diff --git a/nserver.c b/nserver.c
index 4e0ecb84..9b32a07a 100644
--- a/nserver.c
+++ b/nserver.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <time.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 #include "sics.h"
 #include "network.h"
 #include "ifile.h"
@@ -377,13 +378,12 @@ void RunServer(pServer self)
 
 /*------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 typedef struct {
-  time_t tFinish;
+  double dFinish;
   int iEnd;
 } WaitStruct, *pWaitStruct;
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 static int WaitTask(void *pData)
 {
-  time_t tNow;
   pWaitStruct self = NULL;
 
   self = (pWaitStruct) pData;
@@ -391,8 +391,7 @@ static int WaitTask(void *pData)
     return 0;
   }
 
-  tNow = time(NULL);
-  if (tNow >= self->tFinish) {
+  if (DoubleTime() >= self->dFinish) {
     return 0;                   /* done */
   } else {
     return 1;
@@ -428,7 +427,6 @@ int UserWait(SConnection * pCon, SicsInterp * pSics, void *pData,
   char pBueffel[80];
   float fVal;
   Status eOld;
-  time_t tNow;
   WaitStruct sWait;
   pTaskMan pTask;
   long lID;
@@ -460,8 +458,7 @@ int UserWait(SConnection * pCon, SicsInterp * pSics, void *pData,
 
   eOld = GetStatus();
   SetStatus(eUserWait);
-  tNow = time(NULL);
-  sWait.tFinish = tNow + (time_t) fVal;
+  sWait.dFinish = DoubleTime() + (double)fVal;
   sWait.iEnd = 0;
   lID = TaskRegister(pTask, WaitTask, WaitSignal, NULL, &sWait, 1);
   TaskWait(pTask, lID);
@@ -478,7 +475,6 @@ int SicsWaitOld(long lTime)
 {
   WaitStruct sWait;
   pTaskMan pTasker = NULL;
-  time_t tNow;
   long lID;
 
   if (pServ->simMode) {
@@ -486,8 +482,7 @@ int SicsWaitOld(long lTime)
   }
 
   pTasker = GetTasker();
-  tNow = time(NULL);
-  sWait.tFinish = tNow + lTime;
+  sWait.dFinish = DoubleTime() + lTime;
   sWait.iEnd = 0;
   lID = TaskRegister(pTasker, WaitTask, WaitSignal, NULL, &sWait, 1);
   TaskWait(pTasker, lID);
@@ -530,3 +525,15 @@ int ServerIsStarting(pServer self)
 {
   return self->pReader == NULL;
 }
+/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+double DoubleTime(void)
+{
+  struct timeval now;
+  /* the resolution of this function is usec, if the machine supports this
+     and the mantissa of a double is 51 bits or more (31 for sec and 20 for mic$
+   */
+  gettimeofday(&now, NULL);
+  return now.tv_sec + now.tv_usec / 1e6;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/nserver.h b/nserver.h
index 8a9619b1..5baee31f 100644
--- a/nserver.h
+++ b/nserver.h
@@ -51,4 +51,8 @@ int UserWait(SConnection * pCon, SicsInterp * pSics, void *pData,
 
 int SicsWait(long lTime);
 int ServerIsStarting(pServer self);
+
+double DoubleTime(void);
+/* returns time since epoch in seconds
+   the resultion is machine dependent, but mostly better than msec */
 #endif