diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariPool.java b/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariPool.java
index 91979590..315dc04a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariPool.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/HikariPool.java
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ public final class HikariPool implements HikariPoolMBean
         long idleTimeout = configuration.getIdleTimeout();
         if (idleTimeout > 0 || configuration.getMaxLifetime() > 0)
         {
-            houseKeepingTimer.scheduleAtFixedRate(new HouseKeeper(), TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(30), TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(30));
+            long delayPeriod = Long.getLong("com.zaxxer.hikari.housekeeping.period", TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(30));
+            houseKeepingTimer.scheduleAtFixedRate(new HouseKeeper(), delayPeriod * 2, delayPeriod);
         }
 
         fillPool();            
@@ -126,24 +127,15 @@ public final class HikariPool implements HikariPoolMBean
                 IHikariConnectionProxy connectionProxy = idleConnections.poll(timeout, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
                 if (connectionProxy == null)
                 {
+                    // We timed out... break and throw exception
                 	break;
                 }
 
                 idleConnectionCount.decrementAndGet();
 
-                final long maxLifetime = configuration.getMaxLifetime();
-                if (maxLifetime > 0 && start - connectionProxy.getCreationTime() > maxLifetime)
-                {
-                    // Throw away the connection that has passed its lifetime, try again
-                    closeConnection(connectionProxy);
-                    timeout -= (System.currentTimeMillis() - start);
-                    continue;
-                }
-
                 connectionProxy.unclose();
 
-                Connection connection = (Connection) connectionProxy; 
-                if (!isConnectionAlive(connection, timeout))
+                if (!isConnectionAlive(connectionProxy, timeout))
                 {
                     // Throw away the dead connection, try again
                     closeConnection(connectionProxy);
@@ -156,9 +148,9 @@ public final class HikariPool implements HikariPoolMBean
                     connectionProxy.captureStack(leakDetectionThreshold, houseKeepingTimer);
                 }
 
-                connection.clearWarnings();
+                connectionProxy.clearWarnings();
 
-                return connection;
+                return connectionProxy;
 
             } while (timeout > 0);
 
@@ -189,8 +181,6 @@ public final class HikariPool implements HikariPoolMBean
     {
         if (!connectionProxy.isBrokenConnection())
         {
-            connectionProxy.markLastAccess();
-
             idleConnectionCount.incrementAndGet();
             idleConnections.put(connectionProxy);
         }
@@ -335,7 +325,7 @@ public final class HikariPool implements HikariPoolMBean
                     transactionIsolation = connection.getTransactionIsolation();
                 }
                 
-                boolean alive = isConnectionAlive((Connection) proxyConnection, configuration.getConnectionTimeout());
+                boolean alive = isConnectionAlive(proxyConnection, configuration.getConnectionTimeout());
                 if (!alive)
                 {
                     // This will be caught below...
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/proxy/ConnectionProxy.java b/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/proxy/ConnectionProxy.java
index 7487219f..20a155e4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/proxy/ConnectionProxy.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/proxy/ConnectionProxy.java
@@ -45,13 +45,13 @@ public abstract class ConnectionProxy implements IHikariConnectionProxy
     private final ArrayList<Statement> openStatements;
     private final HikariPool parentPool;
 
-    private volatile boolean isClosed;
+    private boolean isClosed;
+    private boolean forceClose;
     
     private final long creationTime;
-    private boolean forceClose;
-    private long lastAccess;
+    private volatile long lastAccess;
 
-    private StackTraceElement[] stackTrace;
+    private StackTraceElement[] leakTrace;
     private TimerTask leakTask;
 
     // static initializer
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public abstract class ConnectionProxy implements IHikariConnectionProxy
         this.delegate = connection;
 
         creationTime = lastAccess = System.currentTimeMillis();
-        openStatements = new ArrayList<Statement>(64);
+        openStatements = new ArrayList<Statement>();
     }
     
     public final void unregisterStatement(Object statement)
@@ -97,11 +97,6 @@ public abstract class ConnectionProxy implements IHikariConnectionProxy
         return lastAccess;
     }
 
-    public final void markLastAccess()
-    {
-        this.lastAccess = System.currentTimeMillis();
-    }
-
     public final void unclose()
     {
         isClosed = false;
@@ -115,10 +110,10 @@ public abstract class ConnectionProxy implements IHikariConnectionProxy
     public final void captureStack(long leakDetectionThreshold, Timer scheduler)
     {
         StackTraceElement[] trace = Thread.currentThread().getStackTrace();
-        stackTrace = new StackTraceElement[trace.length - 4];
-        System.arraycopy(trace, 4, stackTrace, 0, stackTrace.length);
+        leakTrace = new StackTraceElement[trace.length - 4];
+        System.arraycopy(trace, 4, leakTrace, 0, leakTrace.length);
 
-        leakTask = new LeakTask(stackTrace, leakDetectionThreshold);
+        leakTask = new LeakTask(leakTrace, leakDetectionThreshold);
         scheduler.schedule(leakTask, leakDetectionThreshold);
     }
 
@@ -196,6 +191,7 @@ public abstract class ConnectionProxy implements IHikariConnectionProxy
             {
                 isClosed = true;
                 openStatements.clear();
+                lastAccess = System.currentTimeMillis();
                 parentPool.releaseConnection(this);
             }
         }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/proxy/IHikariConnectionProxy.java b/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/proxy/IHikariConnectionProxy.java
index 2074ca3d..8f15e0e6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/proxy/IHikariConnectionProxy.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/proxy/IHikariConnectionProxy.java
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ public interface IHikariConnectionProxy extends Connection
 
     long getLastAccess();
 
-    void markLastAccess();
-
     /* Leak Detection API */
     void captureStack(long leakThreshold, Timer houseKeepingTimer);
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/CreationTest.java b/core/src/test/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/CreationTest.java
index f400d93d..d1610cac 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/CreationTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/zaxxer/hikari/CreationTest.java
@@ -95,8 +95,12 @@ public class CreationTest
         config.setConnectionTestQuery("VALUES 1");
         config.setDataSourceClassName("com.zaxxer.hikari.mocks.StubDataSource");
 
+        System.setProperty("com.zaxxer.hikari.housekeeping.period", "350");
+
         HikariDataSource ds = new HikariDataSource(config);
 
+        System.clearProperty("com.zaxxer.hikari.housekeeping.period");
+
         config.setMaxLifetime(500);
 
         Assert.assertSame("Totals connections not as expected", 1, ds.pool.getTotalConnections());
@@ -115,7 +119,7 @@ public class CreationTest
         Assert.assertSame("Expected the same connection", connection, connection2);
         connection2.close();
         
-        Thread.sleep(501);
+        Thread.sleep(800);
 
         connection2 = ds.getConnection();
         Assert.assertNotSame("Expected a different connection", connection, connection2);