diff --git a/core/AmMediaProcessor.cpp b/core/AmMediaProcessor.cpp
index a35e6f06..97c60019 100644
--- a/core/AmMediaProcessor.cpp
+++ b/core/AmMediaProcessor.cpp
@@ -230,31 +230,27 @@ void AmMediaProcessorThread::on_stop()
 void AmMediaProcessorThread::run()
 {
   stop_requested = false;
-  struct timeval now,next_tick,diff,tick;
 
   // wallclock time
   unsigned long long ts = 0;//4294417296;
 
-  tick.tv_sec  = 0;
-  tick.tv_usec = 1000*WC_INC_MS;
+  // everything else in microseconds
+  uint64_t tick = 1000*WC_INC_MS;
 
-  gettimeofday(&now,NULL);
-  timeradd(&tick,&now,&next_tick);
+  uint64_t now = gettimeofday_us();
+
+  uint64_t next_tick = now + tick;
     
   while(!stop_requested.get()){
 
-    gettimeofday(&now,NULL);
-
-    if(timercmp(&now,&next_tick,<)){
+    now = gettimeofday_us();
 
-      struct timespec sdiff,rem;
-      timersub(&next_tick,&now,&diff);
+    if(now < next_tick){
 
-      sdiff.tv_sec  = diff.tv_sec;
-      sdiff.tv_nsec = diff.tv_usec * 1000;
+      uint64_t diff = next_tick - now;
 
-      if(sdiff.tv_nsec > 2000000) // 2 ms
-	nanosleep(&sdiff,&rem);
+      if(diff > 2000) // 2 ms
+        usleep(diff);
     }
 
     processAudio(ts);
@@ -262,7 +258,7 @@ void AmMediaProcessorThread::run()
     processDtmfEvents();
 
     ts = (ts + WC_INC) & WALLCLOCK_MASK;
-    timeradd(&tick,&next_tick,&next_tick);
+    next_tick += tick;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/core/AmUtils.h b/core/AmUtils.h
index a26444ad..9c5a8388 100644
--- a/core/AmUtils.h
+++ b/core/AmUtils.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <regex.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 
 #include <string>
 using std::string;
@@ -290,6 +292,13 @@ void cvt_hex(HASH bin, HASHHEX hex);
 /** get an MD5 hash of a string */
 string calculateMD5(const string& input);
 
+/** return current time (unixtime / wall clock) as scalar microseconds */
+inline uint64_t gettimeofday_us() {
+  struct timeval now_tv;
+  gettimeofday(&now_tv,NULL);
+  return now_tv.tv_sec * 1000000LL + now_tv.tv_usec;
+}
+
 #endif
 
 // Local Variables: