diff --git a/packetbeat/flows/worker.go b/packetbeat/flows/worker.go
index abdf0fab35b3..33ab90c83b86 100644
--- a/packetbeat/flows/worker.go
+++ b/packetbeat/flows/worker.go
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ func makeWorker(processor *flowsProcessor, tick time.Duration, timeout, period,
 		w.periodically(tick, func() error {
 			nTimeout--
 			nPeriod--
+			nActiveTimeout--
 			debugf("worker tick, nTimeout=%v, nPeriod=%v, nActiveTimeout=%v", nTimeout, nPeriod, nActiveTimeout)
 
 			handleTimeout := nTimeout == 0
@@ -294,11 +295,11 @@ type flowsProcessor struct {
 }
 
 func (fw *flowsProcessor) execute(w *worker, checkTimeout, handleReports, lastReport, handleActiveTimeout bool) {
-	if !checkTimeout && !handleReports {
+	if !checkTimeout && !handleReports && !handleActiveTimeout {
 		return
 	}
 
-	debugf("exec tick, timeout=%v, report=%v", checkTimeout, handleReports)
+	debugf("exec tick, timeout=%v, report=%v, activeTimeout=%v", checkTimeout, handleReports, handleActiveTimeout)
 
 	// get counter names snapshot if reports must be generated
 	fw.counters.mutex.Lock()
@@ -320,22 +321,25 @@ func (fw *flowsProcessor) execute(w *worker, checkTimeout, handleReports, lastRe
 		for flow := table.flows.head; flow != nil; flow = next {
 			next = flow.next
 			endReason := FlowActive
-			var endFlow bool
 
 			debugf("handle flow: %v, %v", flow.id.flowIDMeta, flow.id.flowID)
 
 			reportFlow := handleReports
 			isOver := lastReport
-			if checkTimeout || handleActiveTimeout {
-				endReason, endFlow = shouldEndFlow(flow, fw, ts, handleActiveTimeout)
-				if endFlow {
-					debugf("kill flow")
-
-					reportFlow = true
-					flow.kill() // mark flow as killed
-					isOver = true
-					table.remove(flow)
+			idleTimeout := checkTimeout && (ts.Sub(flow.ts) > fw.timeout)
+			if handleActiveTimeout || idleTimeout {
+				if handleActiveTimeout {
+					endReason = ActiveTimeout
+				} else {
+					endReason = IdleTimeout
 				}
+				// End flow irrespective of when the last traffic was seen on the flow
+				debugf("kill flow")
+
+				reportFlow = true
+				flow.kill() // mark flow as killed
+				isOver = true
+				table.remove(flow)
 			}
 
 			if reportFlow {