diff --git a/opal/mca/timer/linux/timer_linux_component.c b/opal/mca/timer/linux/timer_linux_component.c
index fe0ca83f04..c2a0fd2372 100644
--- a/opal/mca/timer/linux/timer_linux_component.c
+++ b/opal/mca/timer/linux/timer_linux_component.c
@@ -112,6 +112,20 @@ opal_timer_linux_open(void)
         }
     }
 
+    if (0 == opal_timer_linux_freq) {
+        /* Alt. find the CPU speed - most timers are 1:1 with CPU speed */
+        loc = find_info(fp, "clock", buf, 1024);
+        if (NULL != loc) {
+            if(strlen(loc) > 4) /* Strip off the 'MHz\n' */
+                loc[strlen(loc)-4] = '\0';
+            ret = sscanf(loc, "%f", &cpu_f);
+            if (1 == ret) {
+                /* numer is in MHz - convert to Hz and make an integer */
+                opal_timer_linux_freq = (opal_timer_t) cpu_f * 1000000;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     if (0 == opal_timer_linux_freq) {
         /* look for the sparc way of getting cpu frequency */
         loc = find_info(fp, "Cpu0ClkTck", buf, 1024);