diff --git a/repos/os/include/timer/timeout.h b/repos/os/include/timer/timeout.h
index 98ebdd2dcf..41f9ccf231 100644
--- a/repos/os/include/timer/timeout.h
+++ b/repos/os/include/timer/timeout.h
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ class Genode::Alarm_timeout_scheduler : private Noncopyable,
 
 		Alarm *_alarm_get_pending_alarm();
 
-		void _alarm_setup_alarm(Alarm &alarm, Alarm::Time period, Alarm::Time deadline);
+		void _alarm_setup_alarm(Alarm &alarm, Alarm::Time period, Alarm::Time first_duration);
 
 		void _enable();
 
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ class Genode::Alarm_timeout_scheduler : private Noncopyable,
 
 		void _alarm_discard(Alarm *alarm);
 
-		void _alarm_schedule_absolute(Alarm *alarm, Alarm::Time timeout);
+		void _alarm_schedule_absolute(Alarm *alarm, Alarm::Time duration);
 
 		void _alarm_schedule(Alarm *alarm, Alarm::Time period);
 
diff --git a/repos/os/src/lib/timeout/timeout.cc b/repos/os/src/lib/timeout/timeout.cc
index 572f78048c..be6c7dff37 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/lib/timeout/timeout.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/lib/timeout/timeout.cc
@@ -143,8 +143,7 @@ void Alarm_timeout_scheduler::_schedule_one_shot(Timeout      &timeout,
 
 	/* ensure that the schedulers time is up-to-date before adding a timeout */
 	_alarm_handle(curr_time_us);
-	_alarm_schedule_absolute(&timeout._alarm,
-	                                   curr_time_us + duration.value);
+	_alarm_schedule_absolute(&timeout._alarm, duration.value);
 
 	if (_alarm_head_timeout(&timeout._alarm)) {
 		_time_source.schedule_timeout(Microseconds(0), *this); }
@@ -325,7 +324,7 @@ void Alarm_timeout_scheduler::_alarm_handle(Alarm::Time curr_time)
 }
 
 
-void Alarm_timeout_scheduler::_alarm_setup_alarm(Alarm &alarm, Alarm::Time period, Alarm::Time deadline)
+void Alarm_timeout_scheduler::_alarm_setup_alarm(Alarm &alarm, Alarm::Time period, Alarm::Time first_duration)
 {
 	/*
 	 * If the alarm is already present in the queue, re-consider its queue
@@ -335,17 +334,18 @@ void Alarm_timeout_scheduler::_alarm_setup_alarm(Alarm &alarm, Alarm::Time perio
 	if (alarm._active)
 		_alarm_unsynchronized_dequeue(&alarm);
 
+	Alarm::Time deadline = _now + first_duration;
 	alarm._alarm_assign(period, deadline, _now > deadline ? !_now_period : _now_period, this);
 
 	_alarm_unsynchronized_enqueue(&alarm);
 }
 
 
-void Alarm_timeout_scheduler::_alarm_schedule_absolute(Alarm *alarm, Alarm::Time timeout)
+void Alarm_timeout_scheduler::_alarm_schedule_absolute(Alarm *alarm, Alarm::Time duration)
 {
 	Lock::Guard alarm_list_lock_guard(_lock);
 
-	_alarm_setup_alarm(*alarm, 0, timeout);
+	_alarm_setup_alarm(*alarm, 0, duration);
 }
 
 
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ void Alarm_timeout_scheduler::_alarm_schedule(Alarm *alarm, Alarm::Time period)
 	}
 
 	/* first deadline is overdue */
-	_alarm_setup_alarm(*alarm, period, _now);
+	_alarm_setup_alarm(*alarm, period, 0);
 }