diff --git a/include/tr/event_dispatcher.h b/include/tr/event_dispatcher.h
index 77ca9cf..bb465f7 100644
--- a/include/tr/event_dispatcher.h
+++ b/include/tr/event_dispatcher.h
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ TR_CLASS(TR_EventDispatcher) {
 	TR_Hash                handler;
 	TR_EventHandler        default_handler;
 	int                    running;
-	time_t                 heartbeat;
-	time_t                 nextbeat;
+	int                    heartbeat; // milliseconds
+	int                    nextbeat;  // milliseconds
 	TR_EventDispatcherMode mode;
 };
 TR_INSTANCE_INIT(TR_EventDispatcher);
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ TR_CLASSVARS_DECL(TR_EventDispatcher) {
 #define TR_DISPATCHER_EVENT_SHUTDOWN	3
 #define TR_DISPATCHER_EVENT_MAX			((size_t)TR_DISPATCHER_EVENT_SHUTDOWN)
 
-void   TR_eventDispatcherRegisterHandler(TR_EventDispatcher, TR_EventHandler);
-void   TR_eventDispatcherSetHeartbeat(TR_EventDispatcher, time_t);
-time_t TR_eventDispatcherGetBeatTime(TR_EventDispatcher);
-time_t TR_eventDispatcherGerDataWaitTime(TR_EventDispatcher);
-void   TR_eventDispatcherStart(TR_EventDispatcher);
-void   TR_eventDispatcherShutdown(TR_EventDispatcher);
+void TR_eventDispatcherRegisterHandler(TR_EventDispatcher, TR_EventHandler);
+void TR_eventDispatcherSetHeartbeat(TR_EventDispatcher, int);
+int  TR_eventDispatcherGetBeatTime(TR_EventDispatcher);
+int  TR_eventDispatcherGerDataWaitTime(TR_EventDispatcher);
+void TR_eventDispatcherStart(TR_EventDispatcher);
+void TR_eventDispatcherShutdown(TR_EventDispatcher);
 
 #define TR_eventDispatcherEnqueueEvent(disp,ev)	\
 	(TR_queuePut((disp)->events, (ev)))
diff --git a/src/event_dispatcher_get_beat_time.c b/src/event_dispatcher_get_beat_time.c
index e3cf8d2..8f597b0 100644
--- a/src/event_dispatcher_get_beat_time.c
+++ b/src/event_dispatcher_get_beat_time.c
@@ -26,10 +26,16 @@
 
 #include "tr/event_dispatcher.h"
 
-time_t
+int
 TR_eventDispatcherGetBeatTime(TR_EventDispatcher this)
 {
-	return this->nextbeat - time(NULL);
+	struct timespec tp;
+	int             now; // milliseconds
+
+	clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &tp);
+	now = tp.tv_sec * 1000 + tp.tv_nsec / 1000000;
+
+	return this->nextbeat - now;
 }
 
 // vim: set ts=4 sw=4:
diff --git a/src/event_dispatcher_get_data_wait_time.c b/src/event_dispatcher_get_data_wait_time.c
index e199ef8..87dae3f 100644
--- a/src/event_dispatcher_get_data_wait_time.c
+++ b/src/event_dispatcher_get_data_wait_time.c
@@ -20,13 +20,11 @@
  * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
-#include <time.h>
-
 #include "trbase.h"
 
 #include "tr/event_dispatcher.h"
 
-time_t
+int
 TR_eventDispatcherGetDataWaitTime(TR_EventDispatcher this)
 {
 	if (TR_EVD_SERVER == this->mode) {
diff --git a/src/event_dispatcher_set_hearbeat.c b/src/event_dispatcher_set_hearbeat.c
index 6e9e4be..e4e3b3f 100644
--- a/src/event_dispatcher_set_hearbeat.c
+++ b/src/event_dispatcher_set_hearbeat.c
@@ -27,12 +27,18 @@
 #include "tr/event_dispatcher.h"
 
 void
-TR_eventDispatcherSetHeartbeat(TR_EventDispatcher this, time_t heartbeat)
+TR_eventDispatcherSetHeartbeat(TR_EventDispatcher this, int heartbeat)
 {
+	struct timespec tp;
+	int             now; // milliseconds
+
+	clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &tp);
+	now = tp.tv_sec * 1000 + tp.tv_nsec / 1000000;
+
 	this->heartbeat = heartbeat;
 
 	if (this->heartbeat) {
-		this->nextbeat = time(NULL) + this->heartbeat;
+		this->nextbeat = now + this->heartbeat;
 	} else {
 		this->nextbeat = 0;
 	}
diff --git a/src/event_dispatcher_start.c b/src/event_dispatcher_start.c
index 8a02349..515c0ef 100644
--- a/src/event_dispatcher_start.c
+++ b/src/event_dispatcher_start.c
@@ -36,8 +36,12 @@ TR_eventDispatcherStart(TR_EventDispatcher this)
 	this->running = 1;
 
 	while (this->running || (! TR_queueEmpty(this->events))) {
-		time_t   now     = time(NULL);
-		TR_Event current = NULL;
+		struct timespec tp;
+		int             now; // milliseconds
+		TR_Event        current = NULL;
+
+		clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &tp);
+		now = tp.tv_sec * 1000 + tp.tv_nsec / 1000000;
 
 		if (this->nextbeat && this->nextbeat <= now) {
 			this->nextbeat += this->heartbeat;