diff --git a/src/threads/CCTimer.ml b/src/threads/CCTimer.ml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb4739dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/threads/CCTimer.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+
+(* This file is free software, part of containers. See file "license" for more details. *)
+
+(** {1 Event timer} *)
+
+type job =
+  | Job : float * (unit -> 'a) -> job
+
+module TaskHeap = CCHeap.Make(struct
+  type t = job
+  let leq (Job(f1,_)) (Job (f2,_)) = f1 <= f2
+end)
+
+exception Stopped
+
+type t = {
+  mutable stop : bool;
+  mutable tasks : TaskHeap.t;
+  mutable exn_handler : (exn -> unit);
+  t_mutex : Mutex.t;
+  fifo_in : Unix.file_descr;
+  fifo_out : Unix.file_descr;
+}
+
+let set_exn_handler timer f = timer.exn_handler <- f
+
+let standby_wait = 10.
+(* when no task is scheduled, this is the amount of time that is waited
+   in a row for something to happen. This is also the maximal delay
+   between the call to {!stop} and the actual termination of the
+   thread. *)
+
+let epsilon = 0.0001
+(* accepted time diff for actions. *)
+
+let with_lock_ t f =
+  Mutex.lock t.t_mutex;
+  try
+    let x = f t in
+    Mutex.unlock t.t_mutex;
+    x
+  with e ->
+    Mutex.unlock t.t_mutex;
+    raise e
+
+type command =
+  | Quit
+  | Run : (unit -> _) -> command
+  | Wait of float
+
+let pop_task_ t =
+  let tasks, _ = TaskHeap.take_exn t.tasks in
+  t.tasks <- tasks
+
+let call_ timer f =
+  try ignore (f ())
+  with e -> timer.exn_handler e
+
+(* check next task *)
+let next_task_ timer = match TaskHeap.find_min timer.tasks with
+  | _ when timer.stop -> Quit
+  | None -> Wait standby_wait
+  | Some Job (time, f) ->
+      let now = Unix.gettimeofday () in
+      if now +. epsilon > time then (
+        (* now! *)
+        pop_task_ timer;
+        Run f
+      ) else Wait (time -. now)
+
+(* The main thread function: wait for next event, run it, and loop *)
+let serve timer =
+  let buf = Bytes.make 1 '_' in
+  (* acquire lock, call [process_task] and do as it commands *)
+  let rec next () = match with_lock_ timer next_task_ with
+    | Quit -> ()
+    | Run f ->
+        call_ timer f; (* call outside of any lock *)
+        next ()
+    | Wait delay -> wait delay
+  (* wait for [delay] seconds, or until something happens on [fifo_in] *)
+  and wait delay =
+    let read = Thread.wait_timed_read timer.fifo_in delay in
+    (* remove char from fifo, so that next write can happen *)
+    if read then ignore (Unix.read timer.fifo_in buf 0 1);
+    next ()
+  in
+  next ()
+
+let nop_handler_ _ = ()
+
+let create () =
+  let fifo_in, fifo_out = Unix.pipe () in
+  let timer = {
+    stop = false;
+    tasks = TaskHeap.empty;
+    exn_handler = nop_handler_;
+    t_mutex = Mutex.create ();
+    fifo_in;
+    fifo_out;
+  } in
+  (* start a thread to process tasks *)
+  let _t = Thread.create serve timer in
+  timer
+
+let underscore_ = Bytes.make 1 '_'
+
+(* awake the thread *)
+let awaken_ timer =
+  ignore (Unix.single_write timer.fifo_out underscore_ 0 1)
+
+(** [at s t ~f] will run [f ()] at the Unix echo [t] *)
+let at timer time ~f =
+  if timer.stop then raise Stopped;
+  let now = Unix.gettimeofday () in
+  if now >= time
+  then call_ timer f
+  else
+    with_lock_ timer
+      (fun timer ->
+        if timer.stop then raise Stopped;
+        (* time of the next scheduled event *)
+        let next_time = match TaskHeap.find_min timer.tasks with
+          | None -> max_float
+          | Some Job (d, _) -> d
+        in
+        (* insert task *)
+        timer.tasks <- TaskHeap.insert (Job (time, f)) timer.tasks;
+        (* see if the timer thread needs to be awaken earlier *)
+        if time < next_time then awaken_ timer
+      )
+
+let after timer delay ~f =
+  assert (delay >= 0.);
+  let now = Unix.gettimeofday () in
+  at timer (now +. delay) ~f
+
+exception ExitEvery
+
+let every ?delay timer d ~f =
+  let rec run () =
+    try
+      ignore (f ());
+      schedule()
+    with ExitEvery -> () (* stop *)
+  and schedule () = after timer d ~f:run in
+  match delay with
+  | None -> run()
+  | Some d -> after timer d ~f:run
+
+(*$R
+  let start = Unix.gettimeofday() in
+  let timer = create() in
+  let res = CCLock.create 0 in
+  let stop = ref 0. in
+  every timer 0.1
+    ~f:(fun () ->
+      if CCLock.incr_then_get res > 5 then (
+        stop := Unix.gettimeofday();
+        raise ExitEvery
+      ));
+  Thread.delay 0.7;
+  OUnit.assert_equal ~printer:CCInt.to_string 6 (CCLock.get res);
+  OUnit.assert_bool "estimate delay" (abs_float (!stop -. start -. 0.5) < 0.1);
+*)
+
+let active timer = not timer.stop
+
+(** Stop the given timer, cancelling pending tasks *)
+let stop timer =
+  with_lock_ timer
+    (fun timer ->
+      if not timer.stop then (
+        timer.stop <- true;
+        (* empty heap of tasks *)
+        timer.tasks <- TaskHeap.empty;
+        (* tell the thread to stop *)
+        awaken_ timer;
+      )
+    )
+
+(*$R
+  (* scenario:  n := 1; n := n*4 ; n := n+2; res := n *)
+  let timer = create () in
+  let n = CCLock.create 1 in
+  let res = CCLock.create 0 in
+  after timer 0.6
+    ~f:(fun () -> CCLock.update n (fun x -> x+2));
+  ignore (Thread.create
+    (fun _ -> Thread.delay 0.8; CCLock.set res (CCLock.get n)) ());
+  after timer 0.4
+    ~f:(fun () -> CCLock.update n (fun x -> x * 4));
+  Thread.delay 1. ;
+  OUnit.assert_equal 6 (CCLock.get res);
+*)
diff --git a/src/threads/CCTimer.mli b/src/threads/CCTimer.mli
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..09591c12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/threads/CCTimer.mli
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+
+(* This file is free software, part of containers. See file "license" for more details. *)
+
+(** {1 Event timer}
+
+    Used to be part of [CCFuture]
+    @since NEXT_RELEASE *)
+
+type t
+(** A scheduler for events. It runs in its own thread. *)
+
+val create : unit -> t
+(** A new timer. *)
+
+val set_exn_handler : t -> (exn -> unit) -> unit
+(** [set_exn_handler timer f] registers [f] so that any exception
+    raised by a task scheduled in [timer] is given to [f] *)
+
+exception Stopped
+
+val after : t -> float -> f:(unit -> _) -> unit
+(** Call the callback [f] after the given number of seconds.
+    @raise Stopped if the timer was stopped *)
+
+val at : t -> float -> f:(unit -> _) -> unit
+(** Create a future that evaluates to [()] at the given Unix timestamp
+    @raise Stopped if the timer was stopped *)
+
+exception ExitEvery
+
+val every : ?delay:float -> t -> float -> f:(unit -> _) -> unit
+(** [every timer n ~f] calls [f ()] every [n] seconds.
+    [f()] can raise ExitEvery to stop the cycle.
+    @param delay if provided, the first call to [f ()] is delayed by
+      that many seconds.
+    @raise Stopped if the timer was stopped *)
+
+val stop : t -> unit
+(** Stop the given timer, cancelling pending tasks. Idempotent.
+    From now on, calling most other operations on the timer will raise Stopped. *)
+
+val active : t -> bool
+(** Returns [true] until [stop t] has been called. *)