diff --git a/modules/node.module b/modules/node.module
index 672b3bdb1f0bb02976749c8e8dc7061a00cc07f6..76270f76e8945309245706d869310fffecc82556 100644
--- a/modules/node.module
+++ b/modules/node.module
@@ -1556,7 +1556,7 @@ function node_update_index() {
     // cannot be indexed (PHP nodes which call drupal_goto, for example).
     // In rare cases this can mean a node is only partially indexed, but the
     // chances of this happening are very small.
-    variable_set('node_cron_last', max($last_comment, max($node->changed, $node->created)));
+    variable_set('node_cron_last', max($last_comment, $node->changed, $node->created));
 
     if (node_hook($node, 'view')) {
       node_invoke($node, 'view', false, false);
diff --git a/modules/node/node.module b/modules/node/node.module
index 672b3bdb1f0bb02976749c8e8dc7061a00cc07f6..76270f76e8945309245706d869310fffecc82556 100644
--- a/modules/node/node.module
+++ b/modules/node/node.module
@@ -1556,7 +1556,7 @@ function node_update_index() {
     // cannot be indexed (PHP nodes which call drupal_goto, for example).
     // In rare cases this can mean a node is only partially indexed, but the
     // chances of this happening are very small.
-    variable_set('node_cron_last', max($last_comment, max($node->changed, $node->created)));
+    variable_set('node_cron_last', max($last_comment, $node->changed, $node->created));
 
     if (node_hook($node, 'view')) {
       node_invoke($node, 'view', false, false);
diff --git a/modules/search.module b/modules/search.module
index 27ecb0ba9ee315573adc6395d24c3b4a8f14b9fa..25f767bda370f908ab3e60e1b5cf721dd887d503 100644
--- a/modules/search.module
+++ b/modules/search.module
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ function search_admin() {
   $output = form_group(t('Indexing settings'), $group);
 
   // Collect some stats
-  $estimate = db_result(db_query('SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT sid) FROM {search_index}'));
+  $estimate = variable_get('search_indexed', 0);
   $nodes = max(1, db_result(db_query('SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node}')));
   $percentage = ((int)min(100, 100 * $estimate / $nodes)) . '%';
   $status = '<p>'. t('Approximately %percentage of the site has been indexed.', array('%percentage' => $percentage)) .'</p>';
@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@ function search_cron() {
   while ($word = db_fetch_object($result)) {
     db_query("DELETE FROM {search_total} WHERE word = '%s'", $word->realword);
   }
+
+  // Count indexed items (for administration screen)
+  $indexed = db_result(db_query('SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT sid) FROM {search_index}'));
+  variable_set('search_indexed', $indexed);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/search/search.module b/modules/search/search.module
index 27ecb0ba9ee315573adc6395d24c3b4a8f14b9fa..25f767bda370f908ab3e60e1b5cf721dd887d503 100644
--- a/modules/search/search.module
+++ b/modules/search/search.module
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ function search_admin() {
   $output = form_group(t('Indexing settings'), $group);
 
   // Collect some stats
-  $estimate = db_result(db_query('SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT sid) FROM {search_index}'));
+  $estimate = variable_get('search_indexed', 0);
   $nodes = max(1, db_result(db_query('SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {node}')));
   $percentage = ((int)min(100, 100 * $estimate / $nodes)) . '%';
   $status = '<p>'. t('Approximately %percentage of the site has been indexed.', array('%percentage' => $percentage)) .'</p>';
@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@ function search_cron() {
   while ($word = db_fetch_object($result)) {
     db_query("DELETE FROM {search_total} WHERE word = '%s'", $word->realword);
   }
+
+  // Count indexed items (for administration screen)
+  $indexed = db_result(db_query('SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT sid) FROM {search_index}'));
+  variable_set('search_indexed', $indexed);
 }
 
 /**