diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index d5d567caa16b3..19fa2dcf005e2 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ test_utils_files = [
     'options/path.c',
     'osdep/io.c',
     'osdep/subprocess.c',
+    'osdep/timer.c',
+    timer_source,
     path_source,
     subprocess_source,
     'ta/ta.c',
@@ -34,13 +36,10 @@ test_utils_files = [
 
 test_utils_deps = [libavutil, libm]
 
-# The zimg code requires using threads. On windows, threads
-# also requires timer code so this is added.
+# The zimg code requires using threads.
 if features['win32-internal-pthreads']
     test_utils_args += '-DWIN32_TESTS'
-    test_utils_files += ['osdep/timer.c',
-                         'osdep/timer-win2.c',
-                         'osdep/win32/pthread.c',
+    test_utils_files += ['osdep/win32/pthread.c',
                          'osdep/windows_utils.c']
 else
     test_utils_deps += pthreads
@@ -98,6 +97,9 @@ test('json', json)
 linked_list = executable('linked-list', files('linked_list.c'), include_directories: incdir)
 test('linked-list', linked_list)
 
+timer = executable('timer', files('timer.c'), include_directories: incdir, link_with: test_utils)
+test('timer', timer)
+
 paths_objects = libmpv.extract_objects('options/path.c', path_source)
 paths = executable('paths', 'paths.c', include_directories: incdir,
                    objects: paths_objects, link_with: test_utils)
diff --git a/test/test_utils.c b/test/test_utils.c
index 4bd97f30f8def..ac59c17e8f7f9 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.c
+++ b/test/test_utils.c
@@ -106,10 +106,3 @@ int mp_msg_find_level(const char *s) {return 0;};
 int mp_msg_level(struct mp_log *log) {return 0;};
 void mp_write_console_ansi(void) {};
 void mp_set_avdict(AVDictionary **dict, char **kv) {};
-
-#ifndef WIN32_TESTS
-void mp_rel_time_to_timespec(void) {};
-void mp_time_ns(void) {};
-void mp_time_ns_add(void) {};
-void mp_time_ns_to_realtime(void) {};
-#endif
diff --git a/test/test_utils.h b/test/test_utils.h
index ac1dfb5d1d4b0..66615d3710857 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.h
+++ b/test/test_utils.h
@@ -54,13 +54,3 @@ int mp_msg_level(struct mp_log *log);
 void mp_write_console_ansi(void);
 typedef struct AVDictionary AVDictionary;
 void mp_set_avdict(AVDictionary **dict, char **kv);
-
-// Windows additionally requires timer related code so it will actually
-// import the real versions of these functions and use them. On other
-// platforms, these can just be stubs for simplicity.
-#ifndef WIN32_TESTS
-void mp_rel_time_to_timespec(void);
-void mp_time_ns(void);
-void mp_time_ns_add(void);
-void mp_time_ns_to_realtime(void);
-#endif
diff --git a/test/timer.c b/test/timer.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..6fe7770c2e454
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/timer.c
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#include "common/common.h"
+#include "osdep/timer.h"
+#include "test_utils.h"
+
+#include <time.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+
+int main(void)
+{
+    mp_time_init();
+
+    /* timekeeping */
+    {
+        int64_t now = mp_time_ns();
+        assert_true(now > 0);
+
+        mp_sleep_ns(MP_TIME_MS_TO_NS(10));
+
+        int64_t now2 = mp_time_ns();
+        assert_true(now2 > now);
+
+        mp_sleep_ns(MP_TIME_MS_TO_NS(10));
+
+        double now3 = mp_time_sec();
+        assert_true(now3 > MP_TIME_NS_TO_S(now2));
+    }
+
+    /* arithmetic */
+    {
+        const int64_t test = 123456;
+        assert_int_equal(mp_time_ns_add(test, 1.0), test + MP_TIME_S_TO_NS(1));
+        assert_int_equal(mp_time_ns_add(test, DBL_MAX), INT64_MAX);
+        assert_int_equal(mp_time_ns_add(test, -1e13), 1);
+
+        const int64_t test2 = INT64_MAX - MP_TIME_S_TO_NS(20);
+        assert_int_equal(mp_time_ns_add(test2, 20.44), INT64_MAX);
+    }
+
+    /* conversion */
+    {
+        struct timeval tv;
+        struct timespec ts;
+        gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
+        ts = mp_time_ns_to_realtime(mp_time_ns());
+        assert_true(llabs(tv.tv_sec - ts.tv_sec) <= 1);
+
+        gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
+        ts = mp_rel_time_to_timespec(0.0);
+        assert_true(llabs(tv.tv_sec - ts.tv_sec) <= 1);
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}