diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Queue/Memory.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Queue/Memory.php
index 2e4ac0f..67bf078 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Queue/Memory.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Queue/Memory.php
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public function numberOfItems() {
    */
   public function claimItem($lease_time = 30) {
     foreach ($this->queue as $key => $item) {
-      if ($item->expire == 0) {
+      if ($item->expire == 0 || time() > $item->expire) {
         $item->expire = time() + $lease_time;
         $this->queue[$key] = $item;
         return $item;
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Queue/QueueTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Queue/QueueTest.php
index cc882ed..7178fb5 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Queue/QueueTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/KernelTests/Core/Queue/QueueTest.php
@@ -105,12 +105,9 @@ protected function runQueueTest($queue1, $queue2) {
     $queue1->createItem($data[0]);
     // First claim the item with a negative lease time so that the item is
     // marked with a past expire date.
-    $item = $queue1->claimItem(-10);
-    // Assert that the expire date was actually set to a past date.
-    $item_expire = Database::getConnection()->query('SELECT expire FROM {' . DatabaseQueue::TABLE_NAME . '} WHERE item_id = :item_id', [':item_id' => $item->item_id])
-      ->fetchField();
-    $this->assertTrue($item_expire < time(), 'Queue item expire was\'nt set to a past date.');
-    // We should be able to claim the item again since it's expired.
+    $queue1->claimItem(-3600);
+    // We should be able to claim the item again, right away, since it's
+    // expired.
     $item = $queue1->claimItem();
     $this->assertTrue($item, 'Could not claim an expired queue item.');
   }