diff --git a/src/base/system.c b/src/base/system.c
index 01b67e44e..8b417d41e 100644
--- a/src/base/system.c
+++ b/src/base/system.c
@@ -1001,6 +1001,48 @@ int64 time_freq()
 #endif
 }
 
+int64 time_get_microseconds()
+{
+	static int64 last = 0;
+	{
+#if defined(CONF_PLATFORM_MACOSX)
+		static int got_timebase = 0;
+		mach_timebase_info_data_t timebase;
+		uint64_t time;
+		uint64_t q;
+		uint64_t r;
+		if (!got_timebase)
+		{
+			mach_timebase_info(&timebase);
+		}
+		time = mach_absolute_time();
+		q = time / timebase.denom;
+		r = time % timebase.denom;
+		last = q * timebase.numer + r * timebase.numer / timebase.denom;
+		return last / (int64)1000;
+#elif defined(CONF_FAMILY_UNIX)
+		struct timespec spec;
+		clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &spec);
+		last = (int64)spec.tv_sec*(int64)1000000 + (int64)spec.tv_nsec / 1000;
+		return last;
+#elif defined(CONF_FAMILY_WINDOWS)
+		int64 t;
+		QueryPerformanceCounter((PLARGE_INTEGER)&t);
+
+		int64 tf;
+		QueryPerformanceFrequency((PLARGE_INTEGER)&tf);
+
+		t = (t * (int64)1000000) / tf;
+		if(t < last) // for some reason, QPC can return values in the past
+			return last;
+		last = t;
+		return t;
+#else
+#error not implemented
+#endif
+	}
+}
+
 /* -----  network ----- */
 static void netaddr_to_sockaddr_in(const NETADDR *src, struct sockaddr_in *dest)
 {
diff --git a/src/base/system.h b/src/base/system.h
index 18fef446e..7ae09f661 100644
--- a/src/base/system.h
+++ b/src/base/system.h
@@ -621,6 +621,15 @@ int64 time_freq();
 */
 int time_timestamp();
 
+/*
+Function: time_get_microseconds
+Fetches a sample from a high resolution timer and converts it in microseconds.
+
+Returns:
+Current value of the timer in microseconds.
+*/
+int64 time_get_microseconds();
+
 /* Group: Network General */
 typedef struct
 {
diff --git a/src/engine/client/client.cpp b/src/engine/client/client.cpp
index 2070b80d8..a732802d0 100644
--- a/src/engine/client/client.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/client/client.cpp
@@ -2699,11 +2699,11 @@ void CClient::Run()
 	bool LastQ = false;
 	bool LastE = false;
 	bool LastG = false;
-
-	int64 LastTime = time_get();
+	
+	int64 LastTime = time_get_microseconds();
 	int64 LastRenderTime = time_get();
 
-	while (1)
+	while(1)
 	{
 		set_new_tick();
 
@@ -2804,7 +2804,7 @@ void CClient::Run()
 
 				// keep the overflow time - it's used to make sure the gfx refreshrate is reached
 				int64 AdditionalTime = g_Config.m_GfxRefreshRate ? ((Now - LastRenderTime) - (int64)((float)time_freq() / (float)g_Config.m_GfxRefreshRate)) : 0;
-				// if the value is over a second time loose, reset the additional time (drop the frames we lost already)
+				// if the value is over a second time loose, reset the additional time (drop the frames, that are lost already)
 				if(AdditionalTime > time_freq())
 					AdditionalTime = time_freq();
 				LastRenderTime = Now - AdditionalTime;
@@ -2859,7 +2859,7 @@ void CClient::Run()
 #endif
 
 		// beNice
-		int64 Now = time_get();
+		int64 Now = time_get_microseconds();
 		int64 SleepTimeInMicroSeconds = 0;
 		bool Slept = false;
 		if(
@@ -2868,34 +2868,32 @@ void CClient::Run()
 #endif
 			(g_Config.m_ClRefreshRateInactive && !m_pGraphics->WindowActive()))
 		{
-			int64 TimeNowInMicroSeconds = (Now * 1000000ll) / time_freq();
-			int64 TimeLastInMicroSeconds = (LastTime * 1000000ll) / time_freq();
-			SleepTimeInMicroSeconds = (1000000ll / g_Config.m_ClRefreshRateInactive) - (TimeNowInMicroSeconds - TimeLastInMicroSeconds);
-			thread_sleep(max(SleepTimeInMicroSeconds / 1000ll, (int64)0));
+			SleepTimeInMicroSeconds = ((int64)1000000 / (int64)g_Config.m_ClRefreshRateInactive) - (Now - LastTime);
+			if (SleepTimeInMicroSeconds / (int64)1000 > (int64)0)
+				thread_sleep(SleepTimeInMicroSeconds / (int64)1000);
 			Slept = true;
 		}
 		else if(g_Config.m_ClRefreshRate)
 		{
-			int64 TimeNowInMicroSeconds = (Now * 1000000ll) / time_freq();
-			int64 TimeLastInMicroSeconds = (LastTime * 1000000ll) / time_freq();
-			SleepTimeInMicroSeconds = (1000000ll / g_Config.m_ClRefreshRate) - (TimeNowInMicroSeconds - TimeLastInMicroSeconds);
-			net_socket_read_wait(m_NetClient[0].m_Socket, max(SleepTimeInMicroSeconds, (int64)0));
+			SleepTimeInMicroSeconds = ((int64)1000000 / (int64)g_Config.m_ClRefreshRate) - (Now - LastTime);
+			if(SleepTimeInMicroSeconds > (int64)0)
+				net_socket_read_wait(m_NetClient[0].m_Socket, SleepTimeInMicroSeconds);
 			Slept = true;
 		}
 		if(Slept)
 		{
-			// look how much we actually slept/waited
-			int64 After = time_get();
-			int64 TimeNowInMicroSeconds = (Now * 1000000ll) / time_freq();
-			int64 TimeAfterInMicroSeconds = (After * 1000000ll) / time_freq();
-			int64 TimeDiff = SleepTimeInMicroSeconds - (TimeAfterInMicroSeconds - TimeNowInMicroSeconds);
 			// if the diff gets too small it shouldn't get even smaller (drop the updates, that could not be handled)
-			if(TimeDiff < -1000000ll)
-				TimeDiff = -1000000ll;
+			if(SleepTimeInMicroSeconds < (int64)-1000000)
+				SleepTimeInMicroSeconds = (int64)-1000000;
 			// don't go higher than the game ticks speed, because the network is waking up the client with the server's snapshots anyway
-			else if(TimeDiff > 1000000ll / m_GameTickSpeed)
-				TimeDiff = 1000000ll / m_GameTickSpeed;
-			LastTime = Now + (TimeDiff * time_freq()) / 1000000ll;
+			else if(SleepTimeInMicroSeconds > (int64)1000000 / m_GameTickSpeed)
+				SleepTimeInMicroSeconds = (int64)1000000 / m_GameTickSpeed;
+			// the time diff between the time that was used actually used and the time the thread should sleep/wait
+			// will be calculated in the sleep time of the next update tick by faking the time it should have slept/wait.
+			// so two cases (and the case it slept exactly the time it should):
+			//	- the thread slept/waited too long, then it adjust the time to sleep/wait less in the next update tick
+			//	- the thread slept/waited too less, then it adjust the time to sleep/wait more in the next update tick
+			LastTime = Now + SleepTimeInMicroSeconds;
 		}
 		else
 			LastTime = Now;