diff --git a/common/content/buffer.js b/common/content/buffer.js
index 0e7e242c..4cc84adb 100644
--- a/common/content/buffer.js
+++ b/common/content/buffer.js
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ const Buffer = Module("buffer", {
                 // hacky way to get rid of "Transfering data from ..." on sites with frames
                 // when you click on a link inside a frameset, because asyncUpdateUI
                 // is not triggered there (Gecko bug?)
-                setTimeout(function () { statusline.updateUrl(); }, 10);
+                this.timeout(function () { statusline.updateUrl(); }, 10);
                 return;
             }
 
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ const Buffer = Module("buffer", {
                     // don't reset mode if a frame of the frameset gets reloaded which
                     // is not the focused frame
                     if (document.commandDispatcher.focusedWindow == webProgress.DOMWindow) {
-                        setTimeout(function () { modes.reset(false); },
+                        util.timeout(function () { modes.reset(false); },
                             dactyl.mode == modes.HINTS ? 500 : 0);
                     }
                 }
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ const Buffer = Module("buffer", {
             autocommands.trigger("LocationChange", { url: buffer.URL });
 
             // if this is not delayed we get the position of the old buffer
-            setTimeout(function () {
+            util.timeout(function () {
                 statusline.updateBufferPosition();
                 statusline.updateZoomLevel();
                 modes.show(); // Clear the status line.
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ const Buffer = Module("buffer", {
         // called at the very end of a page load
         asyncUpdateUI: function asyncUpdateUI() {
             asyncUpdateUI.superapply(this, arguments);
-            setTimeout(function () { statusline.updateUrl(); }, 100);
+            util.timeout(function () { statusline.updateUrl(); }, 100);
         },
         setOverLink: function setOverLink(link, b) {
             setOverLink.superapply(this, arguments);
@@ -843,11 +843,11 @@ const Buffer = Module("buffer", {
         let indicator = util.xmlToDom(<div highlight="FrameIndicator"/>, doc);
         doc.body.appendChild(indicator);
 
-        setTimeout(function () { doc.body.removeChild(indicator); }, 500);
+        util.timeout(function () { doc.body.removeChild(indicator); }, 500);
 
         // Doesn't unattach
         //doc.body.setAttributeNS(NS.uri, "activeframe", "true");
-        //setTimeout(function () { doc.body.removeAttributeNS(NS.uri, "activeframe"); }, 500);
+        //util.timeout(function () { doc.body.removeAttributeNS(NS.uri, "activeframe"); }, 500);
     },
 
     // similar to pageInfo
diff --git a/common/content/commandline.js b/common/content/commandline.js
index 38f22733..6d5b920d 100644
--- a/common/content/commandline.js
+++ b/common/content/commandline.js
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         this.widgets.multilineInput.value = "";
         this._autosizeMultilineInputWidget();
 
-        this.setTimeout(function () { this.widgets.multilineInput.focus(); }, 10);
+        this.timeout(function () { this.widgets.multilineInput.focus(); }, 10);
     },
 
     /**
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
 
             if (event.type == "blur") {
                 // prevent losing focus, there should be a better way, but it just didn't work otherwise
-                this.setTimeout(function () {
+                this.timeout(function () {
                     if (this.commandVisible && event.originalTarget == this.widgets.command.inputField)
                         this.widgets.command.inputField.focus();
                 }, 0);
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ const CommandLine = Module("commandline", {
         }
         else if (event.type == "blur") {
             if (modes.extended & modes.INPUT_MULTILINE)
-                this.setTimeout(function () { this.widgets.multilineInput.inputField.focus(); }, 0);
+                this.timeout(function () { this.widgets.multilineInput.inputField.focus(); }, 0);
         }
         else if (event.type == "input")
             this._autosizeMultilineInputWidget();
@@ -1586,7 +1586,7 @@ const ItemList = Class("ItemList", {
 
         // FIXME: Belongs elsewhere.
         commandline.updateOutputHeight(false);
-        this.setTimeout(function () { this._container.height -= commandline.getSpaceNeeded(); }, 0);
+        this.timeout(function () { this._container.height -= commandline.getSpaceNeeded(); }, 0);
     },
 
     _getCompletion: function (index) this._completionElements.snapshotItem(index - this._startIndex),
@@ -1627,7 +1627,7 @@ const ItemList = Class("ItemList", {
             this._divNodes.completions.appendChild(context.cache.nodes.root);
         }, this);
 
-        setTimeout(this.closure._autoSize, 0);
+        this.timeout(this._autoSize, 0);
     },
 
     /**
diff --git a/common/content/dactyl.js b/common/content/dactyl.js
index e491b9c2..509c3725 100644
--- a/common/content/dactyl.js
+++ b/common/content/dactyl.js
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ const Dactyl = Module("dactyl", {
             // NOTE: this doesn't seem to work in FF3 with full box dimensions
             popup.openPopup(win, "overlap", 1, 1, false, false);
             popup.sizeTo(width - 2, height - 2);
-            setTimeout(function () { popup.hidePopup(); }, 20);
+            util.timeout(function () { popup.hidePopup(); }, 20);
         }
         else {
             let soundService = Cc["@mozilla.org/sound;1"].getService(Ci.nsISound);
@@ -1888,7 +1888,7 @@ const Dactyl = Module("dactyl", {
         // first time intro message
         const firstTime = "extensions." + config.name.toLowerCase() + ".firsttime";
         if (options.getPref(firstTime, true)) {
-            setTimeout(function () {
+            util.timeout(function () {
                 dactyl.help();
                 options.setPref(firstTime, false);
             }, 1000);
@@ -1907,7 +1907,7 @@ const Dactyl = Module("dactyl", {
 
         // finally, read the RC file and source plugins
         // make sourcing asynchronous, otherwise commands that open new tabs won't work
-        setTimeout(function () {
+        util.timeout(function () {
             let extensionName = config.name.toUpperCase();
             let init = services.get("environment").get(extensionName + "_INIT");
             let rcFile = io.getRCFile("~");
diff --git a/common/content/editor.js b/common/content/editor.js
index 9a517073..25b4f461 100644
--- a/common/content/editor.js
+++ b/common/content/editor.js
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ const Editor = Module("editor", {
             (function next() {
                 textBox.style.backgroundColor = colors.shift();
                 if (colors.length > 0)
-                    setTimeout(next, 100);
+                    util.timeout(next, 100);
             })();
         }
 
diff --git a/common/content/events.js b/common/content/events.js
index 03e5296f..ddfd4697 100644
--- a/common/content/events.js
+++ b/common/content/events.js
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ const Events = Module("events", {
         };
 
         // load all macros
-        // setTimeout needed since io. is loaded after events.
-        setTimeout(function () {
+        // util.timeout needed since io. is loaded after events.
+        this.timeout(function () {
             try {
                 let dirs = io.getRuntimeDirectories("macros");
 
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ const Events = Module("events", {
                 events.feedingKeys = false;
                 if (modes.isReplaying) {
                     modes.isReplaying = false;
-                    this.setTimeout(function () { dactyl.echomsg("Canceled playback of macro '" + this._lastMacro + "'"); }, 100);
+                    this.timeout(function () { dactyl.echomsg("Canceled playback of macro '" + this._lastMacro + "'"); }, 100);
                 }
             }
             else
diff --git a/common/content/finder.js b/common/content/finder.js
index 21650c83..95c2356d 100644
--- a/common/content/finder.js
+++ b/common/content/finder.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ const RangeFinder = Module("rangefinder", {
     find: function (pattern, backwards) {
         let str = this.bootstrap(pattern);
         if (!this.rangeFind.search(str))
-            setTimeout(function () { dactyl.echoerr("E486: Pattern not found: " + pattern); }, 0);
+            this.timeout(function () { dactyl.echoerr("E486: Pattern not found: " + pattern); }, 0);
 
         return this.rangeFind.found;
     },
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ const RangeFinder = Module("rangefinder", {
         else if (this.rangeFind.wrapped)
             // hack needed, because wrapping causes a "scroll" event which
             // clears our command line
-            this.setTimeout(function () {
+            this.timeout(function () {
                 let msg = this.rangeFind.backward ? "search hit TOP, continuing at BOTTOM"
                                                   : "search hit BOTTOM, continuing at TOP";
                 commandline.echo(msg, commandline.HL_WARNINGMSG,
diff --git a/common/content/hints.js b/common/content/hints.js
index 1ddf33b5..5bb503a7 100644
--- a/common/content/hints.js
+++ b/common/content/hints.js
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ const Hints = Module("hints", {
 
             // animate the disappearance of the first hint
             if (timeout && firstElem)
-                setTimeout(function () { firstElem.removeAttributeNS(NS.uri, "highlight"); }, timeout);
+                this.timeout(function () { firstElem.removeAttributeNS(NS.uri, "highlight"); }, timeout);
         }
         styles.removeSheet(true, "hint-positions");
 
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ const Hints = Module("hints", {
             // force a possible mode change, based on whether an input field has focus
             events.onFocusChange();
 
-        this.setTimeout(function () {
+        this.timeout(function () {
             if (modes.extended & modes.HINTS)
                 modes.reset();
             this._hintMode.action(elem, elem.href || "", this._extendedhintCount);
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ const Hints = Module("hints", {
         if (this._hintNumber > 0 && this._hintNumber * 10 <= this._validHints.length) {
             let timeout = options["hinttimeout"];
             if (timeout > 0)
-                this._activeTimeout = this.setTimeout(function () { this._processHints(true); }, timeout);
+                this._activeTimeout = this.timeout(function () { this._processHints(true); }, timeout);
         }
         else // we have a unique hint
             this._processHints(true);
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ const Hints = Module("hints", {
                             context.completions = [[k, v.prompt] for ([k, v] in Iterator(hints._hintModes))];
                         },
                         onChange: function () { modes.pop(); },
-                        onCancel: function (arg) { arg && setTimeout(function () hints.show(arg), 0); }
+                        onCancel: function (arg) { arg && util.timeout(function () hints.show(arg), 0); }
                     });
             }, { count: true });
     },
diff --git a/common/content/statusline.js b/common/content/statusline.js
index b40374ce..f88aa79a 100644
--- a/common/content/statusline.js
+++ b/common/content/statusline.js
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ const StatusLine = Module("statusline", {
     updateTabCount: function updateTabCount(delayed) {
         if (dactyl.has("tabs")) {
             if (delayed) {
-                this.setTimeout(function () this.updateTabCount(false), 0);
+                this.timeout(function () this.updateTabCount(false), 0);
                 return;
             }
 
diff --git a/common/content/tabs.js b/common/content/tabs.js
index f258f835..5312054e 100644
--- a/common/content/tabs.js
+++ b/common/content/tabs.js
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ const Tabs = Module("tabs", {
         statusline.updateTabCount(true);
         this.updateSelectionHistory();
         if (options["focuscontent"])
-            setTimeout(function () { dactyl.focusContent(true); }, 10); // just make sure, that no widget has focus
+            this.timeout(function () { dactyl.focusContent(true); }, 10); // just make sure, that no widget has focus
     },
 
     get allTabs() Array.slice(config.tabbrowser.tabContainer.childNodes),
diff --git a/common/modules/base.jsm b/common/modules/base.jsm
index d3abaa96..774347cb 100644
--- a/common/modules/base.jsm
+++ b/common/modules/base.jsm
@@ -528,16 +528,15 @@ Class.prototype = {
     toString: function () "[instance " + this.constructor.name + "]",
 
     /**
-     * Exactly like {@see nsIDOMWindow#setTimeout}, except that it
-     * preserves the value of 'this' on invocation of 'callback'.
+     * Executes 'callback' after 'timeout' milliseconds. The value of
+     * 'this' is preserved in the invocation of 'callback'.
      *
      * @param {function} callback The function to call after 'timeout'
-     * @param {number} timeout The timeout, in seconds, to wait
+     * @param {number} timeout The time, in milliseconds, to wait
      *     before calling 'callback'.
-     * @returns {integer} The ID of this timeout, to be passed to
-     *     {@see nsIDOMWindow#clearTimeout}.
+     * @returns {nsITimer} The timer which backs this timeout.
      */
-    setTimeout: function (callback, timeout) {
+    timeout: function (callback, timeout) {
         const self = this;
         let notify = { notify: function notify(timer) { callback.call(self) } };
         let timer = services.create("timer");
diff --git a/muttator/content/mail.js b/muttator/content/mail.js
index c45dfce6..80699221 100644
--- a/muttator/content/mail.js
+++ b/muttator/content/mail.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ const Mail = Module("mail", {
             return void dactyl.beep();
 
         (copy ? MsgCopyMessage : MsgMoveMessage)(folders[0]);
-        setTimeout(function () {
+        util.timeout(function () {
             dactyl.echomsg(count + " message(s) " + (copy ? "copied" : "moved") + " to " + folders[0].prettyName, 1);
         }, 100);
     },
diff --git a/xulmus/content/player.js b/xulmus/content/player.js
index 79f02969..1d223fde 100644
--- a/xulmus/content/player.js
+++ b/xulmus/content/player.js
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ const Player = Module("player", {
      */
     searchViewAgain: function searchViewAgain(reverse) {
         function echo(str) {
-            setTimeout(function () {
+            this.timeout(function () {
                 commandline.echo(str, commandline.HL_WARNINGMSG, commandline.APPEND_TO_MESSAGES | commandline.FORCE_SINGLELINE);
             }, 0);
         }