--- src/kernel/qeventloop_unix.cpp
+++ src/kernel/qeventloop_unix.cpp
@@ -517,6 +531,17 @@
     return (tm->tv_sec*1000) + (tm->tv_usec/1000);
 }
 
+static QString fullName(QObject* obj)
+{
+    QString oname;
+    if (obj && obj->name())
+        oname = QString(obj->name()) + "(" + QString(obj->className()) + ")";
+
+    if (obj && obj->parent())
+        return fullName(obj->parent()) + "/" + oname;
+    return oname;
+}
+
 int QEventLoop::activateTimers()
 {
     if ( !timerList || !timerList->count() )	// no timers
@@ -552,9 +577,27 @@
 	t->timeout += t->interval;
 	if ( t->timeout < currentTime )
 	    t->timeout = currentTime + t->interval;
+        // prefer system clock ticks for low resolution timers
+        // to save cpu power
+        if (t->interval.tv_sec * 1000 + t->interval.tv_usec / 1000 >= 1000) {
+            timeval drift;
+            drift.tv_sec = 0;
+            drift.tv_usec = (t->interval.tv_usec / 8) + (t->interval.tv_sec % 8) * 1000 * 1000 / 8;
+            timeval synced = t->timeout + drift;
+            if (synced.tv_usec < 2 * drift.tv_usec)
+                synced.tv_usec = 0;
+            t->timeout = synced;
+        }
 	insertTimer( t );			// relink timer
 	if ( t->interval.tv_usec > 0 || t->interval.tv_sec > 0 )
 	    n_act++;
+
+        if (t->obj && getenv("QT_DEBUG_TIMER"))
+            qDebug("qtimer: %ld/%s %d ms for %p/%s %s",
+                    getpid(), qApp && qApp->name() ? qApp->name() : "", 
+                    t->interval.tv_sec * 1000 + t->interval.tv_usec / 1000,
+                    t->obj, fullName(t->obj).latin1(), t->obj->className());
+
 	QTimerEvent e( t->id );
 	QApplication::sendEvent( t->obj, &e );	// send event
 	if ( timerList->findRef( begin ) == -1 )