diff --git a/src/controller/cluster.c b/src/controller/cluster.c
index f369f101..c4b4a72c 100644
--- a/src/controller/cluster.c
+++ b/src/controller/cluster.c
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ int cluster_init(cluster_t* c)
 
     vtaskmgr_init(&(c->vtaskmgr), c->myconf->cluster_config->vcpus);
 
-    delaymgr_init(&(c->delaymgr), 2, run_delay_tasks);
+    delaymgr_init(&(c->delaymgr), 200 /* precision_ms */, run_delay_tasks);
 
     apiserver_init(c);
 
diff --git a/src/controller/testsuite/test.c b/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
index 081d8a95..915deb1e 100644
--- a/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
+++ b/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ int cmd_worker(int argc, char* argv[])
 
     active_ctx = &workerctx;
 
-    delaymgr_init(&delaymgr, 2, NULL);
+    delaymgr_init(&delaymgr, 2000 /* precision_ms */, NULL);
     delaymgr_start(&delaymgr);
     delay_task(&delaymgr, 5, -1, (delay_task_entry_fn_t)worker_house_keeping,
                &workerctx);
diff --git a/src/include/delay.h b/src/include/delay.h
index 90e0b73f..19a306d8 100644
--- a/src/include/delay.h
+++ b/src/include/delay.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ typedef struct {
 typedef struct {
     pthread_t     worker;
     int           running;
-    int           precision;
+    int           precision_ms;
     task_run_fn_t runner_fn;
     timer_t       timerid;
     ordq_t        tasks;
diff --git a/src/lib/delay.c b/src/lib/delay.c
index f2180db4..28fcba88 100644
--- a/src/lib/delay.c
+++ b/src/lib/delay.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <time.h>
 
 #include "delay.h"
 #include "utils.h"
@@ -17,7 +18,10 @@ static void* delay_worker(void* args)
         time_t        now;
 
         pthread_testcancel();
-        sleep(mgr->precision);
+        {
+            struct timespec ts = { 0, (long)mgr->precision_ms * 1000000L };
+            nanosleep(&ts, NULL);
+        }
 
         it = ordq_peek(&(mgr->tasks), NULL);
         if (it == NULL) {
@@ -100,7 +104,7 @@ int delaymgr_init(delaymgr_t* mgr, int precision, task_run_fn_t runner_fn)
         runner_fn = default_runner_fn;
     }
 
-    mgr->precision = precision;
+    mgr->precision_ms = precision;
     mgr->running   = 0;
     mgr->runner_fn = runner_fn;
     mgr->worker    = 0;
diff --git a/src/lib/testsuite/test_delay.c b/src/lib/testsuite/test_delay.c
index 08214fe5..96acd359 100644
--- a/src/lib/testsuite/test_delay.c
+++ b/src/lib/testsuite/test_delay.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ static void test_delay1()
     int        delay_period = 2;
     time_t     t_start      = time(NULL);
 
-    delaymgr_init(&mgr, 1, NULL);
+    delaymgr_init(&mgr, 1000 /* precision_ms */, NULL);
     delaymgr_start(&mgr);
     delay_task(&mgr, delay_period, runcount, (delay_task_entry_fn_t)delay_work,
                &count);
@@ -48,9 +48,22 @@ static void test_delay1()
     return;
 }
 
+static void test_delaymgr_precision_ms_field(void)
+{
+    delaymgr_t mgr;
+    memset(&mgr, 0, sizeof(mgr));
+    /* precision_ms field must exist and be stored correctly */
+    int rc = delaymgr_init(&mgr, 200 /* precision_ms */, NULL);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, rc);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(200, mgr.precision_ms);
+    delaymgr_fini(&mgr);
+    printf("test_delaymgr_precision_ms_field: PASS\n");
+}
+
 void test_delay(void)
 {
     printf("\n>> delay test\n\n");
 
     RUN_TEST(test_delay1);
+    RUN_TEST(test_delaymgr_precision_ms_field);
 }