diff --git a/repos/libports/include/SDL/SDL_config_genode.h b/repos/libports/include/SDL/SDL_config_genode.h
index 9035755cb..069c2009e 100644
--- a/repos/libports/include/SDL/SDL_config_genode.h
+++ b/repos/libports/include/SDL/SDL_config_genode.h
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@
 /* Enable thread support */
 #define SDL_THREAD_PTHREAD 1
 
-/* Enable dummy timer support */
-#define SDL_TIMER_DUMMY 1
+/* Enable timer support */
+#define SDL_TIMER_UNIX 1
 
 /* Enable video drivers */
 #define SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_GENODE_FB 1
diff --git a/repos/libports/lib/mk/sdl.mk b/repos/libports/lib/mk/sdl.mk
index 18b3143d9..50aec58c9 100644
--- a/repos/libports/lib/mk/sdl.mk
+++ b/repos/libports/lib/mk/sdl.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ INC_DIR += $(SDL_PORT_DIR)/include/SDL
 SRC_CC   = video/SDL_genode_fb_video.cc \
            video/SDL_genode_fb_events.cc \
            audio/SDL_genodeaudio.cc \
-           timer/SDL_systimer.cc \
            loadso/SDL_loadso.cc
 
 INC_DIR += $(REP_DIR)/include/SDL \
@@ -45,7 +44,8 @@ INC_DIR += $(SDL_DIR)/src/thread
 SRC_C   += cpuinfo/SDL_cpuinfo.c
 
 # timer subsystem
-SRC_C   += timer/SDL_timer.c
+SRC_C   += timer/SDL_timer.c \
+           timer/unix/SDL_systimer.c
 INC_DIR += $(SDL_DIR)/src/timer
 
 # video subsystem
diff --git a/repos/libports/src/lib/sdl/timer/SDL_systimer.cc b/repos/libports/src/lib/sdl/timer/SDL_systimer.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index af40044d6..000000000
--- a/repos/libports/src/lib/sdl/timer/SDL_systimer.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,103 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * \brief  Genode-specific timer backend
- * \author Christian Prochaska
- * \date   2012-03-13
- *
- * based on the dummy SDL timer
- */
-
-/*
- * Copyright (C) 2012-2017 Genode Labs GmbH
- *
- * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
- * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
- */
-
-#include <timer_session/connection.h>
-
-extern "C" {
-
-#include <unistd.h>
-
-#include "SDL_config.h"
-
-#include "SDL_timer.h"
-#include "SDL_timer_c.h"
-
-
-static unsigned long start_ms = 0;
-
-static Timer::Connection _timer;
-
-
-void SDL_StartTicks(void)
-{
-	start_ms = _timer.elapsed_ms();
-}
-
-
-Uint32 SDL_GetTicks (void)
-{
-	return _timer.elapsed_ms() - start_ms;
-}
-
-
-void SDL_Delay (Uint32 ms)
-{
-	_timer.msleep(ms);
-}
-
-
-#include "SDL_thread.h"
-
-
-/* Data to handle a single periodic alarm */
-static int timer_alive = 0;
-static SDL_Thread *timer = NULL;
-
-static int RunTimer(void *unused)
-{
-	while ( timer_alive ) {
-		if ( SDL_timer_running ) {
-			SDL_ThreadedTimerCheck();
-		}
-		SDL_Delay(1);
-	}
-	return(0);
-}
-
-
-/* This is only called if the event thread is not running */
-int SDL_SYS_TimerInit(void)
-{
-	timer_alive = 1;
-	timer = SDL_CreateThread(RunTimer, NULL);
-	if ( timer == NULL )
-		return(-1);
-	return(SDL_SetTimerThreaded(1));
-}
-
-
-void SDL_SYS_TimerQuit(void)
-{
-	timer_alive = 0;
-	if ( timer ) {
-		SDL_WaitThread(timer, NULL);
-		timer = NULL;
-	}
-}
-
-
-int SDL_SYS_StartTimer(void)
-{
-	SDL_SetError("Internal logic error: threaded timer in use");
-	return(-1);
-}
-
-
-void SDL_SYS_StopTimer(void)
-{
-	return;
-}
-
-}