diff --git a/src/driver/Makefile.am b/src/driver/Makefile.am
index 8cb1f244a..a7fabb57d 100644
--- a/src/driver/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/driver/Makefile.am
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ INCLUDES = \
 noinst_LIBRARIES = libneutrino_driver.a libneutrino_driver_netfile.a
 
 libneutrino_driver_a_SOURCES = \
+	abstime.c \
 	encoding.cpp \
 	fontrenderer.cpp \
 	framebuffer.cpp \
diff --git a/src/driver/abstime.c b/src/driver/abstime.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b3023da1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/driver/abstime.c
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#include <stdio.h> /* for perror */
+#include <time.h>
+
+time_t time_monotonic_ms(void)
+{
+	struct timespec t;
+	time_t ret;
+	if (clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &t))
+	{
+		perror("time_monotonic_ms clock_gettime");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	ret = (t.tv_sec & 0x01FFFFF) * 1000; /* avoid overflow */
+	ret += t.tv_nsec / 1000000;
+	return ret;
+}
+
+time_t time_monotonic(void)
+{
+	struct timespec t;
+	if (clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &t))
+	{
+		perror("time_monotonic clock_gettime");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return t.tv_sec;
+}
diff --git a/src/driver/abstime.h b/src/driver/abstime.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bbd000993
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/driver/abstime.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef _ABS_TIME_H_
+#define _ABS_TIME_H_
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C"
+{
+#endif
+extern time_t time_monotonic_ms(void);
+extern time_t time_monotonic(void);
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+#endif