diff --git a/include/villas/nodes/file.h b/include/villas/nodes/file.h
index 8977eaf21..624a73ee5 100644
--- a/include/villas/nodes/file.h
+++ b/include/villas/nodes/file.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 #include "io.h"
 #include "node.h"
-#include "periodic_task.h"
+#include "task.h"
 
 #define FILE_MAX_PATHLEN	512
 
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ struct file {
 	char *mode;			/**< File access mode. */
 
 	int flush;			/**< Flush / upload file contents after each write. */
-	struct periodic_task timer;	/**< Timer file descriptor. Blocks until 1 / rate seconds are elapsed. */
+	struct task task;		/**< Timer file descriptor. Blocks until 1 / rate seconds are elapsed. */
 	double rate;			/**< The read rate. */
 
 	enum epoch_mode {
diff --git a/include/villas/nodes/ngsi.h b/include/villas/nodes/ngsi.h
index b48547489..a64ac459a 100644
--- a/include/villas/nodes/ngsi.h
+++ b/include/villas/nodes/ngsi.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 #include "list.h"
 #include "super_node.h"
 #include "node.h"
-#include "periodic_task.h"
+#include "task.h"
 
 struct node;
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ struct ngsi {
 	double timeout;			/**< HTTP timeout in seconds */
 	double rate;			/**< Rate used for polling. */
 
-	struct periodic_task timer;	/**< Timer for periodic events. */
+	struct task task;		/**< Timer for periodic events. */
 	int ssl_verify;			/**< Boolean flag whether SSL server certificates should be verified or not. */
 
 	struct curl_slist *headers;	/**< List of HTTP request headers for libcurl */
diff --git a/include/villas/nodes/signal.h b/include/villas/nodes/signal.h
index 78290d379..3d0e07521 100644
--- a/include/villas/nodes/signal.h
+++ b/include/villas/nodes/signal.h
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "timing.h"
-#include "periodic_task.h"
+#include "task.h"
 
 /* Forward declarations */
 struct node;
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ enum signal_type {
  * @see node_type
  */
 struct signal {
-	struct periodic_task timer;	/**< Timer for periodic events. */
+	struct task task;		/**< Timer for periodic events. */
 	int rt;				/**< Real-time mode? */
 
 	enum signal_type type;		/**< Signal type */
diff --git a/include/villas/nodes/test_rtt.h b/include/villas/nodes/test_rtt.h
index d8cb5d7a6..8c38a1cbe 100644
--- a/include/villas/nodes/test_rtt.h
+++ b/include/villas/nodes/test_rtt.h
@@ -32,9 +32,10 @@
 #include "node.h"
 #include "list.h"
 #include "io.h"
+#include "task.h"
 
 struct test_rtt_case {
-	int tfd;
+	struct task task;
 	double rate;
 	int values;
 	int counter;
diff --git a/include/villas/periodic_task.h b/include/villas/task.h
similarity index 72%
rename from include/villas/periodic_task.h
rename to include/villas/task.h
index 4239e1616..518ae46ba 100644
--- a/include/villas/periodic_task.h
+++ b/include/villas/task.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 #include <time.h>
 
-/** We can choose between two periodic timer implementations */
+/** We can choose between two periodic task implementations */
 //#define PERIODIC_TASK_IMPL NANOSLEEP
 #define TIMERFD		1
 #define CLOCK_NANOSLEEP	2
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@
 #if defined(__MACH__)
   #define PERIODIC_TASK_IMPL NANOSLEEP
 #else
-  #define PERIODIC_TASK_IMPL CLOCK_NANOSLEEP
+  #define PERIODIC_TASK_IMPL TIMERFD
 #endif
 
-struct periodic_task {
+struct task {
 	struct timespec period;
 #if PERIODIC_TASK_IMPL == CLOCK_NANOSLEEP || PERIODIC_TASK_IMPL == NANOSLEEP
 	struct timespec next_period;
@@ -49,22 +49,23 @@ struct periodic_task {
 #else
   #error "Invalid period task implementation"
 #endif
+	int clock;
 };
 
-/** Create a new timer with the given rate. */
-int periodic_task_init(struct periodic_task *t, double rate);
+/** Create a new task with the given rate. */
+int task_init(struct task *t, double rate, int clock);
 
-int periodic_task_destroy(struct periodic_task *t);
+int task_destroy(struct task *t);
 
-/** Wait until timer elapsed
+/** Wait until task elapsed
  *
- * @retval 0 An error occured. Maybe the timer was stopped.
- * @retval >0 The nummer of runs this timer already fired.
+ * @retval 0 An error occured. Maybe the task was stopped.
+ * @retval >0 The nummer of runs this task already fired.
  */
-uint64_t periodic_task_wait_until_next_period(struct periodic_task *t);
+uint64_t task_wait_until_next_period(struct task *t);
 
 /** Wait until a fixed time in the future is reached
  *
  * @param until A pointer to a time in the future.
  */
-int periodic_task_wait_until(struct periodic_task *t, const struct timespec *until);
\ No newline at end of file
+int task_wait_until(struct task *t, const struct timespec *until);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/nodes/file.c b/lib/nodes/file.c
index d81b922a4..061f546d4 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/file.c
+++ b/lib/nodes/file.c
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ int file_start(struct node *n)
 		return ret;
 
 	/* Create timer */
-	ret = periodic_task_init(&f->timer, f->rate);
+	ret = task_init(&f->task, f->rate, CLOCK_REALTIME);
 	if (ret)
 		serror("Failed to create timer");
 
@@ -226,9 +226,8 @@ int file_start(struct node *n)
 	if (f->epoch_mode != FILE_EPOCH_ORIGINAL) {
 		io_rewind(&f->io);
 
-		struct sample s;
+		struct sample s = { .capacity = 0 };
 		struct sample *smps[] = { &s };
-		s.capacity = 0;
 
 		ret = io_scan(&f->io, smps, 1);
 		if (ret != 1)
@@ -248,7 +247,7 @@ int file_stop(struct node *n)
 	struct file *f = n->_vd;
 	int ret;
 
-	periodic_task_destroy(&f->timer);
+	task_destroy(&f->task);
 
 	ret = io_close(&f->io);
 	if (ret)
@@ -310,14 +309,14 @@ retry:	ret = io_scan(&f->io, smps, cnt);
 		return cnt;
 
 	if (f->rate) {
-		steps = periodic_task_wait_until_next_period(&f->timer);
+		steps = task_wait_until_next_period(&f->task);
 
 		smps[0]->ts.origin = time_now();
 	}
 	else {
 		smps[0]->ts.origin = time_add(&smps[0]->ts.origin, &f->offset);
 
-		steps = periodic_task_wait_until(&f->timer, &smps[0]->ts.origin);
+		steps = task_wait_until(&f->task, &smps[0]->ts.origin);
 	}
 
 	/* Check for overruns */
diff --git a/lib/nodes/ngsi.c b/lib/nodes/ngsi.c
index e87eb8ac9..0c2ba042d 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/ngsi.c
+++ b/lib/nodes/ngsi.c
@@ -488,13 +488,13 @@ int ngsi_start(struct node *n)
 		i->headers = curl_slist_append(i->headers, buf);
 	}
 
-	/* Create timer */
+	/* Create task */
 	if (i->timeout > 1 / i->rate)
 		warn("Timeout is to large for given rate: %f", i->rate);
 
-	ret = periodic_task_init(&i->timer, i->rate);
+	ret = task_init(&i->task, i->rate, CLOCK_MONOTONIC);
 	if (ret)
-		serror("Failed to create timer");
+		serror("Failed to create task");
 
 	i->headers = curl_slist_append(i->headers, "Accept: application/json");
 	i->headers = curl_slist_append(i->headers, "Content-Type: application/json");
@@ -539,8 +539,8 @@ int ngsi_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 	struct ngsi *i = n->_vd;
 	int ret;
 
-	if (periodic_task_wait_until_next_period(&i->timer) == 0)
-		perror("Failed to wait for timer");
+	if (task_wait_until_next_period(&i->task) == 0)
+		perror("Failed to wait for task");
 
 	json_t *rentity;
 	json_t *entity = ngsi_build_entity(i, NULL, 0, 0);
diff --git a/lib/nodes/signal.c b/lib/nodes/signal.c
index 61239cca6..cba5dff57 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/signal.c
+++ b/lib/nodes/signal.c
@@ -163,9 +163,9 @@ int signal_open(struct node *n)
 	s->counter = 0;
 	s->started = time_now();
 
-	/* Setup timer */
+	/* Setup task */
 	if (s->rt) {
-		ret = periodic_task_init(&s->timer, s->rate);
+		ret = task_init(&s->task, s->rate, CLOCK_MONOTONIC);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
 	}
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ int signal_close(struct node *n)
 	struct signal* s = n->_vd;
 
 	if (s->rt) {
-		ret = periodic_task_destroy(&s->timer);
+		ret = task_destroy(&s->task);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
 	}
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ int signal_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 	/* Throttle output if desired */
 	if (s->rt) {
 		/* Block until 1/p->rate seconds elapsed */
-		steps = periodic_task_wait_until_next_period(&s->timer);
+		steps = task_wait_until_next_period(&s->task);
 		if (steps > 1)
 			warn("Missed steps: %u", steps);
 
diff --git a/lib/nodes/test_rtt.c b/lib/nodes/test_rtt.c
index 3a4a6e8e3..31e01769d 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/test_rtt.c
+++ b/lib/nodes/test_rtt.c
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ static int test_rtt_case_start(struct test_rtt *t)
 		return ret;
 
 	/* Start timer. */
-	c->tfd = timerfd_create_rate(c->rate);
-	if (c->tfd < 0)
+	ret = task_init(&t->timer, c->rate);
+	if (ret)
 		serror("Failed to create timer");
 
 	return 0;
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static int test_rtt_case_stop(struct test_rtt_case *c)
 	io_close(&t->io);
 
 	/* Stop timer. */
-	close(c->tfd);
+	task_destroy(&c->task);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -189,10 +189,7 @@ int test_rtt_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 	struct test_rtt_case *c = t->current;
 
 	/* Wait */
-	ret = read(c->tfd, &steps, sizeof(steps));
-	if (ret != sizeof(steps))
-		return -1;
-
+	steps = task_wait_until_next_period(&c->task);
 	if (steps > 1)
 		warn("Skipped %zu samples", steps - 1);