diff --git a/kernel/cycle.h b/kernel/cycle.h
index fe3dd50d6..777d1cda5 100644
--- a/kernel/cycle.h
+++ b/kernel/cycle.h
@@ -437,14 +437,24 @@ INLINE_ELAPSED(__inline)
 #define HAVE_TICK_COUNTER
 #endif
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------*/
-/* SGI/Irix */
-#if defined(HAVE_CLOCK_GETTIME) && defined(CLOCK_SGI_CYCLE) && !defined(HAVE_TICK_COUNTER) && !defined(__ANDROID__)
+/* SGI/Irix/Linux but not android */
+#if !defined(__ANDROID__) && !defined(HAVE_TICK_COUNTER)
+#if defined(HAVE_CLOCK_GETTIME)
+#if defined(CLOCK_MONOTONIC)
+#define METHOD CLOCK_MONOTONIC
+#elif defined(CLOCK_REALTIME)
+#define METHOD CLOCK_REALTIME
+#elif defined(CLOCK_SGI_CYCLE)
+#define METHOD CLOCK_SGI_CYCLE
+#endif
+#endif
+
 typedef struct timespec ticks;
 
 static inline ticks getticks(void)
 {
      struct timespec t;
-     clock_gettime(CLOCK_SGI_CYCLE, &t);
+     clock_gettime(METHOD, &t);
      return t;
 }