diff --git a/hw/timer/altera_timer.c b/hw/timer/altera_timer.c
index ee32e0ec1f..79fc381252 100644
--- a/hw/timer/altera_timer.c
+++ b/hw/timer/altera_timer.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include "qemu/main-loop.h"
 #include "qemu/module.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@ typedef struct AlteraTimer {
     MemoryRegion  mmio;
     qemu_irq      irq;
     uint32_t      freq_hz;
-    QEMUBH       *bh;
     ptimer_state *ptimer;
     uint32_t      regs[R_MAX];
 } AlteraTimer;
@@ -105,6 +103,7 @@ static void timer_write(void *opaque, hwaddr addr,
         break;
 
     case R_CONTROL:
+        ptimer_transaction_begin(t->ptimer);
         t->regs[R_CONTROL] = value & (CONTROL_ITO | CONTROL_CONT);
         if ((value & CONTROL_START) &&
             !(t->regs[R_STATUS] & STATUS_RUN)) {
@@ -115,10 +114,12 @@ static void timer_write(void *opaque, hwaddr addr,
             ptimer_stop(t->ptimer);
             t->regs[R_STATUS] &= ~STATUS_RUN;
         }
+        ptimer_transaction_commit(t->ptimer);
         break;
 
     case R_PERIODL:
     case R_PERIODH:
+        ptimer_transaction_begin(t->ptimer);
         t->regs[addr] = value & 0xFFFF;
         if (t->regs[R_STATUS] & STATUS_RUN) {
             ptimer_stop(t->ptimer);
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ static void timer_write(void *opaque, hwaddr addr,
         }
         tvalue = (t->regs[R_PERIODH] << 16) | t->regs[R_PERIODL];
         ptimer_set_limit(t->ptimer, tvalue + 1, 1);
+        ptimer_transaction_commit(t->ptimer);
         break;
 
     case R_SNAPL:
@@ -183,9 +185,10 @@ static void altera_timer_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    t->bh = qemu_bh_new(timer_hit, t);
-    t->ptimer = ptimer_init_with_bh(t->bh, PTIMER_POLICY_DEFAULT);
+    t->ptimer = ptimer_init(timer_hit, t, PTIMER_POLICY_DEFAULT);
+    ptimer_transaction_begin(t->ptimer);
     ptimer_set_freq(t->ptimer, t->freq_hz);
+    ptimer_transaction_commit(t->ptimer);
 
     memory_region_init_io(&t->mmio, OBJECT(t), &timer_ops, t,
                           TYPE_ALTERA_TIMER, R_MAX * sizeof(uint32_t));
@@ -204,8 +207,10 @@ static void altera_timer_reset(DeviceState *dev)
 {
     AlteraTimer *t = ALTERA_TIMER(dev);
 
+    ptimer_transaction_begin(t->ptimer);
     ptimer_stop(t->ptimer);
     ptimer_set_limit(t->ptimer, 0xffffffff, 1);
+    ptimer_transaction_commit(t->ptimer);
     memset(t->regs, 0, sizeof(t->regs));
 }