diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9dabfd0b..6d0b795c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -383,6 +383,11 @@ if (EXTRA_DEPS)
 	add_dependencies(pointmatcher ${EXTRA_DEPS})
 endif()
 
+option(DISABLE_POSIX_TIMERS "Disable POSIX timers" OFF)
+if(DISABLE_POSIX_TIMERS)
+    target_compile_definitions(pointmatcher PRIVATE FORCE_DISABLE_POSIX_TIMERS)
+endif()
+
 if (POSIX_TIMERS AND NOT APPLE)
 	target_link_libraries(pointmatcher PRIVATE rt)
 endif ()
diff --git a/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
index b79b7863..ab02fbb1 100644
--- a/examples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,3 +22,6 @@ target_link_libraries(icp_advance_api pointmatcher)
 
 add_executable(icp_customized icp_customized.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(icp_customized pointmatcher)
+
+add_executable(timer timer.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(timer pointmatcher)
diff --git a/examples/timer.cpp b/examples/timer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..465b4a0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/timer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#include "pointmatcher/Timer.h"
+#include <iostream>
+#include <chrono>
+#include <thread>
+
+namespace Time {
+    using Clock = std::chrono::high_resolution_clock;
+    using TimePoint = std::chrono::time_point<Clock>;
+}
+
+int main() {
+    const Time::TimePoint time1 = Time::Clock::now();
+    PointMatcherSupport::timer t1;
+
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::seconds(10));
+
+    const Time::TimePoint time2 = Time::Clock::now();
+    const double elapsed = t1.elapsed();
+
+    std::cout << "PM:timer time = " << elapsed << "\nchrono duration = "
+              << std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::nanoseconds>(time2 - time1).count() / double(1000000000)
+              << " ms" << std::endl;
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/pointmatcher/Timer.cpp b/pointmatcher/Timer.cpp
index b7fee491..4397b7c0 100644
--- a/pointmatcher/Timer.cpp
+++ b/pointmatcher/Timer.cpp
@@ -40,42 +40,44 @@ SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <mach/mach.h>
 #endif
 
-#ifdef _POSIX_TIMERS
 namespace PointMatcherSupport
 {
 	timer::timer():
 		_start_time(curTime())
 	{
-	} 
-	
+	}
+
 	void timer::restart()
 	{
 		_start_time = curTime();
 	}
-	
+
 	double timer::elapsed() const
 	{
 		return  double(curTime() - _start_time) / double(1000000000);
 	}
-	
+
 	timer::Time timer::curTime() const
 	{
-		#ifdef __MACH__ // OS X does not have clock_gettime, use clock_get_time
-		clock_serv_t host_clock;
-		mach_timespec_t now;
-		host_get_clock_service(mach_host_self(), SYSTEM_CLOCK, &host_clock);
-		clock_get_time(host_clock, &now);
-		return Time(now.tv_sec) * Time(1000000000) + Time(now.tv_nsec);
-		#else // __MACH__
-		struct timespec ts;
-		#ifdef CLOCK_PROCESS_CPUTIME_ID
-		clock_gettime(CLOCK_PROCESS_CPUTIME_ID, &ts);
-		#else // BSD and old Linux
-		clock_gettime(CLOCK_PROF, &ts);
-		#endif
-		return Time(ts.tv_sec) * Time(1000000000) + Time(ts.tv_nsec);
-		#endif // __MACH__
+	    #if defined(_POSIX_TIMERS) && !defined(FORCE_DISABLE_POSIX_TIMERS)
+    		#ifdef __MACH__ // OS X does not have clock_gettime, use clock_get_time
+    		clock_serv_t host_clock;
+    		mach_timespec_t now;
+    		host_get_clock_service(mach_host_self(), SYSTEM_CLOCK, &host_clock);
+    		clock_get_time(host_clock, &now);
+    		return Time(now.tv_sec) * Time(1000000000) + Time(now.tv_nsec);
+    		#else // __MACH__
+    		struct timespec ts;
+    		#ifdef CLOCK_PROCESS_CPUTIME_ID
+    		clock_gettime(CLOCK_PROCESS_CPUTIME_ID, &ts);
+    		#else // BSD and old Linux
+    		clock_gettime(CLOCK_PROF, &ts);
+    		#endif
+    		return Time(ts.tv_sec) * Time(1000000000) + Time(ts.tv_nsec);
+    		#endif // __MACH__
+      #else
+ 	    return std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::nanoseconds>(std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now().time_since_epoch()).count();
+      #endif // _POSIX_TIMERS
+
 	}
 } // namespace PointMatcherSupport
-#endif // _POSIX_TIMERS
-
diff --git a/pointmatcher/Timer.h b/pointmatcher/Timer.h
index 316dbe28..7b6d17e7 100644
--- a/pointmatcher/Timer.h
+++ b/pointmatcher/Timer.h
@@ -36,29 +36,33 @@ SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #ifndef __POINTMATCHER_TIMER_H
 #define __POINTMATCHER_TIMER_H
 
+#include <iostream>
 #include <time.h>
 #ifndef WIN32
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif // WIN32
+#if !defined(_POSIX_TIMERS) || defined(FORCE_DISABLE_POSIX_TIMERS)
+#include <chrono>
+#endif
 
-#ifdef _POSIX_TIMERS
+// #if defined(_POSIX_TIMERS) && !defined(FORCE_DISABLE_POSIX_TIMERS)
 namespace PointMatcherSupport
 {
 	/**
-		High-precision timer class, using clock_gettime() or clock_get_time()
-		
-		The interface is a subset of the one boost::timer provides,
-		but the implementation is much more precise
+    	This is an interface between std::chrono::steady_clock and lpm
+
+    	Uses either std::chrono::steady_clock if _POSIX_TIMERS is not set, or
+		clock_gettime() or clock_get_time() if _POSIX_TIMERS is set,
+		generally in time.h or unistd.h. Then, the implementation is much more precise
 		on systems where clock() has low precision, such as glibc.
-		
-		This code gets compiled if _POSIX_TIMERS is set,
-		generally in time.h or unistd.h
+
+		The interface is a subset of the original boost::timer class.
 	*/
 	struct timer
 	{
 		//! 64-bit time
 		typedef unsigned long long Time;
-		
+
 		//! Create and start the timer
 		timer();
 		//! Restart the counter
@@ -69,16 +73,9 @@ namespace PointMatcherSupport
 	private:
 		//! Return time at call
 		Time curTime() const;
-		
+
 		Time _start_time; //! time when counter started
 	};
 } // namespace PointMatcherSupport
-#else // _POSIX_TIMERS
-#include <boost/timer.hpp>
-namespace PointMatcherSupport
-{
-	typedef boost::timer timer;
-}
-#endif // _POSIX_TIMERS
 
 #endif // __POINTMATCHER_TIMER_H