diff --git a/src/client-ocurl/config.ml b/src/client-ocurl/config.ml
index 3dfea160..0abca7e1 100644
--- a/src/client-ocurl/config.ml
+++ b/src/client-ocurl/config.ml
@@ -6,18 +6,21 @@ type t = {
   headers: (string * string) list;
   batch_timeout_ms: int;
   bg_threads: int;
+  ticker_thread: bool;
 }
 
 let pp out self =
   let pp_header ppf (a, b) = Format.fprintf ppf "@[%s: @,%s@]@." a b in
   let ppheaders = Format.pp_print_list pp_header in
-  let { debug; url; headers; batch_timeout_ms; bg_threads } = self in
+  let { debug; url; headers; batch_timeout_ms; bg_threads; ticker_thread } =
+    self
+  in
   Format.fprintf out
-    "{@[ debug=%B;@ url=%S;@ headers=%a;@ batch_timeout_ms=%d; \
-     bg_threads=%d;@]}"
-    debug url ppheaders headers batch_timeout_ms bg_threads
+    "{@[ debug=%B;@ url=%S;@ headers=%a;@ batch_timeout_ms=%d; bg_threads=%d;@ \
+     ticker_thread=%B @]}"
+    debug url ppheaders headers batch_timeout_ms bg_threads ticker_thread
 
 let make ?(debug = !debug_) ?(url = get_url ()) ?(headers = get_headers ())
-    ?(batch_timeout_ms = 500) ?(bg_threads = 4) () : t =
+    ?(batch_timeout_ms = 500) ?(bg_threads = 4) ?(ticker_thread = true) () : t =
   let bg_threads = max 2 (min bg_threads 32) in
-  { debug; url; headers; batch_timeout_ms; bg_threads }
+  { debug; url; headers; batch_timeout_ms; bg_threads; ticker_thread }
diff --git a/src/client-ocurl/config.mli b/src/client-ocurl/config.mli
index 79b0e4cf..17a7711e 100644
--- a/src/client-ocurl/config.mli
+++ b/src/client-ocurl/config.mli
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ type t = private {
       only checked when a new event occurs. Default 500. *)
   bg_threads: int;
       (** Are there background threads, and how many? Default [4] *)
+  ticker_thread: bool;
+      (** If true, start a thread that regularly checks if signals should
+          be sent to the collector. Default [true] *)
 }
 (** Configuration.
 
@@ -27,6 +30,7 @@ val make :
   ?headers:(string * string) list ->
   ?batch_timeout_ms:int ->
   ?bg_threads:int ->
+  ?ticker_thread:bool ->
   unit ->
   t
 (** Make a configuration.
diff --git a/src/client-ocurl/opentelemetry_client_ocurl.ml b/src/client-ocurl/opentelemetry_client_ocurl.ml
index 39de6250..e0d6a596 100644
--- a/src/client-ocurl/opentelemetry_client_ocurl.ml
+++ b/src/client-ocurl/opentelemetry_client_ocurl.ml
@@ -415,9 +415,26 @@ let mk_backend ~stop ~config () : (module Collector.BACKEND) =
   end in
   (module M)
 
+(** thread that calls [tick()] regularly, to help enforce timeouts *)
+let setup_ticker_thread ~stop ~sleep_ms (module B : Collector.BACKEND) () =
+  let sleep_s = float sleep_ms /. 1000. in
+  let tick_loop () =
+    while not @@ Atomic.get stop do
+      Thread.delay sleep_s;
+      B.tick ()
+    done
+  in
+  start_bg_thread tick_loop
+
 let setup_ ?(stop = Atomic.make false) ~(config : Config.t) () =
   let ((module B) as backend) = mk_backend ~stop ~config () in
   Opentelemetry.Collector.set_backend backend;
+
+  if config.ticker_thread then (
+    let sleep_ms = min 5_000 (max 2 config.batch_timeout_ms) in
+    ignore (setup_ticker_thread ~stop ~sleep_ms backend () : Thread.t)
+  );
+
   B.cleanup
 
 let setup ?stop ?(config = Config.make ()) ?(enable = true) () =