diff --git a/src/ClockTool.cc b/src/ClockTool.cc
index 3591f4fe..b4792fe0 100644
--- a/src/ClockTool.cc
+++ b/src/ClockTool.cc
@@ -70,12 +70,13 @@ int showSeconds(const std::string& fmt_string) {
 
 uint64_t calcNextTimeout(const std::string& fmt_string) {
 
-    if (showSeconds(fmt_string)) { // microseconds till next full second
-        return FbTk::FbTime::remainingNext(FbTk::FbTime::IN_SECONDS);
+    uint64_t now = FbTk::FbTime::system();
+    uint64_t unit = FbTk::FbTime::IN_SECONDS;
+    if (!showSeconds(fmt_string)) { // microseconds till next full minute
+        unit *= 60L;
     } 
 
-    // microseconds until next full minute
-    return FbTk::FbTime::remainingNext(60L * FbTk::FbTime::IN_SECONDS);
+    return FbTk::FbTime::remainingNext(now, unit);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/FbTk/FbTime.cc b/src/FbTk/FbTime.cc
index d0ef7318..c86edb10 100644
--- a/src/FbTk/FbTime.cc
+++ b/src/FbTk/FbTime.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 #include "FbTime.hh"
 
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CLOCK_GETTIME // linux|*bsd|solaris
@@ -28,16 +30,16 @@
 
 namespace {
 
-uint64_t _now() {
+uint64_t _mono() {
 
-    uint64_t n = 0L;
+    uint64_t t = 0L;
     timespec ts;
 
     if (clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts) == 0) {
-        n = (ts.tv_sec * FbTk::FbTime::IN_SECONDS) + (ts.tv_nsec / 1000L);
+        t = (ts.tv_sec * FbTk::FbTime::IN_SECONDS) + (ts.tv_nsec / 1000L);
     }
 
-    return n;
+    return t;
 }
 
 }
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ uint64_t _now() {
 
 namespace {
 
-uint64_t _now() {
+uint64_t _mono() {
 
     // mach_absolute_time() * info.numer / info.denom yields
     // nanoseconds.
@@ -85,13 +87,15 @@ uint64_t _now() {
 
 
 
-
-uint64_t FbTk::FbTime::now() {
-    return ::_now();
+uint64_t FbTk::FbTime::mono() {
+    return ::_mono();
 }
 
 
-uint64_t FbTk::FbTime::remainingNext(uint64_t unit) {
-    return (unit - (::_now() % unit) - 1);
+uint64_t FbTk::FbTime::system() {
+    static timeval v;
+    gettimeofday(&v, NULL);
+    return (v.tv_sec * FbTk::FbTime::IN_SECONDS) + v.tv_usec;
 }
 
+
diff --git a/src/FbTk/FbTime.hh b/src/FbTk/FbTime.hh
index 2b33dd8c..3d80b122 100644
--- a/src/FbTk/FbTime.hh
+++ b/src/FbTk/FbTime.hh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 
 namespace FbTk {
 
-// time in micro-seconds, monotonic increasing
+// time in micro-seconds
 //
 // interesting links:
 //
@@ -44,12 +44,17 @@ namespace FbTk {
 namespace FbTime {
 
     const uint64_t IN_MILLISECONDS =  1000L;
-    const uint64_t IN_SECONDS = 1000L * 1000L;
+    const uint64_t IN_SECONDS = 1000L * IN_MILLISECONDS;
+    const uint64_t IN_MINUTES = 60 * IN_SECONDS;
 
-    uint64_t now();
+    uint64_t mono();   // point in time, always monotonic
+    uint64_t system(); // system time, might jump (DST, leap seconds)
 
-    // calculates the remaining microseconds up to the next full 'unit'
-    uint64_t remainingNext(uint64_t unit);
+    // calculates the remaining microseconds from 'now' up to the
+    // next full 'unit'
+    inline uint64_t remainingNext(uint64_t now, uint64_t unit) {
+        return (unit - (now % unit) - 1);
+    }
 
 } // namespace FbTime
 
diff --git a/src/FbTk/Timer.cc b/src/FbTk/Timer.cc
index 2404773d..1bec8934 100644
--- a/src/FbTk/Timer.cc
+++ b/src/FbTk/Timer.cc
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ void Timer::start() {
         // it from s_timerlist before restarting it
         stop();
 
-        m_start = FbTk::FbTime::now();
+        m_start = FbTk::FbTime::mono();
 
         // interval timers have their timeout change every 
         // time they are started!
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ void Timer::updateTimers(int fd) {
     FD_SET(fd, &rfds);
 
     bool overdue = false;
-    uint64_t now = FbTime::now();
+    uint64_t now = FbTime::mono();
     uint64_t end_time;
 
     // search for overdue timers
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ void Timer::updateTimers(int fd) {
 
     static std::vector<FbTk::Timer*> timeouts;
 
-    now = FbTime::now();
+    now = FbTime::mono();
     for (it = s_timerlist.begin(); it != s_timerlist.end(); ++it ) {
         if (now < (*it)->getEndTime()) {
             break;
diff --git a/src/Window.cc b/src/Window.cc
index a15c6e0d..1ee88536 100644
--- a/src/Window.cc
+++ b/src/Window.cc
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ void FluxboxWindow::init() {
 
     m_workspacesig.emit(*this);
 
-    m_creation_time = FbTk::FbTime::now();
+    m_creation_time = FbTk::FbTime::mono();
 
     frame().frameExtentSig().emit();
 
@@ -2206,7 +2206,7 @@ void FluxboxWindow::configureRequestEvent(XConfigureRequestEvent &cr) {
     // just after creation if the user has a saved position/size
     if (m_creation_time) {
 
-        uint64_t now = FbTk::FbTime::now();
+        uint64_t now = FbTk::FbTime::mono();
 
         Remember& rinst = Remember::instance();
 
@@ -2310,12 +2310,12 @@ void FluxboxWindow::keyPressEvent(XKeyEvent &ke) {
     }
 
     // otherwise, make a note that the user is typing
-    m_last_keypress_time = FbTk::FbTime::now();
+    m_last_keypress_time = FbTk::FbTime::mono();
 }
 
 bool FluxboxWindow::isTyping() const {
 
-    uint64_t diff = FbTk::FbTime::now() - m_last_keypress_time;
+    uint64_t diff = FbTk::FbTime::mono() - m_last_keypress_time;
     return ((diff / 1000) < screen().noFocusWhileTypingDelay());
 }