diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/timer/MediaTimer.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/timer/MediaTimer.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ef86c311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/timer/MediaTimer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+//
+// $Id: MediaTimer.java,v 1.1 2002/11/20 02:17:38 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.media.timer;
+
+/**
+ * Provides a pluggable mechanism for delivering high resolution timing
+ * information. The timers are not intended to be used by different
+ * threads and thus must be protected by synchronization in such
+ * circumstances.
+ */
+public interface MediaTimer
+{
+    /**
+     * Resets the timer's monotonically increasing value.
+     */
+    public void reset ();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of milliseconds that have elapsed since the
+     * timer was created or last {@link #reset}. <em>Note:</em> the
+     * accuracy of this method is highly dependent on the timer
+     * implementation used.
+     */
+    public long getElapsedMillis ();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the number of microseconds that have elapsed since the
+     * timer was created or last {@link #reset}. <em>Note:</em> the
+     * accuracy of this method is highly dependent on the timer
+     * implementation used.
+     */
+    public long getElapsedMicros ();
+}
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/timer/SystemMediaTimer.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/timer/SystemMediaTimer.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a81e931f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/timer/SystemMediaTimer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+//
+// $Id: SystemMediaTimer.java,v 1.1 2002/11/20 02:17:38 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.media.timer;
+
+/**
+ * Implements the {@link MediaTimer} interface using {@link
+ * System#currentTimeMillis} to obtain timing information.
+ *
+ * <p> <em>Note:</em> {@link System#currentTimeMillis} is notoriously
+ * inaccurate on different platforms. See <a
+ * href="http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/bugParade/bugs/4486109.html">
+ * bug report 4486109</a> for more information.
+ */
+public class SystemMediaTimer implements MediaTimer
+{
+    // documentation inherited from interface
+    public void reset ()
+    {
+        _resetStamp = System.currentTimeMillis();
+    }
+
+    // documentation inherited from interface
+    public long getElapsedMillis ()
+    {
+        return System.currentTimeMillis() - _resetStamp;
+    }
+
+    // documentation inherited from interface
+    public long getElapsedMicros ()
+    {
+        return getElapsedMillis() * 10;
+    }
+
+    /** The time at which this timer was last reset. */
+    protected long _resetStamp = System.currentTimeMillis();
+}