diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/__tests__/timerUtils.test.ts b/apps/server/src/services/__tests__/timerUtils.test.ts
index 01cb2d53b..1097a324c 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/__tests__/timerUtils.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/__tests__/timerUtils.test.ts
@@ -1558,7 +1558,7 @@ describe('getRuntimeOffset()', () => {
     } as RuntimeState;
 
     const offset = getRuntimeOffset(state);
-    expect(offset).toBe(null);
+    expect(offset).toBe(0);
   });
 
   it('handles loaded event', () => {
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/timerUtils.ts b/apps/server/src/services/timerUtils.ts
index af3dc83d2..f746778e7 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/timerUtils.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/timerUtils.ts
@@ -299,10 +299,10 @@ export const updateRoll = (state: RuntimeState) => {
  * Positive offset is time ahead
  * Negative offset is time delayed
  */
-export function getRuntimeOffset(state: RuntimeState): MaybeNumber {
+export function getRuntimeOffset(state: RuntimeState): number {
   // nothing to calculate if there are no loaded events or if we havent started
   if (state.eventNow === null || state.runtime.actualStart === null) {
-    return null;
+    return 0;
   }
 
   const { clock } = state;
diff --git a/apps/server/src/stores/__tests__/runtimeState.test.ts b/apps/server/src/stores/__tests__/runtimeState.test.ts
index 2e4e06052..a1053dd65 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/stores/__tests__/runtimeState.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/stores/__tests__/runtimeState.test.ts
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ describe('mutation on runtimeState', () => {
       stop();
       newState = getState();
       expect(newState.runtime.actualStart).toBeNull();
-      expect(newState.runtime.offset).toBeNull();
+      expect(newState.runtime.offset).toBe(0);
       expect(newState.runtime.expectedEnd).toBeNull();
     });
 
diff --git a/apps/server/src/stores/runtimeState.ts b/apps/server/src/stores/runtimeState.ts
index f0ef1acb0..70516dcef 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/stores/runtimeState.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/stores/runtimeState.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import { timerConfig } from '../config/config.js';
 const initialRuntime: Runtime = {
   selectedEventIndex: null,
   numEvents: 0,
-  offset: null,
+  offset: 0,
   plannedStart: 0,
   plannedEnd: 0,
   actualStart: null,
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export function clear() {
   runtimeState.eventNext = null;
   runtimeState.publicEventNext = null;
 
-  runtimeState.runtime.offset = null;
+  runtimeState.runtime.offset = 0;
   runtimeState.runtime.actualStart = null;
   runtimeState.runtime.expectedEnd = null;
   runtimeState.runtime.selectedEventIndex = null;
diff --git a/packages/types/src/definitions/runtime/Runtime.type.ts b/packages/types/src/definitions/runtime/Runtime.type.ts
index 6dd09b723..1fc669d70 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/definitions/runtime/Runtime.type.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/definitions/runtime/Runtime.type.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { MaybeNumber } from '../../utils/utils.type.js';
 export type Runtime = {
   numEvents: number;
   selectedEventIndex: MaybeNumber;
-  offset: MaybeNumber;
+  offset: number;
   plannedStart: MaybeNumber;
   actualStart: MaybeNumber;
   plannedEnd: MaybeNumber;