diff --git a/include/btstack/run_loop.h b/include/btstack/run_loop.h
index 2c7b36d64..f0c881038 100644
--- a/include/btstack/run_loop.h
+++ b/include/btstack/run_loop.h
@@ -93,6 +93,12 @@ int  run_loop_remove_data_source(data_source_t *dataSource);
 // execute configured run_loop
 void run_loop_execute(void);
 
+// hack to fix HCI timer handling
+#ifdef EMBEDDED
+uint32_t embedded_get_ticks(void);
+uint32_t embedded_ticks_for_ms(uint32_t time_in_ms);
+#endif
+    
 #if defined __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/hci.c b/src/hci.c
index 87ebae69b..41cb66574 100644
--- a/src/hci.c
+++ b/src/hci.c
@@ -76,27 +76,33 @@ hci_connection_t * connection_for_handle(hci_con_handle_t con_handle){
     return NULL;
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_TIME
 static void hci_connection_timeout_handler(timer_source_t *timer){
     hci_connection_t * connection = linked_item_get_user(&timer->item);
+#ifdef HAVE_TIME
     struct timeval tv;
     gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
     if (tv.tv_sec >= connection->timestamp.tv_sec + HCI_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS/1000) {
         // connections might be timed out
         hci_emit_l2cap_check_timeout(connection);
-        run_loop_set_timer(timer, HCI_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS);
-    } else {
-        // next timeout check at
-        timer->timeout.tv_sec = connection->timestamp.tv_sec + HCI_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS/1000;
     }
+#endif
+#ifdef EMBEDDED
+    if (embedded_get_ticks() > connection->timestamp + embedded_ticks_for_ms(HCI_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS)){
+        // connections might be timed out
+        hci_emit_l2cap_check_timeout(connection);
+    }
+#endif
+    run_loop_set_timer(timer, HCI_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS);
     run_loop_add_timer(timer);
 }
-#endif
 
 static void hci_connection_timestamp(hci_connection_t *connection){
 #ifdef HAVE_TIME
     gettimeofday(&connection->timestamp, NULL);
 #endif
+#ifdef EMBEDDED
+    connection->timestamp = embedded_get_ticks();
+#endif
 }
 
 /**
@@ -110,11 +116,9 @@ static hci_connection_t * create_connection_for_addr(bd_addr_t addr){
     BD_ADDR_COPY(conn->address, addr);
     conn->con_handle = 0xffff;
     conn->authentication_flags = AUTH_FLAGS_NONE;
-#ifdef HAVE_TIME
     linked_item_set_user(&conn->timeout.item, conn);
     conn->timeout.process = hci_connection_timeout_handler;
     hci_connection_timestamp(conn);
-#endif
     conn->acl_recombination_length = 0;
     conn->acl_recombination_pos = 0;
     conn->num_acl_packets_sent = 0;
@@ -340,9 +344,8 @@ static void hci_shutdown_connection(hci_connection_t *conn){
     // cancel all l2cap connections
     hci_emit_disconnection_complete(conn->con_handle, 0x16);    // terminated by local host
 
-#ifdef HAVE_TIME
     run_loop_remove_timer(&conn->timeout);
-#endif
+    
     linked_list_remove(&hci_stack.connections, (linked_item_t *) conn);
     btstack_memory_hci_connection_free( conn );
     
@@ -438,11 +441,10 @@ static void event_handler(uint8_t *packet, int size){
                     conn->state = OPEN;
                     conn->con_handle = READ_BT_16(packet, 3);
                     
-#ifdef HAVE_TIME
-                    gettimeofday(&conn->timestamp, NULL);
+                    // restart timer
                     run_loop_set_timer(&conn->timeout, HCI_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS);
                     run_loop_add_timer(&conn->timeout);
-#endif                    
+                    
                     log_info("New connection: handle %u, ", conn->con_handle);
                     print_bd_addr( conn->address );
                     log_info("\n");
diff --git a/src/hci.h b/src/hci.h
index e645aac57..b29465058 100644
--- a/src/hci.h
+++ b/src/hci.h
@@ -194,13 +194,17 @@ typedef struct {
     
     // errands
     hci_authentication_flags_t authentication_flags;
+
+    timer_source_t timeout;
     
 #ifdef HAVE_TIME
     // timer
-    timer_source_t timeout;
     struct timeval timestamp;
 #endif
-
+#ifdef EMBEDDED
+    uint32_t timeout; // timeout in system ticks
+#endif
+    
     // ACL packet recombination
     uint8_t  acl_recombination_buffer[4 + HCI_ACL_3DH5_SIZE];
     uint16_t acl_recombination_pos;
diff --git a/src/run_loop_embedded.c b/src/run_loop_embedded.c
index bd8818536..da84121b2 100644
--- a/src/run_loop_embedded.c
+++ b/src/run_loop_embedded.c
@@ -145,9 +145,17 @@ static void embedded_tick_handler(void){
     system_ticks++;
 }
 
+uint32_t embedded_get_ticks(void){
+    return system_ticks;
+}
+
+uint32_t embedded_ticks_for_ms(uint32_t time_in_ms){
+    return delta_ms / hal_tick_get_tick_period_in_ms()
+}
+
 // set timer
 void run_loop_set_timer(timer_source_t *ts, uint32_t timeout_in_ms){
-    uint32_t ticks = timeout_in_ms / hal_tick_get_tick_period_in_ms();
+    uint32_t ticks = embedded_ticks_for_ms(timeout_in_ms);
     if (ticks == 0) ticks++;
     ts->timeout = system_ticks + ticks; 
 }