diff --git a/lib/timer.c b/lib/timer.c
index 143c3a63a..813eade94 100644
--- a/lib/timer.c
+++ b/lib/timer.c
@@ -13,16 +13,18 @@
 int setup_timer(timer_t * t_id, struct itimerval *timeout,
 		void (*timeout_handler)(int, siginfo_t *, void *))
 {
+	time_t sec = timeout->it_value.tv_sec;
+	long usec = timeout->it_value.tv_usec;
 	struct sigaction sig_a;
 	static struct sigevent sig_e = {
 		.sigev_notify = SIGEV_SIGNAL,
 		.sigev_signo = SIGALRM
 	};
 	struct itimerspec val = {
-		.it_value.tv_sec = timeout->it_value.tv_sec,
-		.it_value.tv_nsec = timeout->it_value.tv_usec * 1000,
-		.it_interval.tv_sec = 0,
-		.it_interval.tv_nsec = 0
+		.it_value.tv_sec = sec,
+		.it_value.tv_nsec = usec * 1000,
+		.it_interval.tv_sec = sec / 100,
+		.it_interval.tv_nsec = (sec ? sec % 100 : 1) * 10*1000*1000
 	};
 
 	if (sigemptyset(&sig_a.sa_mask))