diff --git a/src/libmongoc/src/mongoc/mongoc-cluster.c b/src/libmongoc/src/mongoc/mongoc-cluster.c
index 1e0837573..21ed888c9 100644
--- a/src/libmongoc/src/mongoc/mongoc-cluster.c
+++ b/src/libmongoc/src/mongoc/mongoc-cluster.c
@@ -3595,8 +3595,68 @@ mongoc_cluster_run_opmsg (mongoc_cluster_t *cluster,
       bson_init_static (
          &reply_local, rpc.msg.sections[0].payload.bson_document, msg_len);
 
-      _mongoc_topology_update_cluster_time (cluster->client->topology,
-                                            &reply_local);
+      static bool first_ping = true;
+
+      if (first_ping && 0 == strcmp(cmd->command_name, "ping")) {
+         /* Mock $clusterTime in reply.
+          * Only apply to the first outgoing "ping" command.
+          * Use a higher timestamp and a keyId: 0. */
+         bson_t* mock_cluster_time = bson_new ();
+         bson_iter_t cluster_time_iter;
+
+         first_ping = false;
+
+         if (!bson_iter_init_find (&cluster_time_iter, &reply_local, "$clusterTime")) {
+            MONGOC_ERROR ("$clusterTime not found in reply: %s", bson_as_json (&reply_local, NULL));
+            abort ();
+         }
+
+         /* Copy the existing $clusterTime */
+         {
+            const uint8_t *data;
+            uint32_t len;
+            bson_t tmp;
+
+            bson_iter_document (&cluster_time_iter, &len, &data);
+            bson_init_static (&tmp, data, len);
+            BSON_APPEND_DOCUMENT (mock_cluster_time, "$clusterTime", &tmp);
+         }
+
+         /* Increment the timestamp */
+         {
+            uint32_t timestamp, increment;
+
+            bson_iter_init (&cluster_time_iter, mock_cluster_time);
+            if (!bson_iter_find_descendant (&cluster_time_iter, "$clusterTime.clusterTime", &cluster_time_iter)) {
+               MONGOC_ERROR ("$clusterTime.clusterTime not found in reply: %s", bson_as_json (&reply_local, NULL));
+               abort ();
+            }
+            bson_iter_timestamp (&cluster_time_iter, &timestamp, &increment);
+            bson_iter_overwrite_timestamp (&cluster_time_iter, timestamp + 1, increment);
+         }
+
+         /* Set keyId to 0 */
+         {
+            bson_iter_init (&cluster_time_iter, mock_cluster_time);
+            if (!bson_iter_find_descendant (&cluster_time_iter, "$clusterTime.signature.keyId", &cluster_time_iter)) {
+               MONGOC_ERROR ("$clusterTime.signature.keyId not found in reply: %s", bson_as_json (&reply_local, NULL));
+               abort ();
+            }
+            bson_iter_overwrite_int64 (&cluster_time_iter, 0);
+         }
+
+         {
+            char *str = bson_as_json (mock_cluster_time, NULL);
+            MONGOC_DEBUG ("overwriting $clusterTime to: %s", str);
+            bson_free (str);
+         }
+
+         _mongoc_topology_update_cluster_time (cluster->client->topology, mock_cluster_time);
+         bson_destroy (mock_cluster_time);
+      } else {
+         _mongoc_topology_update_cluster_time (cluster->client->topology,
+                                               &reply_local);
+      }
       ok = _mongoc_cmd_check_ok (
          &reply_local, cluster->client->error_api_version, error);