diff --git a/src/avr.c b/src/avr.c
index 370f09fb..732b284a 100644
--- a/src/avr.c
+++ b/src/avr.c
@@ -529,6 +529,38 @@ int avr_write_page(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p_unused, const AVRMEM
 }
 
 
+// Return us since program start, rolls over after ca 1h 12min
+unsigned long avr_ustimestamp() {
+  struct timeval tv;
+
+  memset(&tv, 0, sizeof tv);
+  if(gettimeofday(&tv, NULL) == 0) {
+    static unsigned long long epoch;
+    static int init;
+    unsigned long long now;
+
+    now = tv.tv_sec*1000000ULL + tv.tv_usec;
+    if(!init) {
+      epoch = now;
+      init = 1;
+    }
+    return now - epoch;
+  }
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
+// Return ms since program start, rolls over after ca 49d 17h
+unsigned long avr_mstimestamp() {
+  return avr_ustimestamp()/1000;
+}
+
+// Return s since program start as double
+double avr_timestamp() {
+  return avr_ustimestamp()/1e6;
+}
+
+
 int avr_write_byte_default(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const AVRMEM *mem,
                    unsigned long addr, unsigned char data)
 {
@@ -544,7 +576,6 @@ int avr_write_byte_default(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const AVRMEM
   OPCODE * writeop;
   int rc;
   int readok=0;
-  struct timeval tv;
 
   if (pgm->cmd == NULL) {
     pmsg_error("%s programmer uses avr_write_byte_default() but does not\n", pgm->type);
@@ -706,8 +737,7 @@ int avr_write_byte_default(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const AVRMEM
       }
     }
     else {
-      gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-      start_time = (tv.tv_sec * 1000000) + tv.tv_usec;
+      start_time = avr_ustimestamp();
       do {
         // Do polling, but timeout after max_write_delay
         rc = pgm->read_byte(pgm, p, mem, addr, &r);
@@ -716,8 +746,7 @@ int avr_write_byte_default(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const AVRMEM
           pgm->err_led(pgm, ON);
           return -4;
         }
-        gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-        prog_time = (tv.tv_sec * 1000000) + tv.tv_usec;
+        prog_time = avr_ustimestamp();
       } while (r != data &&  mem->max_write_delay >= 0 &&
           prog_time - start_time < (unsigned long) mem->max_write_delay);
     }
@@ -1399,7 +1428,6 @@ void report_progress(int completed, int total, const char *hdr) {
   static int last;
   static double start_time;
   int percent;
-  struct timeval tv;
   double t;
 
   if (update_progress == NULL)
@@ -1410,8 +1438,7 @@ void report_progress(int completed, int total, const char *hdr) {
     completed < 0? 0:
     completed < INT_MAX/100? 100*completed/total: completed/(total/100);
 
-  gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
-  t = tv.tv_sec + ((double)tv.tv_usec)/1000000;
+  t = avr_timestamp();
 
   if(hdr || !start_time)
     start_time = t;
diff --git a/src/jtagmkII.c b/src/jtagmkII.c
index 6cc5e01f..1a157afa 100644
--- a/src/jtagmkII.c
+++ b/src/jtagmkII.c
@@ -481,14 +481,12 @@ static int jtagmkII_recv_frame(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, unsigned char **msg,
   unsigned char c, *buf = NULL, header[8];
   unsigned short r_seqno = 0;
 
-  struct timeval tv;
   double timeoutval = 100;	/* seconds */
   double tstart, tnow;
 
   pmsg_trace("jtagmkII_recv():\n");
 
-  gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
-  tstart = tv.tv_sec;
+  tstart = avr_timestamp();
 
   while ( (state != sDONE ) && (!timeout) ) {
     if (state == sDATA) {
@@ -583,8 +581,7 @@ static int jtagmkII_recv_frame(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, unsigned char **msg,
         return -5;
      }
 
-     gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
-     tnow = tv.tv_sec;
+     tnow = avr_timestamp();
      if (tnow - tstart > timeoutval) {
        pmsg_error("timeout\n");
        free(buf);
diff --git a/src/libavrdude.h b/src/libavrdude.h
index cb01f7a8..e86407c3 100644
--- a/src/libavrdude.h
+++ b/src/libavrdude.h
@@ -886,6 +886,12 @@ int avr_read(const PROGRAMMER * pgm, const AVRPART *p, const char *memtype, cons
 int avr_write_page(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const AVRMEM *mem,
                    unsigned long addr);
 
+unsigned long avr_ustimestamp();
+
+unsigned long avr_mstimestamp();
+
+double avr_timestamp();
+
 int avr_write_byte(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const AVRMEM *mem,
                    unsigned long addr, unsigned char data);
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 86291013..691369cf 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -499,6 +499,8 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv [])
   char  * logfile;     /* Use logfile rather than stderr for diagnostics */
   enum updateflags uflags = UF_AUTO_ERASE | UF_VERIFY; /* Flags for do_op() */
 
+  (void) avr_ustimestamp();
+
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
   _set_printf_count_output(1);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/serialupdi.c b/src/serialupdi.c
index cdff0a0a..5d221f88 100644
--- a/src/serialupdi.c
+++ b/src/serialupdi.c
@@ -207,18 +207,15 @@ static int serialupdi_wait_for_unlock(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, unsigned int ms) {
 */  
   unsigned long start_time;
   unsigned long current_time;
-  struct timeval tv;
   uint8_t status;
-  gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-  start_time = (tv.tv_sec * 1000000) + tv.tv_usec;
+  start_time = avr_ustimestamp();
   do {
     if (updi_read_cs(pgm, UPDI_ASI_SYS_STATUS, &status) >= 0) {
       if (!(status & (1 << UPDI_ASI_SYS_STATUS_LOCKSTATUS))) {
         return 0;
       }
     }
-    gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-    current_time = (tv.tv_sec * 1000000) + tv.tv_usec;
+    current_time = avr_ustimestamp();
   } while ((current_time - start_time) < (ms * 1000));
 
   pmsg_error("timeout waiting for device to unlock\n");
@@ -256,10 +253,8 @@ static int serialupdi_wait_for_urow(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, unsigned int ms, urow
 */  
   unsigned long start_time;
   unsigned long current_time;
-  struct timeval tv;
   uint8_t status;
-  gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-  start_time = (tv.tv_sec * 1000000) + tv.tv_usec;
+  start_time = avr_ustimestamp();
   do {
     if (updi_read_cs(pgm, UPDI_ASI_SYS_STATUS, &status) >= 0) {
       if (mode == WAIT_FOR_UROW_HIGH) {
@@ -272,8 +267,7 @@ static int serialupdi_wait_for_urow(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, unsigned int ms, urow
         }
       }
     }
-    gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-    current_time = (tv.tv_sec * 1000000) + tv.tv_usec;
+    current_time = avr_ustimestamp();
   } while ((current_time - start_time) < (ms * 1000));
 
   pmsg_error("timeout waiting for device to complete UROW WRITE\n");
diff --git a/src/stk500v2.c b/src/stk500v2.c
index 6a6085a1..bb086c10 100644
--- a/src/stk500v2.c
+++ b/src/stk500v2.c
@@ -603,7 +603,6 @@ static int stk500v2_recv(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, unsigned char *msg, size_t maxsi
    * https://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/index.php?43626
    */
   long timeoutval = SERIAL_TIMEOUT;		// seconds
-  struct timeval tv;
   double tstart, tnow;
 
   if (PDATA(pgm)->pgmtype == PGMTYPE_AVRISP_MKII ||
@@ -616,8 +615,7 @@ static int stk500v2_recv(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, unsigned char *msg, size_t maxsi
 
   DEBUG("STK500V2: stk500v2_recv(): ");
 
-  gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
-  tstart = tv.tv_sec;
+  tstart = avr_timestamp();
 
   while ( (state != sDONE ) && (!timeout) ) {
     if (serial_recv(&pgm->fd, &c, 1) < 0)
@@ -690,9 +688,8 @@ static int stk500v2_recv(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, unsigned char *msg, size_t maxsi
         return -5;
      } /* switch */
 
-     gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
-     tnow = tv.tv_sec;
-     if (tnow-tstart > timeoutval) {			// wuff - signed/unsigned/overflow
+     tnow = avr_timestamp();
+     if (tnow-tstart > timeoutval) {
       timedout:
        pmsg_error("timeout\n");
        return -1;
diff --git a/src/updi_nvm.c b/src/updi_nvm.c
index 93118437..a853b6c2 100644
--- a/src/updi_nvm.c
+++ b/src/updi_nvm.c
@@ -1201,10 +1201,8 @@ int updi_nvm_wait_ready(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p) {
 */
   unsigned long start_time;
   unsigned long current_time;
-  struct timeval tv;
   uint8_t status;
-  gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-  start_time = (tv.tv_sec * 1000000) + tv.tv_usec;
+  start_time = avr_ustimestamp();
   do {
     if (updi_read_byte(pgm, p->nvm_base + UPDI_NVMCTRL_STATUS, &status) >= 0) {
       if (status & (1 << UPDI_NVM_STATUS_WRITE_ERROR)) {
@@ -1216,8 +1214,7 @@ int updi_nvm_wait_ready(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p) {
         return 0;
       }
     }
-    gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-    current_time = (tv.tv_sec * 1000000) + tv.tv_usec;
+    current_time = avr_ustimestamp();
   } while ((current_time - start_time) < 10000000);
 
   pmsg_error("wait NVM ready timed out\n");