diff --git a/include/tr/event_dispatcher.h b/include/tr/event_dispatcher.h
index 06d1d37..e6fe828 100644
--- a/include/tr/event_dispatcher.h
+++ b/include/tr/event_dispatcher.h
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ TR_CLASS(TR_EventDispatcher) {
 	TR_Hash                handler;
 	TR_EventHandler        default_handler;
 	int                    running;
-	int                    heartbeat; // milliseconds
-	int                    nextbeat;  // milliseconds
+	int                    pollinterval; // milliseconds
+	int                    nextpoll;     // milliseconds
+	int                    heartbeat;    // milliseconds
+	int                    nextbeat;     // milliseconds
 	TR_EventDispatcherMode mode;
 };
 TR_INSTANCE_INIT(TR_EventDispatcher);
diff --git a/src/event_dispatcher.c b/src/event_dispatcher.c
index 3f43845..bc1c9b5 100644
--- a/src/event_dispatcher.c
+++ b/src/event_dispatcher.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <time.h>
 
 #include "trbase.h"
 #include "trdata.h"
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ static
 int
 eventDispatcherCtor(void * _this, va_list * params) {
 	TR_EventDispatcher this = _this;
+	struct timespec    tp;
+	int                now; // milliseconds
 
 	this->events          = TR_new(TR_Queue);
 	this->handler         = TR_new(TR_Hash);
@@ -71,6 +74,12 @@ eventDispatcherCtor(void * _this, va_list * params) {
 	this->running         = 0;
 	this->heartbeat       = 0;
 	this->nextbeat        = 0;
+	this->pollinterval    = va_arg(*params, int);
+
+	clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &tp);
+	now = tp.tv_sec * 1000 + tp.tv_nsec / 1000000;
+
+	this->nextpoll        = now + this->pollinterval;
 
 	if (! _TR_controlDispatcher) {
 		_TR_controlDispatcher = this;
diff --git a/src/event_dispatcher_start.c b/src/event_dispatcher_start.c
index c43eb10..5da82ec 100644
--- a/src/event_dispatcher_start.c
+++ b/src/event_dispatcher_start.c
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 #include "tr/event_subject.h"
 #include "tr/event_dispatcher.h"
 
+int ZERO = 0;
+
 void
 TR_eventDispatcherStart(TR_EventDispatcher this)
 {
@@ -55,18 +57,14 @@ TR_eventDispatcherStart(TR_EventDispatcher this)
 						NULL));
 		}
 
-		if (TR_queueEmpty(this->events)) {
-			if (TR_EVD_CLIENT == this->mode) {
-				event = TR_eventSubjectEmit(
-						(TR_EventSubject)this,
-						TR_DISPATCHER_EVENT_USER_WAIT,
-						NULL);
-			} else {
-				event = TR_eventSubjectEmit(
-						(TR_EventSubject)this,
-						TR_DISPATCHER_EVENT_DATA_WAIT,
-						NULL);
-			}
+		if (TR_queueEmpty(this->events) || this->nextpoll <= now) {
+			int evtid = TR_EVD_CLIENT == this->mode
+				? TR_DISPATCHER_EVENT_USER_WAIT
+				: TR_DISPATCHER_EVENT_DATA_WAIT;
+			int * toutptr = TR_queueEmpty(this->events) ? NULL : &ZERO;
+
+			this->nextpoll += this->pollinterval;
+			event = TR_eventSubjectEmit((TR_EventSubject)this, evtid, toutptr);
 		} else {
 			event = TR_queueGet(this->events);
 		}
@@ -83,7 +81,7 @@ TR_eventDispatcherStart(TR_EventDispatcher this)
 
 		if (handler_queue && ! TR_queueEmpty(handler_queue)) {
 			TR_Queue     queue_node = handler_queue->first;
-			TR_EventDone done;
+			TR_EventDone done       = TR_EVENT_PENDING;
 
 			while (queue_node) {
 				TR_EventHandler handler = queue_node->msg;