diff --git a/example/generator/odp_generator.c b/example/generator/odp_generator.c
index 9d79f89..2de530d 100644
--- a/example/generator/odp_generator.c
+++ b/example/generator/odp_generator.c
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ static void *gen_recv_thread(void *arg)
  */
 static void print_global_stats(int num_workers)
 {
-	odp_time_t start, wait, diff;
+	odp_time_t cur, wait, next;
 	uint64_t pkts, pkts_prev = 0, pps, maximum_pps = 0;
 	int verbose_interval = 20;
 	odp_thrmask_t thrd_mask;
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ static void print_global_stats(int num_workers)
 		continue;
 
 	wait = odp_time_local_from_ns(verbose_interval * ODP_TIME_SEC_IN_NS);
-	start = odp_time_local();
+	next = odp_time_sum(odp_time_local(), wait);
 
 	while (odp_thrmask_worker(&thrd_mask) == num_workers) {
 		if (args->appl.number != -1 &&
@@ -604,11 +604,11 @@ static void print_global_stats(int num_workers)
 			break;
 		}
 
-		diff = odp_time_diff(odp_time_local(), start);
-		if (odp_time_cmp(wait, diff) > 0)
+		cur = odp_time_local();
+		if (odp_time_cmp(next, cur) > 0)
 			continue;
 
-		start = odp_time_local();
+		next = odp_time_sum(cur, wait);
 
 		if (args->appl.mode == APPL_MODE_RCV) {
 			pkts = odp_atomic_load_u64(&counters.udp);
diff --git a/include/odp/api/time.h b/include/odp/api/time.h
index 50a0bf5..9865d81 100644
--- a/include/odp/api/time.h
+++ b/include/odp/api/time.h
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ extern "C" {
  * Current local time
  *
  * Returns current local time stamp value. The local time source provides high
- * resolution time.
+ * resolution time, it is initialized to zero during ODP startup and will not
+ * wrap around in at least 10 years.
  *
  * @return Local time stamp.
  */
diff --git a/platform/linux-generic/include/odp_internal.h b/platform/linux-generic/include/odp_internal.h
index 14ba159..baff135 100644
--- a/platform/linux-generic/include/odp_internal.h
+++ b/platform/linux-generic/include/odp_internal.h
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ int odp_schedule_term_local(void);
 int odp_timer_init_global(void);
 int odp_timer_disarm_all(void);
 
+int odp_time_local_init(void);
+
 void _odp_flush_caches(void);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/platform/linux-generic/odp_schedule.c b/platform/linux-generic/odp_schedule.c
index 96b3ac5..3017876 100644
--- a/platform/linux-generic/odp_schedule.c
+++ b/platform/linux-generic/odp_schedule.c
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ static int schedule_loop(odp_queue_t *out_queue, uint64_t wait,
 			 odp_event_t out_ev[],
 			 unsigned int max_num, unsigned int max_deq)
 {
-	odp_time_t start_time, time, diff, wtime;
+	odp_time_t next, wtime;
 	int first = 1;
 	int ret;
 
@@ -604,15 +604,12 @@ static int schedule_loop(odp_queue_t *out_queue, uint64_t wait,
 
 		if (first) {
 			wtime = odp_time_local_from_ns(wait);
-			start_time = odp_time_local();
+			next = odp_time_sum(odp_time_local(), wtime);
 			first = 0;
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		time = odp_time_local();
-		diff = odp_time_diff(time, start_time);
-
-		if (odp_time_cmp(wtime, diff) < 0)
+		if (odp_time_cmp(next, odp_time_local()) < 0)
 			break;
 	}
 
diff --git a/platform/linux-generic/odp_time.c b/platform/linux-generic/odp_time.c
index b725086..1aae88c 100644
--- a/platform/linux-generic/odp_time.c
+++ b/platform/linux-generic/odp_time.c
@@ -11,19 +11,21 @@
 #include <odp/hints.h>
 #include <odp_debug_internal.h>
 
-odp_time_t odp_time_local(void)
+static __thread struct timespec start_local;
+
+static inline
+uint64_t _odp_time_to_ns(odp_time_t val)
 {
-	int ret;
-	struct timespec time;
+	uint64_t ns;
 
-	ret = clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW, &time);
-	if (odp_unlikely(ret != 0))
-		ODP_ABORT("clock_gettime failed\n");
+	ns = val.tv_sec * ODP_TIME_SEC_IN_NS;
+	ns += val.tv_nsec;
 
-	return time;
+	return ns;
 }
 
-odp_time_t odp_time_diff(odp_time_t t2, odp_time_t t1)
+static inline
+odp_time_t _odp_time_diff(odp_time_t t2, odp_time_t t1)
 {
 	struct timespec time;
 
@@ -38,24 +40,36 @@ odp_time_t odp_time_diff(odp_time_t t2, odp_time_t t1)
 	return time;
 }
 
-uint64_t odp_time_to_ns(odp_time_t time)
+odp_time_t odp_time_local(void)
 {
-	uint64_t ns;
+	int ret;
+	struct timespec time;
+
+	ret = clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW, &time);
+	if (odp_unlikely(ret != 0))
+		ODP_ABORT("clock_gettime failed\n");
 
-	ns = time.tv_sec * ODP_TIME_SEC_IN_NS;
-	ns += time.tv_nsec;
+	return _odp_time_diff(time, start_local);
+}
 
-	return ns;
+odp_time_t odp_time_diff(odp_time_t t2, odp_time_t t1)
+{
+	return _odp_time_diff(t2, t1);
+}
+
+uint64_t odp_time_to_ns(odp_time_t time)
+{
+	return _odp_time_to_ns(time);
 }
 
 odp_time_t odp_time_local_from_ns(uint64_t ns)
 {
-	struct timespec time;
+	struct timespec val;
 
-	time.tv_sec = ns / ODP_TIME_SEC_IN_NS;
-	time.tv_nsec = ns % ODP_TIME_SEC_IN_NS;
+	val.tv_sec = ns / ODP_TIME_SEC_IN_NS;
+	val.tv_nsec = ns % ODP_TIME_SEC_IN_NS;
 
-	return time;
+	return val;
 }
 
 int odp_time_cmp(odp_time_t t2, odp_time_t t1)
@@ -96,10 +110,21 @@ uint64_t odp_time_to_u64(odp_time_t time)
 
 	resolution = (uint64_t)tres.tv_nsec;
 
-	return odp_time_to_ns(time) / resolution;
+	return _odp_time_to_ns(time) / resolution;
 }
 
 odp_time_t odp_time_null(void)
 {
 	return (struct timespec) {0, 0};
 }
+
+int odp_time_local_init(void)
+{
+	int ret;
+	struct timespec time;
+
+	ret = clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW, &time);
+	start_local = ret ? odp_time_null() : time;
+
+	return ret;
+}
diff --git a/test/performance/odp_pktio_perf.c b/test/performance/odp_pktio_perf.c
index 2e49f50..8737bc8 100644
--- a/test/performance/odp_pktio_perf.c
+++ b/test/performance/odp_pktio_perf.c
@@ -305,8 +305,8 @@ static void *run_thread_tx(void *arg)
 	int thr_id;
 	odp_queue_t outq;
 	pkt_tx_stats_t *stats;
-	odp_time_t start_time, cur_time, send_duration;
-	odp_time_t burst_start_time, burst_gap;
+	odp_time_t cur_time, send_time_end, send_duration;
+	odp_time_t burst_gap_end, burst_gap;
 	uint32_t batch_len;
 	int unsent_pkts = 0;
 	odp_event_t  tx_event[BATCH_LEN_MAX];
@@ -336,21 +336,19 @@ static void *run_thread_tx(void *arg)
 	odp_barrier_wait(&globals->tx_barrier);
 
 	cur_time     = odp_time_local();
-	start_time   = cur_time;
-	burst_start_time = odp_time_diff(cur_time, burst_gap);
-	while (odp_time_cmp(odp_time_diff(cur_time, start_time),
-			    send_duration) > 1) {
+	send_time_end = odp_time_sum(cur_time, send_duration);
+	burst_gap_end = cur_time;
+	while (odp_time_cmp(send_time_end, cur_time) > 0) {
 		unsigned alloc_cnt = 0, tx_cnt;
 
-		if (odp_time_cmp(odp_time_diff(cur_time, burst_start_time),
-				 burst_gap) > 1) {
+		if (odp_time_cmp(burst_gap_end, cur_time) > 0) {
 			cur_time = odp_time_local();
 			if (!odp_time_cmp(idle_start, ODP_TIME_NULL))
 				idle_start = cur_time;
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (odp_time_cmp(idle_start, ODP_TIME_NULL)) {
+		if (odp_time_cmp(idle_start, ODP_TIME_NULL) > 0) {
 			odp_time_t diff = odp_time_diff(cur_time, idle_start);
 
 			stats->s.idle_ticks =
@@ -359,7 +357,7 @@ static void *run_thread_tx(void *arg)
 			idle_start = ODP_TIME_NULL;
 		}
 
-		burst_start_time = odp_time_sum(burst_start_time, burst_gap);
+		burst_gap_end = odp_time_sum(burst_gap_end, burst_gap);
 
 		alloc_cnt = alloc_packets(tx_event, batch_len - unsent_pkts);
 		if (alloc_cnt != batch_len)
@@ -597,13 +595,13 @@ static int setup_txrx_masks(odp_cpumask_t *thd_mask_tx,
  */
 static void busy_loop_ns(uint64_t wait_ns)
 {
-	odp_time_t diff;
-	odp_time_t start_time = odp_time_local();
 	odp_time_t wait = odp_time_local_from_ns(wait_ns);
+	odp_time_t cur = odp_time_local();
+	odp_time_t end_time = odp_time_sum(cur, wait);
 
 	do {
-		diff = odp_time_diff(odp_time_local(), start_time);
-	} while (odp_time_cmp(wait, diff) > 0);
+		cur = odp_time_local();
+	} while (odp_time_cmp(end_time, cur) > 0);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/test/validation/pktio/pktio.c b/test/validation/pktio/pktio.c
index 0a6592c..002c26b 100644
--- a/test/validation/pktio/pktio.c
+++ b/test/validation/pktio/pktio.c
@@ -336,18 +336,16 @@ static int destroy_inq(odp_pktio_t pktio)
 
 static odp_event_t queue_deq_wait_time(odp_queue_t queue, uint64_t ns)
 {
-	odp_time_t start, now, diff;
+	odp_time_t wait, end;
 	odp_event_t ev;
 
-	start = odp_time_local();
-
+	wait = odp_time_local_from_ns(ns);
+	end = odp_time_sum(odp_time_local(), wait);
 	do {
 		ev = odp_queue_deq(queue);
 		if (ev != ODP_EVENT_INVALID)
 			return ev;
-		now = odp_time_local();
-		diff = odp_time_diff(now, start);
-	} while (odp_time_to_ns(diff) < ns);
+	} while (odp_time_cmp(end, odp_time_local()) > 0);
 
 	return ODP_EVENT_INVALID;
 }
@@ -355,14 +353,14 @@ static odp_event_t queue_deq_wait_time(odp_queue_t queue, uint64_t ns)
 static odp_packet_t wait_for_packet(pktio_info_t *pktio_rx,
 				    uint32_t seq, uint64_t ns)
 {
-	odp_time_t start, now, diff;
+	odp_time_t wait_time, end;
 	odp_event_t ev;
 	odp_packet_t pkt;
 	uint64_t wait;
 
-	start = odp_time_local();
 	wait = odp_schedule_wait_time(ns);
-
+	wait_time = odp_time_local_from_ns(ns);
+	end = odp_time_sum(odp_time_local(), wait_time);
 	do {
 		pkt = ODP_PACKET_INVALID;
 
@@ -388,10 +386,7 @@ static odp_packet_t wait_for_packet(pktio_info_t *pktio_rx,
 
 			odp_packet_free(pkt);
 		}
-
-		now = odp_time_local();
-		diff = odp_time_diff(now, start);
-	} while (odp_time_to_ns(diff) < ns);
+	} while (odp_time_cmp(end, odp_time_local()) > 0);
 
 	CU_FAIL("failed to receive transmitted packet");
 
