diff --git a/include/ircd/util/timer.h b/include/ircd/util/timer.h
index 1face1f48..769a9fcb4 100644
--- a/include/ircd/util/timer.h
+++ b/include/ircd/util/timer.h
@@ -17,19 +17,46 @@ inline namespace util
 	struct timer;
 }}
 
+/// Stopwatch w/ accumulation.
+///
+/// This utility can be used to gauge the duration of something. The clock
+/// is started by default upon construction. Users can query the running time
+/// using the at(), or using the pretty() convenience.
+///
+/// This timer features an accumulator state so the clock can be stopped and
+/// continued, and each time the accumulator is updated. The accumulator
+/// value is always added into results: when the timer is stopped, the result
+/// is simply the accumulator value; when the clock is running, the result is
+/// the accumulator value added to the difference of the current time and the
+/// last start time.
+///
+/// One can instantiate the timer without starting the clock with the `nostart`
+/// overload. Additionally, a lambda constructor will accumulate the time it
+/// takes to execute the provided function.
 struct ircd::util::timer
 {
-	IRCD_OVERLOAD(nostart)
 	using clock = std::chrono::steady_clock;
+	IRCD_OVERLOAD(nostart)
 
-	nanoseconds accumulator {0ns};
-	clock::time_point start {clock::now()};
+	nanoseconds accumulator
+	{
+		0ns
+	};
 
+	clock::time_point start
+	{
+		clock::now()
+	};
+
+	// Observers
 	bool stopped() const;
-	template<class duration = std::chrono::seconds> duration get() const;
 	template<class duration = std::chrono::seconds> duration at() const;
+
+	// Convenience wrapper for util::pretty()
 	string_view pretty(const mutable_buffer &out, const int &fmt = 0) const;
 	std::string pretty(const int &fmt = 0) const;
+
+	// Control
 	void cont();
 	void stop();
 
@@ -40,23 +67,40 @@ struct ircd::util::timer
 
 inline
 ircd::util::timer::timer(nostart_t)
-:start{clock::time_point::min()}
+:start
 {
+	clock::time_point::min()
 }
+{}
 
 template<class duration>
-duration
+inline duration
 ircd::util::timer::at()
 const
 {
-	const auto now(clock::now());
-	return duration_cast<duration>(now - start);
+	const auto now
+	{
+		!stopped()?
+			clock::now():
+			start
+	};
+
+	const auto elapsed
+	{
+		duration_cast<decltype(accumulator)>(now - start)
+	};
+
+	const auto accumulator
+	{
+		this->accumulator + elapsed
+	};
+
+	return duration_cast<duration>(accumulator);
 }
 
-template<class duration>
-duration
-ircd::util::timer::get()
+inline bool
+ircd::util::timer::stopped()
 const
 {
-	return std::chrono::duration_cast<duration>(accumulator);
+	return start == clock::time_point::min();
 }
diff --git a/ircd/util.cc b/ircd/util.cc
index 80eb86a69..1da9ca25c 100644
--- a/ircd/util.cc
+++ b/ircd/util.cc
@@ -283,31 +283,46 @@ ircd::util::timer::timer(const std::function<void ()> &func)
 void
 ircd::util::timer::stop()
 {
-	if(stopped())
-		return;
+	const auto now
+	{
+		!stopped()?
+			clock::now():
+			start
+	};
 
-	const auto now(clock::now());
-	accumulator += std::chrono::duration_cast<decltype(accumulator)>(now - start);
+	const auto elapsed
+	{
+		duration_cast<decltype(accumulator)>(now - start)
+	};
+
+	accumulator += elapsed;
 	start = clock::time_point::min();
 }
 
 void
 ircd::util::timer::cont()
 {
-	if(!stopped())
+	const auto now
 	{
-		const auto now(clock::now());
-		accumulator += std::chrono::duration_cast<decltype(accumulator)>(now - start);
-	}
+		clock::now()
+	};
 
-	start = clock::now();
+	const auto elapsed
+	{
+		!stopped()?
+			duration_cast<decltype(accumulator)>(now - start):
+			decltype(accumulator)(0)
+	};
+
+	accumulator += elapsed;
+	start = now;
 }
 
 std::string
 ircd::util::timer::pretty(const int &fmt)
 const
 {
-	return util::pretty(at(), fmt);
+	return util::pretty(at<nanoseconds>(), fmt);
 }
 
 ircd::string_view
@@ -315,14 +330,7 @@ ircd::util::timer::pretty(const mutable_buffer &out,
                           const int &fmt)
 const
 {
-	return util::pretty(out, at(), fmt);
-}
-
-bool
-ircd::util::timer::stopped()
-const
-{
-	return start == clock::time_point::min();
+	return util::pretty(out, at<nanoseconds>(), fmt);
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////