diff --git a/src/config/config.c b/src/config/config.c
index b99c5654..bb012c15 100644
--- a/src/config/config.c
+++ b/src/config/config.c
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ void initConfig(struct config *conf)
 	conf->ntp.sync.server.a = cJSON_CreateStringReference("A valid NTP upstream server");
 	conf->ntp.sync.server.t = CONF_STRING;
 	conf->ntp.sync.server.d.s = (char*)"pool.ntp.org";
-	conf->ntp.sync.server.c = validate_stub; // Only type-based checking
+	conf->ntp.sync.server.c = validate_dns_domain_or_ip;
 
 	conf->ntp.sync.interval.k = "ntp.sync.interval";
 	conf->ntp.sync.interval.h = "Interval in seconds between successive synchronization attempts with the NTP server";
diff --git a/src/config/validator.c b/src/config/validator.c
index 92db0268..0af36ec5 100644
--- a/src/config/validator.c
+++ b/src/config/validator.c
@@ -676,3 +676,26 @@ void sanitize_dns_hosts(union conf_value *val)
 		free(str);
 	}
 }
+
+// Validate a single domain or IP address
+bool validate_dns_domain_or_ip(union conf_value *val, const char *key, char err[VALIDATOR_ERRBUF_LEN])
+{
+	// Check if it's a valid domain
+	if(valid_domain(val->s, strlen(val->s), false))
+	{
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	// Check if IP is valid
+	struct in_addr addr;
+	struct in6_addr addr6;
+	int ip4 = 0, ip6 = 0;
+	if((ip4 = inet_pton(AF_INET, val->s, &addr) == 1) || (ip6 = inet_pton(AF_INET6, val->s, &addr6)) == 1)
+	{
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	// If neither, return an error
+	snprintf(err, VALIDATOR_ERRBUF_LEN, "%s: neither a valid domain nor IP address", key);
+	return false;
+}
diff --git a/src/config/validator.h b/src/config/validator.h
index e160a13a..dd3e7d49 100644
--- a/src/config/validator.h
+++ b/src/config/validator.h
@@ -28,5 +28,6 @@ bool validate_regex_array(union conf_value *val, const char *key, char err[VALID
 bool validate_dns_revServers(union conf_value *val, const char *key, char err[VALIDATOR_ERRBUF_LEN]);
 bool validate_ui_min_7_or_0(union conf_value *val, const char *key, char err[VALIDATOR_ERRBUF_LEN]);
 void sanitize_dns_hosts(union conf_value *val);
+bool validate_dns_domain_or_ip(union conf_value *val, const char *key, char err[VALIDATOR_ERRBUF_LEN]);
 
 #endif // CONFIG_VALIDATOR_H
diff --git a/src/ntp/client.c b/src/ntp/client.c
index 9be9d7da..81138eed 100644
--- a/src/ntp/client.c
+++ b/src/ntp/client.c
@@ -768,9 +768,15 @@ bool ntp_start_sync_thread(pthread_attr_t *attr)
 	}
 	// Return early if a clock disciplining NTP client is detected
 	// Checks chrony, the ntp family (ntp, ntpsec and openntpd), and ntpd-rs
-	if(search_proc("chronyd") > 0 || search_proc("ntpd") > 0 || search_proc("ntp-daemon") > 0)
+	const int chronyd_found = search_proc("chronyd");
+	const int ntpd_found = search_proc("ntpd");
+	const int ntp_daemon_found = search_proc("ntp-daemon");
+	if(chronyd_found > 0 || ntpd_found > 0 || ntp_daemon_found > 0)
 	{
-		log_info("Clock disciplining NTP client detected, not starting embedded NTP client/server");
+		log_info("Clock disciplining NTP client detected ( %s%s%s), not starting embedded NTP client/server",
+		         chronyd_found > 0 ? "chronyd " : "",
+		         ntpd_found > 0 ? "ntpd " : "",
+		         ntp_daemon_found > 0 ? "ntp-daemon " : "");
 		return false;
 	}