DEBUG, "Timer watchdog\n");
 
diff --git a/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_common.c b/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_common.c
index f3aa277b9..86018ba48 100644
--- a/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_common.c
+++ b/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_common.c
@@ -2002,14 +2002,24 @@ void dlt_daemon_change_state(DltDaemon *daemon, DltDaemonState newState)
 }
 
 #ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
-void dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(unsigned int* last_trigger_time, unsigned int watchdog_trigger_interval) {
-    unsigned int uptime = dlt_uptime();
-    if ((uptime - *last_trigger_time) / 10000 >= watchdog_trigger_interval) {
-        if (sd_notify(0, "WATCHDOG=1") < 0)
-            dlt_vlog(LOG_WARNING, "%s: Could not reset systemd watchdog\n", __func__);
-        *last_trigger_time = uptime;
+bool dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(DltDaemon *daemon) {
+    if (daemon->watchdog_trigger_interval == 0) {
+        return false;
     }
+
+    const unsigned int uptime_seconds = dlt_uptime() / 10000;
+    const unsigned int seconds_since_last_trigger = uptime_seconds - daemon->watchdog_last_trigger_time;
+    if (seconds_since_last_trigger < daemon->watchdog_trigger_interval) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (sd_notify(0, "WATCHDOG=1") < 0)
+        dlt_vlog(LOG_WARNING, "%s: Could not reset systemd watchdog\n", __func__);
+    else
+        daemon->watchdog_last_trigger_time = uptime_seconds;
+
+    return true;
 }
+
 #endif
 
 #ifdef DLT_TRACE_LOAD_CTRL_ENABLE
diff --git a/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_common.h b/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_common.h
index fc91ee934..c46151387 100644
--- a/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_common.h
+++ b/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_common.h
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ typedef struct
 #endif
 #ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
     unsigned int watchdog_trigger_interval;  /* watchdog trigger interval in [s] */
+    unsigned int watchdog_last_trigger_time; /* when the watchdog was last triggered in [s] */
 #endif
 #ifdef DLT_LOG_LEVEL_APP_CONFIG
     DltDaemonContextLogSettings *app_id_log_level_settings; /**< Settings for app id specific log levels */
@@ -606,7 +607,12 @@ void dlt_daemon_control_reset_to_factory_default(DltDaemon *daemon,
 void dlt_daemon_change_state(DltDaemon *daemon, DltDaemonState newState);
 
 #ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
-void dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(unsigned int* last_trigger_time, unsigned int watchdog_trigger_interval);
+/**
+ * Trigger the systemd watchdog when the timeout has been reached
+ * @param daemon pointer to dlt daemon structure
+ * @return true if the watchdog has been triggered
+ */
+bool dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(DltDaemon *daemon);
 #endif
 
 #   ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_event_handler.c b/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_event_handler.c
index 0dec007bf..5fdefd953 100644
--- a/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_event_handler.c
+++ b/src/daemon/dlt_daemon_event_handler.c
@@ -268,7 +268,9 @@ int dlt_daemon_handle_event(DltEventHandler *pEvent,
             return -1;
         }
 #ifdef DLT_SYSTEMD_WATCHDOG_ENABLE
-        dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(&start_time, daemon->watchdog_trigger_interval);
+        // no need to yield here, it will be called in a loop anyways.
+        // therefore we also do not log.
+        dlt_daemon_trigger_systemd_watchdog_if_necessary(daemon);
 #endif
     }