diff --git a/src/proc/play/dummy-player-service.cpp b/src/proc/play/dummy-player-service.cpp
index 865aa18f4..3fea947e3 100644
--- a/src/proc/play/dummy-player-service.cpp
+++ b/src/proc/play/dummy-player-service.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include "proc/play/dummy-player-service.hpp"
 #include "proc/play/dummy-image-generator.hpp"
+#include "proc/play/tick-service.hpp"
 #include "lib/singleton.hpp"
 
 extern "C" {
@@ -31,9 +32,11 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include <string>
 #include <memory>
+#include <tr1/functional>
 #include <boost/scoped_ptr.hpp>
 
 
+
 namespace proc  {
   namespace play{
   
@@ -41,6 +44,7 @@ namespace proc  {
     using lumiera::Subsys;
     using std::auto_ptr;
     using boost::scoped_ptr;
+    using std::tr1::bind;
     
     
     namespace { // hidden local details of the service implementation....
@@ -292,7 +296,7 @@ namespace proc  {
     
     
     ProcessImpl::ProcessImpl()
-      : fps_(0), play_(false), imageGen_(0)
+      : fps_(0), play_(false), imageGen_(0), tick_(new TickService (bind (ProcessImpl::doFrame, this)))
       { }
     
     
@@ -319,12 +323,16 @@ namespace proc  {
       {
         REQUIRE (fps==0 || fps_==0 );
         REQUIRE (fps==0 || !play_  );
+        REQUIRE (tick_)
         
         fps_ = fps;
         play_ = (fps != 0);
         
         if (play_)
           imageGen_.reset(new DummyImageGenerator(fps));
+        
+        // callbacks with given frequency, starting now
+        tick_->activate(fps); 
       }
     
     
@@ -333,6 +341,7 @@ namespace proc  {
     ProcessImpl::doPlay(bool yes)
       {
         REQUIRE (isActive());
+        tick_->activate (yes? fps_:0);
         play_ = yes;
       }
     
diff --git a/src/proc/play/dummy-player-service.hpp b/src/proc/play/dummy-player-service.hpp
index 92c4d27ca..a1856c745 100644
--- a/src/proc/play/dummy-player-service.hpp
+++ b/src/proc/play/dummy-player-service.hpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ namespace proc {
     
     
     class DummyImageGenerator;
+    class TickService;
     
     
     /********************************************************************
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ namespace proc {
         bool play_;
         
         boost::scoped_ptr<DummyImageGenerator> imageGen_;
+        boost::scoped_ptr<TickService>         tick_;
         
         
       public:
diff --git a/src/proc/play/tick-service.hpp b/src/proc/play/tick-service.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..84c85af7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/proc/play/tick-service.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+/*
+  TICK-SERVICE.hpp  -  issuing timed callbacks
+ 
+  Copyright (C)         Lumiera.org
+    2009,               Joel Holdsworth <joel@airwebreathe.org.uk>,
+                        Hermann Vosseler <Ichthyostega@web.de>
+ 
+  This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+  modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+  published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the
+  License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ 
+  This program 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 General Public License for more details.
+ 
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+  Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
+ 
+*/
+
+/** @file tick-service.hpp
+ ** A timer service invoking a given callback periodically.
+ ** This is a rough preliminary implementation as of 1/2009. We use it to
+ ** drive the frame "creation" of a player dummy (the render engine is not 
+ ** ready yet). The intention is to make this a real service later on, which
+ ** might consolidate and sync various ongoing output processes to a common
+ ** beat, which it implements by precision posix timers. Probably then this
+ ** service will become part of the backend, or rely on a timing service.
+ ** 
+ ** @see proc::play::DummyPlayerService
+ **  
+ */
+
+
+#ifndef PROC_PLAY_TICKSERVICE_H
+#define PROC_PLAY_TICKSERVICE_H
+
+
+#include "backend/thread-wrapper.hpp"
+
+#include <limits>
+
+
+namespace proc {
+  namespace play {
+    
+    
+    /************************************************************
+     * Tick generating service for a periodic callback,
+     * with adjustable frequency. Quick'n dirty implementation!
+     */
+    class TickService
+      : backend::Thread
+      {
+        typedef function<void(void)> Tick;
+        volatile uint timespan_;
+        
+        /** poll interval for new settings in wait state */
+        static const uint POLL_TIMEOUT = 1000;
+        
+      public:
+        TickService (Tick& callback)
+          : Thread("Tick generator (dummy)",
+                   bind (&TickService::timerLoop, this, callback))
+          { }
+        
+       ~TickService ()
+          {
+            uint curr_tick = timespan_;
+            timespan_ = 0;
+            usleep (curr_tick); ////TODO actually should wait for timer thread termination
+          }
+        
+        
+        /** set the periodic timer to run with a given frequency,
+         *  starting \em now. Well, not actually now, but at the next
+         *  opportunity. It should be \em now, but this implementation
+         *  is sloppy! setting fps==0 halts (pauses) the timer.
+         */
+        void activate (uint fps)
+          {
+            REQUIRE (  0==fps 
+                    ||    1000000/fps < std::numeric_limits<uint>::max() 
+                       && 1000000/fps > POLL_TIMEOUT);
+            if (fps)
+              timespan_ = 1000000/fps; // microseconds per tick
+            else
+              timespan_ = POLL_TIMEOUT;
+          }
+        
+        
+      private:
+        void timerLoop(Tick periodicFun)
+          {
+            timespan_ = POLL_TIMEOUT;
+            while (0 < timespan_)
+              {
+                if (timespan_ > POLL_TIMEOUT)
+                  periodicFun();
+                
+                usleep (timespan_);
+          }   }
+      };
+    
+    
+    
+    
+  } // namespace play
+
+} // namespace proc
+#endif // PROC_PLAY_TICKSERVICE_H
+