diff --git a/src/Dispatcher.h b/src/Dispatcher.h
index 0a448c40..7ecee1a4 100644
--- a/src/Dispatcher.h
+++ b/src/Dispatcher.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public:
 
   virtual void queueOutbound(Packet* packet, uint8_t priority, uint32_t scheduled_for) = 0;
   virtual Packet* getNextOutbound(uint32_t now) = 0;    // by priority
-  virtual int getOutboundCount(uint32_t now) const = 0;
+  virtual int getOutboundCount(uint32_t now) const = 0;  // pass now=0xFFFFFFFF to count all
   virtual int getFreeCount() const = 0;
   virtual Packet* getOutboundByIdx(int i) = 0;
   virtual Packet* removeOutboundByIdx(int i) = 0;
diff --git a/src/helpers/StaticPoolPacketManager.cpp b/src/helpers/StaticPoolPacketManager.cpp
index 67d63979..c89d5088 100644
--- a/src/helpers/StaticPoolPacketManager.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers/StaticPoolPacketManager.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ PacketQueue::PacketQueue(int max_entries) {
 }
 
 int PacketQueue::countBefore(uint32_t now) const {
+  if (now == 0xFFFFFFFF) return _num;  // sentinel: count all entries regardless of schedule
   int n = 0;
   for (int j = 0; j < _num; j++) {
     if ((int32_t)(_schedule_table[j] - now) > 0) continue;   // scheduled for future... ignore for now
diff --git a/src/helpers/StaticPoolPacketManager.h b/src/helpers/StaticPoolPacketManager.h
index 52c299db..bcc5deb9 100644
--- a/src/helpers/StaticPoolPacketManager.h
+++ b/src/helpers/StaticPoolPacketManager.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ public:
   mesh::Packet* get(uint32_t now);
   bool add(mesh::Packet* packet, uint8_t priority, uint32_t scheduled_for);
   int count() const { return _num; }
-  int countBefore(uint32_t now) const;
+  int countBefore(uint32_t now) const;  // pass now=0xFFFFFFFF to count all
   mesh::Packet* itemAt(int i) const { return _table[i]; }
   mesh::Packet* removeByIdx(int i);
 };