diff --git a/scripts/base/utils/time.zeek b/scripts/base/utils/time.zeek
index c173c82878..c6f8cfe76b 100644
--- a/scripts/base/utils/time.zeek
+++ b/scripts/base/utils/time.zeek
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+##! Time-related functions.
 
 ## Given an interval, returns a string representing the minutes and seconds
 ## in the interval (for example, "3m34s").
@@ -6,3 +7,22 @@ function duration_to_mins_secs(dur: interval): string
 	local dur_count = double_to_count(interval_to_double(dur));
 	return fmt("%dm%ds", dur_count/60, dur_count%60);
 	}
+
+## Time value representing the 0 timestamp.
+const null_ts = double_to_time(0);
+
+## Calculate the packet lag, i.e. the difference between wall clock and the
+## timestamp of the currently processed packet. If Zeek is not processing a
+## packet, the function returns a 0 interval value.
+function get_packet_lag(): interval
+	{
+	# We use get_current_packet_ts() instead of network_time() here, because
+	# network time does not immediately fall back to wall clock if there is
+	# no packet. Instead, network time remains set to the last seen packet's
+	# timestamp for ``packet_source_inactivity_timeout``.
+	local pkt_ts = get_current_packet_ts();
+	if (pkt_ts == null_ts)
+		return 0 sec;
+
+	return current_time() - pkt_ts;
+	}
diff --git a/scripts/policy/misc/stats.zeek b/scripts/policy/misc/stats.zeek
index 8449ccdb0d..cae9a3b16a 100644
--- a/scripts/policy/misc/stats.zeek
+++ b/scripts/policy/misc/stats.zeek
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 @load base/frameworks/notice
 @load base/frameworks/telemetry
+@load base/utils/time
 
 module Stats;
 
@@ -166,8 +167,6 @@ event zeek_init() &priority=5
 	Log::create_stream(Stats::LOG, [$columns=Info, $ev=log_stats, $path="stats", $policy=log_policy]);
 	}
 
-const null_ts = double_to_time(0);
-
 event check_stats(then: time, last_ns: NetStats, last_cs: ConnStats, last_ps: ProcStats, last_es: EventStats, last_rs: ReassemblerStats, last_ts: TimerStats, last_fs: FileAnalysisStats, last_ds: DNSStats)
 	{
 	local nettime = network_time();
@@ -216,8 +215,7 @@ event check_stats(then: time, last_ns: NetStats, last_cs: ConnStats, last_ps: Pr
 
 	if ( reading_live_traffic() )
 		{
-		local pkt_ts = get_current_packet_ts();
-		info$pkt_lag = pkt_ts > null_ts ? current_time() - pkt_ts : 0 sec;
+		info$pkt_lag = get_packet_lag();
 		info$pkts_dropped = ns$pkts_dropped  - last_ns$pkts_dropped;
 		info$pkts_link = ns$pkts_link  - last_ns$pkts_link;
 
diff --git a/src/zeek.bif b/src/zeek.bif
index d614bf27a0..84cc1e397a 100644
--- a/src/zeek.bif
+++ b/src/zeek.bif
@@ -3833,19 +3833,19 @@ function get_current_packet_header%(%) : raw_pkt_hdr
 	return std::move(hdr);
 	%}
 
-## Returns the currently processed PCAP packet's timestamp.
+## Returns the currently processed PCAP packet's timestamp or a 0 timestamp if
+## there is no packet being processed at the moment.
 ##
 ## Returns: The currently processed packet's timestamp.
 ##
-## .. zeek:see:: get_current_packet get_current_packet_header
+## .. zeek:see:: get_current_packet get_current_packet_header network_time
 ##
 ## .. note::
 ##
-##      For ``get_current_packet_ts()`` the same limitations as for
-##      :zeek:see:`get_current_packet` apply. In particular, the return value
-##      should be considered undefined when called within event handlers raised
-##      via :zeek:see:`event`, :zeek:see:`schedule` or by recipient of Broker
-##      messages.
+##      When there is no packet being processed, ``get_current_packet_ts()``
+##      will return a 0 timestamp, while ``network_time()`` will return the
+##      timestamp of the last processed packet until it falls back to tracking
+##      wall clock after ``packet_source_inactivity_timeout``.
 function get_current_packet_ts%(%) : time
 	%{
 	double ts = 0;