diff --git a/include/osmocom/core/stats.h b/include/osmocom/core/stats.h
index b4fb727..489e0e4 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/core/stats.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/core/stats.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 
 	/* config */
 	int enabled;
-	int interval;
 	char *name_prefix;
 	char *dest_addr_str;
 	char *bind_addr_str;
@@ -50,9 +49,17 @@
 	struct llist_head list;
 };
 
+struct stats_config {
+	int interval;
+};
+
+extern struct stats_config *stats_config;
+
 void stats_init(void *ctx);
 int stats_report();
 
+int stats_set_interval(int interval);
+
 struct stats_reporter *stats_reporter_alloc(enum stats_reporter_type type,
 	const char *name);
 void stats_reporter_free(struct stats_reporter *srep);
@@ -64,7 +71,6 @@
 int stats_reporter_set_remote_addr(struct stats_reporter *srep, const char *addr);
 int stats_reporter_set_remote_port(struct stats_reporter *srep, int port);
 int stats_reporter_set_local_addr(struct stats_reporter *srep, const char *addr);
-int stats_reporter_set_interval(struct stats_reporter *srep, int interval);
 int stats_reporter_set_name_prefix(struct stats_reporter *srep, const char *prefix);
 int stats_reporter_enable(struct stats_reporter *srep);
 int stats_reporter_disable(struct stats_reporter *srep);
diff --git a/src/stats.c b/src/stats.c
index 180452e..c9be0b7 100644
--- a/src/stats.c
+++ b/src/stats.c
@@ -36,13 +36,24 @@
 #include <osmocom/core/logging.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/rate_ctr.h>
 #include <osmocom/core/stat_item.h>
+#include <osmocom/core/timer.h>
 
 /* TODO: register properly */
 #define DSTATS DLGLOBAL
 
+#define STATS_DEFAULT_INTERVAL 5 /* secs */
 
 static LLIST_HEAD(stats_reporter_list);
 static void *stats_ctx = NULL;
+static int is_initialised = 0;
+static int32_t current_stat_item_index = 0;
+
+static struct stats_config s_stats_config = {
+	.interval = STATS_DEFAULT_INTERVAL,
+};
+struct stats_config *stats_config = &s_stats_config;
+
+static struct osmo_timer_list stats_timer;
 
 static int stats_reporter_statsd_open(struct stats_reporter *srep);
 static int stats_reporter_statsd_close(struct stats_reporter *srep);
@@ -75,6 +86,27 @@
 	return rc;
 }
 
+static void stats_timer_cb(void *data)
+{
+	int interval = stats_config->interval;
+
+	if (!llist_empty(&stats_reporter_list))
+		stats_report();
+
+	osmo_timer_schedule(&stats_timer, interval, 0);
+}
+
+static int start_timer()
+{
+	if (!is_initialised)
+		return -ESRCH;
+
+	stats_timer.cb = stats_timer_cb;
+	osmo_timer_schedule(&stats_timer, 0, 1);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct stats_reporter *stats_reporter_alloc(enum stats_reporter_type type,
 	const char *name)
 {
@@ -101,6 +133,9 @@
 void stats_init(void *ctx)
 {
 	stats_ctx = ctx;
+
+	is_initialised = 1;
+	start_timer();
 }
 
 struct stats_reporter *stats_reporter_find(enum stats_reporter_type type,
@@ -176,11 +211,16 @@
 	return update_srep_config(srep);
 }
 
-int stats_reporter_set_interval(struct stats_reporter *srep, int interval)
+int stats_set_interval(int interval)
 {
-	srep->interval = interval;
+	if (interval <= 0)
+		return -EINVAL;
 
-	return update_srep_config(srep);
+	stats_config->interval = interval;
+	if (is_initialised)
+		start_timer();
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int stats_reporter_set_name_prefix(struct stats_reporter *srep, const char *prefix)
diff --git a/src/vty/stats_vty.c b/src/vty/stats_vty.c
index 954f358..a4fd7b0 100644
--- a/src/vty/stats_vty.c
+++ b/src/vty/stats_vty.c
@@ -128,15 +128,6 @@
 		argv[0], "remote port");
 }
 
-DEFUN(cfg_stats_reporter_interval, cfg_stats_reporter_interval_cmd,
-	"interval <1-65535>",
-	"Set the reporting interval\n"
-	"Interval in seconds\n")
-{
-	return set_srep_parameter_int(vty, stats_reporter_set_interval,
-		argv[0], "reporting interval");
-}
-
 DEFUN(cfg_stats_reporter_prefix, cfg_stats_reporter_prefix_cmd,
 	"prefix PREFIX",
 	"Set the item name prefix\n"
@@ -214,6 +205,24 @@
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+DEFUN(cfg_stats_interval, cfg_stats_interval_cmd,
+	"stats interval <1-65535>",
+	CFG_STATS_STR "Set the reporting interval\n"
+	"Interval in seconds\n")
+{
+	int rc;
+	int interval = atoi(argv[0]);
+	rc = stats_set_interval(interval);
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		vty_out(vty, "%% Unable to set interval: %s%s",
+			strerror(-rc), VTY_NEWLINE);
+		return CMD_WARNING;
+	}
+
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+
 DEFUN(cfg_no_stats_reporter_statsd, cfg_no_stats_reporter_statsd_cmd,
 	"no stats reporter statsd",
 	NO_STR CFG_STATS_STR CFG_REPORTER_STR "Report to a STATSD server\n")
@@ -264,9 +273,6 @@
 	if (srep->bind_addr_str)
 		vty_out(vty, "  local-ip %s%s",
 			srep->bind_addr_str, VTY_NEWLINE);
-	if (srep->interval)
-		vty_out(vty, "  interval %d%s",
-			srep->interval, VTY_NEWLINE);
 	if (srep->name_prefix && *srep->name_prefix)
 		vty_out(vty, "  prefix %s%s",
 			srep->name_prefix, VTY_NEWLINE);
@@ -286,6 +292,8 @@
 	srep = stats_reporter_find(STATS_REPORTER_STATSD, NULL);
 	config_write_stats_reporter(vty, srep);
 
+	vty_out(vty, "stats interval %d%s", stats_config->interval, VTY_NEWLINE);
+
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -295,6 +303,7 @@
 
 	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &cfg_stats_reporter_statsd_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &cfg_no_stats_reporter_statsd_cmd);
+	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &cfg_stats_interval_cmd);
 
 	install_node(&cfg_stats_node, config_write_stats);
 	vty_install_default(CFG_STATS_NODE);
@@ -303,7 +312,6 @@
 	install_element(CFG_STATS_NODE, &cfg_no_stats_reporter_local_ip_cmd);
 	install_element(CFG_STATS_NODE, &cfg_stats_reporter_remote_ip_cmd);
 	install_element(CFG_STATS_NODE, &cfg_stats_reporter_remote_port_cmd);
-	install_element(CFG_STATS_NODE, &cfg_stats_reporter_interval_cmd);
 	install_element(CFG_STATS_NODE, &cfg_stats_reporter_prefix_cmd);
 	install_element(CFG_STATS_NODE, &cfg_no_stats_reporter_prefix_cmd);
 	install_element(CFG_STATS_NODE, &cfg_stats_reporter_enable_cmd);