diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/concurrent/EsExecutors.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/concurrent/EsExecutors.java
index 51f3c4359b9..449ea21b95a 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/concurrent/EsExecutors.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/concurrent/EsExecutors.java
@@ -36,14 +36,18 @@ public class EsExecutors {
                 threadFactory);
     }
 
-    public static ThreadFactory daemonThreadFactory(Settings settings, String namePrefix) {
+    public static String threadName(Settings settings, String namePrefix) {
         String name = settings.get("name");
         if (name == null) {
             name = "elasticsearch";
         } else {
             name = "elasticsearch[" + name + "]";
         }
-        return daemonThreadFactory(name + namePrefix);
+        return name + namePrefix;
+    }
+
+    public static ThreadFactory daemonThreadFactory(Settings settings, String namePrefix) {
+        return daemonThreadFactory(threadName(settings, namePrefix));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
index 461f87cf677..91d3adc7c33 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue.*;
  */
 public class SearchService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<SearchService> {
 
+    private final ThreadPool threadPool;
+
     private final ClusterService clusterService;
 
     private final IndicesService indicesService;
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ public class SearchService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<SearchService> {
     @Inject public SearchService(Settings settings, ClusterService clusterService, IndicesService indicesService, IndicesLifecycle indicesLifecycle, ThreadPool threadPool,
                                  ScriptService scriptService, DfsPhase dfsPhase, QueryPhase queryPhase, FetchPhase fetchPhase) {
         super(settings);
+        this.threadPool = threadPool;
         this.clusterService = clusterService;
         this.indicesService = indicesService;
         this.scriptService = scriptService;
@@ -431,7 +434,7 @@ public class SearchService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<SearchService> {
     }
 
     private void contextProcessedSuccessfully(SearchContext context) {
-        context.accessed(System.currentTimeMillis());
+        context.accessed(threadPool.estimatedTimeInMillis());
     }
 
     private void cleanContext(SearchContext context) {
@@ -535,7 +538,7 @@ public class SearchService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<SearchService> {
 
     class Reaper implements Runnable {
         @Override public void run() {
-            long time = System.currentTimeMillis();
+            long time = threadPool.estimatedTimeInMillis();
             for (SearchContext context : activeContexts.values()) {
                 if (context.lastAccessTime() == -1) { // its being processed or timeout is disabled
                     continue;
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
index f2cda80f923..fc35bdeb231 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ public class ThreadPool extends AbstractComponent {
 
     private final ScheduledExecutorService scheduler;
 
+    private final EstimatedTimeThread estimatedTimeThread;
+
     public ThreadPool() {
         this(ImmutableSettings.Builder.EMPTY_SETTINGS);
     }
@@ -80,6 +82,14 @@ public class ThreadPool extends AbstractComponent {
         executors.put(Names.SAME, MoreExecutors.sameThreadExecutor());
         this.executors = ImmutableMap.copyOf(executors);
         this.scheduler = Executors.newScheduledThreadPool(1, EsExecutors.daemonThreadFactory(settings, "[scheduler]"));
+
+        TimeValue estimatedTimeInterval = componentSettings.getAsTime("estimated_time_interval", TimeValue.timeValueMillis(200));
+        this.estimatedTimeThread = new EstimatedTimeThread(EsExecutors.threadName(settings, "[timer]"), estimatedTimeInterval.millis());
+        this.estimatedTimeThread.start();
+    }
+
+    public long estimatedTimeInMillis() {
+        return estimatedTimeThread.estimatedTimeInMillis();
     }
 
     public Executor cached() {
@@ -106,6 +116,8 @@ public class ThreadPool extends AbstractComponent {
     }
 
     public void shutdown() {
+        estimatedTimeThread.running = false;
+        estimatedTimeThread.interrupt();
         scheduler.shutdown();
         for (Executor executor : executors.values()) {
             if (executor instanceof ThreadPoolExecutor) {
@@ -114,6 +126,17 @@ public class ThreadPool extends AbstractComponent {
         }
     }
 
+    public void shutdownNow() {
+        estimatedTimeThread.running = false;
+        estimatedTimeThread.interrupt();
+        scheduler.shutdownNow();
+        for (Executor executor : executors.values()) {
+            if (executor instanceof ThreadPoolExecutor) {
+                ((ThreadPoolExecutor) executor).shutdownNow();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     public boolean awaitTermination(long timeout, TimeUnit unit) throws InterruptedException {
         boolean result = scheduler.awaitTermination(timeout, unit);
         for (Executor executor : executors.values()) {
@@ -124,15 +147,6 @@ public class ThreadPool extends AbstractComponent {
         return result;
     }
 
-    public void shutdownNow() {
-        scheduler.shutdownNow();
-        for (Executor executor : executors.values()) {
-            if (executor instanceof ThreadPoolExecutor) {
-                ((ThreadPoolExecutor) executor).shutdownNow();
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     private Executor build(String name, String defaultType, @Nullable Settings settings, Settings defaultSettings) {
         if (settings == null) {
             settings = ImmutableSettings.Builder.EMPTY_SETTINGS;
@@ -230,4 +244,35 @@ public class ThreadPool extends AbstractComponent {
             return "[threaded] " + runnable.toString();
         }
     }
+
+    static class EstimatedTimeThread extends Thread {
+
+        final long interval;
+
+        volatile boolean running = true;
+
+        volatile long estimatedTimeInMillis;
+
+        EstimatedTimeThread(String name, long interval) {
+            super(name);
+            this.interval = interval;
+            setDaemon(true);
+        }
+
+        public long estimatedTimeInMillis() {
+            return this.estimatedTimeInMillis;
+        }
+
+        @Override public void run() {
+            while (running) {
+                estimatedTimeInMillis = System.currentTimeMillis();
+                try {
+                    Thread.sleep(interval);
+                } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                    running = false;
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }