A system and method for limiting voltage cycling of a fuel cell stack during a stand-by mode by providing power from a battery to the stack while the stack is turned off. The method includes monitoring the voltage of each of the fuel cells in the fuel cell stack and determining an average cell voltage of the fuel cells in the fuel cell stack. The method also determines whether the average cell voltage of the fuel cells in the fuel cell stack has fallen below a predetermined voltage value and, if so, applies a voltage potential to the fuel cell stack to increase the average cell voltage above the predetermined voltage value.