diff --git a/builtin/game/misc.lua b/builtin/game/misc.lua
index efd0f8dc7..bacadf18f 100644
--- a/builtin/game/misc.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/misc.lua
@@ -4,74 +4,48 @@
 -- Misc. API functions
 --
 
-local timers = {}
-local mintime
-local function update_timers(delay)
-	mintime = false
-	local sub = 0
-	for index = 1, #timers do
-		index = index - sub
-		local timer = timers[index]
-		timer.time = timer.time - delay
-		if timer.time <= 0 then
-			core.set_last_run_mod(timer.mod_origin)
-			timer.func(unpack(timer.args or {}))
-			table.remove(timers, index)
-			sub = sub + 1
-		elseif mintime then
-			mintime = math.min(mintime, timer.time)
-		else
-			mintime = timer.time
+local jobs = {}
+local time = 0.0
+local last = 0.0
+
+core.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
+	local new = core.get_us_time() / 1000000
+	if new > last then
+		time = time + (new - last)
+	else
+		-- Overflow, we may lose a little bit of time here but
+		-- only 1 tick max, potentially running timers slightly
+		-- too early.
+		time = time + new
+	end
+	last = new
+
+	if #jobs < 1 then
+		return
+	end
+
+	-- Iterate backwards so that we miss any new timers added by
+	-- a timer callback, and so that we don't skip the next timer
+	-- in the list if we remove one.
+	for i = #jobs, 1, -1 do
+		local job = jobs[i]
+		if time >= job.expire then
+			core.set_last_run_mod(job.mod_origin)
+			job.func(unpack(job.arg))
+			table.remove(jobs, i)
 		end
 	end
-end
-
-local timers_to_add
-local function add_timers()
-	for _, timer in ipairs(timers_to_add) do
-		table.insert(timers, timer)
-	end
-	timers_to_add = false
-end
-
-local delay = 0
-core.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
-	if not mintime then
-		-- abort if no timers are running
-		return
-	end
-	if timers_to_add then
-		add_timers()
-	end
-	delay = delay + dtime
-	if delay < mintime then
-		return
-	end
-	update_timers(delay)
-	delay = 0
 end)
 
-function core.after(time, func, ...)
+function core.after(after, func, ...)
 	assert(tonumber(time) and type(func) == "function",
 			"Invalid core.after invocation")
-	if not mintime then
-		mintime = time
-		timers_to_add = {{
-			time   = time+delay,
-			func   = func,
-			args   = {...},
-			mod_origin = core.get_last_run_mod(),
-		}}
-		return
-	end
-	mintime = math.min(mintime, time)
-	timers_to_add = timers_to_add or {}
-	timers_to_add[#timers_to_add+1] = {
-		time   = time+delay,
-		func   = func,
-		args   = {...},
-		mod_origin = core.get_last_run_mod(),
-	}
+	table.insert(jobs, {
+		func = func,
+		expire = time + after,
+		arg = {...},
+		mod_origin = core.get_last_run_mod()
+	})
 end
 
 function core.check_player_privs(player_or_name, ...)
diff --git a/doc/lua_api.txt b/doc/lua_api.txt
index 7255852e0..b6bc957c1 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/lua_api.txt
@@ -2242,7 +2242,7 @@ These functions return the leftover itemstack.
 
 ### Timing
 * `minetest.after(time, func, ...)`
-    * Call the function `func` after `time` seconds
+    * Call the function `func` after `time` seconds, may be fractional
     * Optional: Variable number of arguments that are passed to `func`
 
 ### Server