diff --git a/src/libstd/std.rc b/src/libstd/std.rc
index cd9dfdc7fd7..d1b578f3d87 100644
--- a/src/libstd/std.rc
+++ b/src/libstd/std.rc
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use core(vers = "0.2");
 import core::*;
 
 export net, uv;
-export c_vec, util;
+export c_vec, util, timer;
 export bitv, deque, fun_treemap, list, map, smallintmap, sort, treemap, ufind;
 export rope, arena;
 export ebml, dbg, getopts, json, rand, sha1, term, time, prettyprint;
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ mod uv_global_loop;
 
 mod c_vec;
 mod util;
+mod timer;
 
 
 // Collections
diff --git a/src/libstd/timer.rs b/src/libstd/timer.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c8243ae8cf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libstd/timer.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+#[doc ="
+Utilities that leverage libuv's `uv_timer_*` API
+"];
+
+import uv = uv;
+export delayed_send, sleep;
+
+#[doc = "
+Wait for timeout period then send provided value over a channel
+
+This call returns immediately. Useful as the building block for a number
+of higher-level timer functions.
+
+Is not guaranteed to wait for exactly the specified time, but will wait
+for *at least* that period of time.
+
+# Arguments
+
+msecs - a timeout period, in milliseconds, to wait
+ch - a channel of type T to send a `val` on
+val - a value of type T to send over the provided `ch`
+"]
+fn delayed_send<T: send>(msecs: uint, ch: comm::chan<T>, val: T) {
+    task::spawn() {||
+        unsafe {
+            let timer_done_po = comm::port::<()>();
+            let timer_done_ch = comm::chan(timer_done_po);
+            let timer_done_ch_ptr = ptr::addr_of(timer_done_ch);
+            let timer = uv::ll::timer_t();
+            let timer_ptr = ptr::addr_of(timer);
+            let hl_loop = uv::global_loop::get();
+            uv::hl::interact(hl_loop) {|loop_ptr|
+                uv::hl::ref(hl_loop, timer_ptr);
+                let init_result = uv::ll::timer_init(loop_ptr, timer_ptr);
+                if (init_result == 0i32) {
+                    let start_result = uv::ll::timer_start(
+                        timer_ptr, delayed_send_cb, msecs, 0u);
+                    if (start_result == 0i32) {
+                        uv::ll::set_data_for_uv_handle(
+                            timer_ptr,
+                            timer_done_ch_ptr as *libc::c_void);
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        let error_msg = uv::ll::get_last_err_info(loop_ptr);
+                        fail "timer::delayed_send() start failed: "+error_msg;
+                    }
+                }
+                else {
+                    let error_msg = uv::ll::get_last_err_info(loop_ptr);
+                    fail "timer::delayed_send() init failed: "+error_msg;
+                }
+            };
+            // delayed_send_cb has been processed by libuv
+            comm::recv(timer_done_po);
+            // notify the caller immediately
+            comm::send(ch, copy(val));
+            // then clean up our handle
+            uv::hl::unref_and_close(hl_loop, timer_ptr,
+                                    delayed_send_close_cb);
+            // uv_close for this timer has been processed
+            comm::recv(timer_done_po);
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+#[doc = "
+Blocks the current task for (at least) the specified time period.
+
+Is not guaranteed to sleep for exactly the specified time, but will sleep
+for *at least* that period of time.
+
+# Arguments
+
+* msecs - an amount of time, in milliseconds, for the current task to block
+"]
+fn sleep(msecs: uint) {
+    let exit_po = comm::port::<()>();
+    let exit_ch = comm::chan(exit_po);
+    delayed_send(msecs, exit_ch, ());
+    comm::recv(exit_po);
+}
+
+// INTERNAL API
+crust fn delayed_send_cb(handle: *uv::ll::uv_timer_t,
+                                status: libc::c_int) unsafe {
+    log(debug, #fmt("delayed_send_cb handle %? status %?", handle, status));
+    let timer_done_ch =
+        *(uv::ll::get_data_for_uv_handle(handle) as *comm::chan<()>);
+    let stop_result = uv::ll::timer_stop(handle);
+    if (stop_result == 0i32) {
+        comm::send(timer_done_ch, ());
+    }
+    else {
+        let loop_ptr = uv::ll::get_loop_for_uv_handle(handle);
+        let error_msg = uv::ll::get_last_err_info(loop_ptr);
+        fail "timer::sleep() init failed: "+error_msg;
+    }
+}
+
+crust fn delayed_send_close_cb(handle: *uv::ll::uv_timer_t) unsafe {
+    log(debug, #fmt("delayed_send_close_cb handle %?", handle));
+    let timer_done_ch =
+        *(uv::ll::get_data_for_uv_handle(handle) as *comm::chan<()>);
+    comm::send(timer_done_ch, ());
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    #[test]
+    fn test_timer_simple_sleep_test() {
+        sleep(2000u);
+    }
+}