diff --git a/hermit/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h b/hermit/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
index 4dedc588f..c613c11b6 100644
--- a/hermit/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
+++ b/hermit/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ int apic_is_enabled(void);
 int apic_enable_timer(void);
 int apic_disable_timer(void);
 int apic_timer_deadline(uint32_t);
+int apic_timer_is_running(void);
 int apic_send_ipi(uint64_t dest, uint8_t irq);
 int ioapic_inton(uint8_t irq, uint8_t apicid);
 int ioapic_intoff(uint8_t irq, uint8_t apicid);
diff --git a/hermit/arch/x86/kernel/apic.c b/hermit/arch/x86/kernel/apic.c
index 449f2e2de..287001ca8 100644
--- a/hermit/arch/x86/kernel/apic.c
+++ b/hermit/arch/x86/kernel/apic.c
@@ -303,6 +303,15 @@ static inline void set_ipi_dest(uint32_t cpu_id) {
 	lapic_write(APIC_ICR2, tmp);
 }
 
+int apic_timer_is_running(void)
+{
+	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(apic_is_enabled(), 1)) {
+		return lapic_read(APIC_CCR) != 0;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int apic_timer_deadline(uint32_t ticks)
 {
 	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(apic_is_enabled() && icr, 1)) {
diff --git a/hermit/include/hermit/time.h b/hermit/include/hermit/time.h
index c38c5a518..0e5d51df1 100644
--- a/hermit/include/hermit/time.h
+++ b/hermit/include/hermit/time.h
@@ -83,7 +83,9 @@ static inline void sleep(unsigned int sec) { timer_wait(sec*TIMER_FREQ); }
 
 static inline int timer_deadline(uint32_t t) { return apic_timer_deadline(t); }
 
-static inline void timer_disable() { apic_disable_timer(); }
+static inline void timer_disable(void) { apic_disable_timer(); }
+
+static inline int timer_is_running(void) { return apic_timer_is_running(); }
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }