A pump for use with a dispensing unit of a liquid hot melt adhesive system, dispensing units including the pump, and a method of operating a pump for pumping a liquid like liquid hot melt adhesive. The pump has a piston movable within a pumping chamber for transferring liquid from an inlet to an outlet. A valve body, which is resiliently biased relative to the piston, is moved out of contact with the inlet when the piston moves in a first direction and into contact with the inlet when the piston moves in a second direction. When the piston is moved in the first direction, the resilient biasing actively lifts the valve body out of contact with the inlet for overcoming any attractive adhesive force acting between the valve body and inlet.