diff --git a/include/log/logger.h b/include/log/logger.h
index c795253..03e8451 100644
--- a/include/log/logger.h
+++ b/include/log/logger.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #define _LIBS_LOG_LOGGER_H
 
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <time.h>
+
 #include <log/log.h>
 #include <log/log_read.h>
 
@@ -183,7 +185,7 @@
                                              pid_t pid);
 #define android_logger_list_close android_logger_list_free
 
-char android_log_timestamp();
+clockid_t android_log_clockid();
 
 /*
  * log_id_t helpers
diff --git a/liblog/log_is_loggable.c b/liblog/log_is_loggable.c
index e128edb..7fc01d9 100644
--- a/liblog/log_is_loggable.c
+++ b/liblog/log_is_loggable.c
@@ -196,18 +196,18 @@
  * rare, we can accept a trylock failure gracefully. Use a separate
  * lock from is_loggable to keep contention down b/25563384.
  */
-static pthread_mutex_t lock_timestamp = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+static pthread_mutex_t lock_clockid = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
-char android_log_timestamp()
+clockid_t android_log_clockid()
 {
     static struct cache r_time_cache = { NULL, -1, 0 };
     static struct cache p_time_cache = { NULL, -1, 0 };
-    char retval;
+    char c;
 
-    if (pthread_mutex_trylock(&lock_timestamp)) {
+    if (pthread_mutex_trylock(&lock_clockid)) {
         /* We are willing to accept some race in this context */
-        if (!(retval = p_time_cache.c)) {
-            retval = r_time_cache.c;
+        if (!(c = p_time_cache.c)) {
+            c = r_time_cache.c;
         }
     } else {
         static uint32_t serial;
@@ -217,12 +217,12 @@
             refresh_cache(&p_time_cache, "persist.logd.timestamp");
             serial = current_serial;
         }
-        if (!(retval = p_time_cache.c)) {
-            retval = r_time_cache.c;
+        if (!(c = p_time_cache.c)) {
+            c = r_time_cache.c;
         }
 
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock_timestamp);
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&lock_clockid);
     }
 
-    return tolower(retval ?: 'r');
+    return (tolower(c) == 'm') ? CLOCK_MONOTONIC : CLOCK_REALTIME;
 }
diff --git a/liblog/logd_write.c b/liblog/logd_write.c
index 83c6dc2..11c6d9c 100644
--- a/liblog/logd_write.c
+++ b/liblog/logd_write.c
@@ -212,11 +212,7 @@
      *  };
      */
 
-    if (android_log_timestamp() == 'm') {
-        clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts);
-    } else {
-        clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &ts);
-    }
+    clock_gettime(android_log_clockid(), &ts);
 
     pmsg_header.magic = LOGGER_MAGIC;
     pmsg_header.len = sizeof(pmsg_header) + sizeof(header);
diff --git a/liblog/logprint.c b/liblog/logprint.c
index ebf9786..ad52a81 100644
--- a/liblog/logprint.c
+++ b/liblog/logprint.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@
     p_ret->year_output = false;
     p_ret->zone_output = false;
     p_ret->epoch_output = false;
-    p_ret->monotonic_output = android_log_timestamp() == 'm';
+    p_ret->monotonic_output = android_log_clockid() == CLOCK_MONOTONIC;
 
     return p_ret;
 }
@@ -1262,7 +1262,7 @@
     nsec = entry->tv_nsec;
     if (p_format->monotonic_output) {
         // prevent convertMonotonic from being called if logd is monotonic
-        if (android_log_timestamp() != 'm') {
+        if (android_log_clockid() != CLOCK_MONOTONIC) {
             struct timespec time;
             convertMonotonic(&time, entry);
             now = time.tv_sec;
diff --git a/logcat/logcat.cpp b/logcat/logcat.cpp
index 4d7adf1..069fc82 100644
--- a/logcat/logcat.cpp
+++ b/logcat/logcat.cpp
@@ -398,11 +398,9 @@
         return retval;
     }
 
-    log_time now(CLOCK_REALTIME);
-    bool monotonic = android_log_timestamp() == 'm';
-    if (monotonic) {
-        now = log_time(CLOCK_MONOTONIC);
-    }
+    clockid_t clock_type = android_log_clockid();
+    log_time now(clock_type);
+    bool monotonic = clock_type == CLOCK_MONOTONIC;
 
     std::string directory;
     char *file = strrchr(outputFileName, '/');
diff --git a/logcat/tests/logcat_test.cpp b/logcat/tests/logcat_test.cpp
index 153a3fd..61b020c 100644
--- a/logcat/tests/logcat_test.cpp
+++ b/logcat/tests/logcat_test.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
 
 TEST(logcat, year) {
 
-    if (android_log_timestamp() == 'm') {
+    if (android_log_clockid() == CLOCK_MONOTONIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Skipping test, logd is monotonic time\n");
         return;
     }
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
 
 TEST(logcat, tz) {
 
-    if (android_log_timestamp() == 'm') {
+    if (android_log_clockid() == CLOCK_MONOTONIC) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Skipping test, logd is monotonic time\n");
         return;
     }
diff --git a/logd/LogBuffer.cpp b/logd/LogBuffer.cpp
index fd5c066..c8127c3 100644
--- a/logd/LogBuffer.cpp
+++ b/logd/LogBuffer.cpp
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
         }
     }
     bool lastMonotonic = monotonic;
-    monotonic = android_log_timestamp() == 'm';
+    monotonic = android_log_clockid() == CLOCK_MONOTONIC;
     if (lastMonotonic == monotonic) {
         return;
     }
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
 }
 
 LogBuffer::LogBuffer(LastLogTimes *times):
-        monotonic(android_log_timestamp() == 'm'),
+        monotonic(android_log_clockid() == CLOCK_MONOTONIC),
         mTimes(*times) {
     pthread_mutex_init(&mLogElementsLock, NULL);