diff --git a/libavutil/bfin/timer.h b/libavutil/bfin/timer.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..644573daec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libavutil/bfin/timer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2007 Marc Hoffman
+ *
+ * This file is part of FFmpeg.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with FFmpeg; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef AVUTIL_BFIN_TIMER_H
+#define AVUTIL_BFIN_TIMER_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#define AV_READ_TIME read_time
+
+static inline uint64_t read_time(void)
+{
+    union {
+        struct {
+            unsigned lo;
+            unsigned hi;
+        } p;
+        unsigned long long c;
+    } t;
+    __asm__ volatile ("%0=cycles; %1=cycles2;" : "=d" (t.p.lo), "=d" (t.p.hi));
+    return t.c;
+}
+
+#endif /* AVUTIL_BFIN_TIMER_H */
diff --git a/libavutil/ppc/timer.h b/libavutil/ppc/timer.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..155fc01507
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libavutil/ppc/timer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2005 Luca Barbato <lu_zero@gentoo.org>
+ *
+ * This file is part of FFmpeg.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with FFmpeg; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef AVUTIL_PPC_TIMER_H
+#define AVUTIL_PPC_TIMER_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#define AV_READ_TIME read_time
+
+static inline uint64_t read_time(void)
+{
+    uint32_t tbu, tbl, temp;
+
+     /* from section 2.2.1 of the 32-bit PowerPC PEM */
+     __asm__ volatile(
+         "1:\n"
+         "mftbu  %2\n"
+         "mftb   %0\n"
+         "mftbu  %1\n"
+         "cmpw   %2,%1\n"
+         "bne    1b\n"
+     : "=r"(tbl), "=r"(tbu), "=r"(temp)
+     :
+     : "cc");
+
+     return (((uint64_t)tbu)<<32) | (uint64_t)tbl;
+}
+
+#endif /* AVUTIL_PPC_TIMER_H */
diff --git a/libavutil/timer.h b/libavutil/timer.h
index 709e12fe39..78342d7d58 100644
--- a/libavutil/timer.h
+++ b/libavutil/timer.h
@@ -28,51 +28,16 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "config.h"
 
-#if ARCH_X86 || ARCH_PPC || ARCH_BFIN
-#define AV_READ_TIME read_time
-#if ARCH_X86
-static inline uint64_t read_time(void)
-{
-    uint32_t a, d;
-    __asm__ volatile("rdtsc\n\t"
-                 : "=a" (a), "=d" (d));
-    return ((uint64_t)d << 32) + a;
-}
-#elif ARCH_BFIN
-static inline uint64_t read_time(void)
-{
-    union {
-        struct {
-            unsigned lo;
-            unsigned hi;
-        } p;
-        unsigned long long c;
-    } t;
-    __asm__ volatile ("%0=cycles; %1=cycles2;" : "=d" (t.p.lo), "=d" (t.p.hi));
-    return t.c;
-}
-#else //FIXME check ppc64
-static inline uint64_t read_time(void)
-{
-    uint32_t tbu, tbl, temp;
-
-     /* from section 2.2.1 of the 32-bit PowerPC PEM */
-     __asm__ volatile(
-         "1:\n"
-         "mftbu  %2\n"
-         "mftb   %0\n"
-         "mftbu  %1\n"
-         "cmpw   %2,%1\n"
-         "bne    1b\n"
-     : "=r"(tbl), "=r"(tbu), "=r"(temp)
-     :
-     : "cc");
-
-     return (((uint64_t)tbu)<<32) | (uint64_t)tbl;
-}
+#if   ARCH_BFIN
+#   include "bfin/timer.h"
+#elif ARCH_PPC
+#   include "ppc/timer.h"
+#elif ARCH_X86
+#   include "x86/timer.h"
 #endif
-#elif HAVE_GETHRTIME
-#define AV_READ_TIME gethrtime
+
+#if !defined(AV_READ_TIME) && HAVE_GETHRTIME
+#   define AV_READ_TIME gethrtime
 #endif
 
 #ifdef AV_READ_TIME
diff --git a/libavutil/x86/timer.h b/libavutil/x86/timer.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..62a111fdd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libavutil/x86/timer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/*
+ * copyright (c) 2006 Michael Niedermayer <michaelni@gmx.at>
+ *
+ * This file is part of FFmpeg.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * FFmpeg is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with FFmpeg; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef AVUTIL_X86_TIMER_H
+#define AVUTIL_X86_TIMER_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#define AV_READ_TIME read_time
+
+static inline uint64_t read_time(void)
+{
+    uint32_t a, d;
+    __asm__ volatile("rdtsc" : "=a" (a), "=d" (d));
+    return ((uint64_t)d << 32) + a;
+}
+
+#endif /* AVUTIL_X86_TIMER_H */