diff --git a/include/data.h b/include/data.h
index d7ba8af4..6cf3515e 100644
--- a/include/data.h
+++ b/include/data.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <xcb/xcb_atom.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <pcre.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 
 #include "queue.h"
 
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ struct Window {
     bool needs_take_focus;
 
     /** When this window was marked urgent. 0 means not urgent */
-    time_t urgent;
+    struct timeval urgent;
 
     /** Whether this window accepts focus. We store this inverted so that the
      * default will be 'accepts focus'. */
diff --git a/src/handlers.c b/src/handlers.c
index 596d15a6..1fb2bdd4 100644
--- a/src/handlers.c
+++ b/src/handlers.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "all.h"
 
 #include <time.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
 #include <xcb/randr.h>
 #include <X11/XKBlib.h>
 #define SN_API_NOT_YET_FROZEN 1
@@ -844,7 +845,8 @@ static bool handle_hints(void *data, xcb_connection_t *conn, uint8_t state, xcb_
 
     if (!con->urgent && focused == con) {
         DLOG("Ignoring urgency flag for current client\n");
-        con->window->urgent = 0;
+        con->window->urgent.tv_sec = 0;
+        con->window->urgent.tv_usec = 0;
         goto end;
     }
 
@@ -853,9 +855,10 @@ static bool handle_hints(void *data, xcb_connection_t *conn, uint8_t state, xcb_
     //CLIENT_LOG(con);
     if (con->window) {
         if (con->urgent) {
-            con->window->urgent = time(NULL);
+            gettimeofday(&con->window->urgent, NULL);
         } else {
-            con->window->urgent = 0;
+            con->window->urgent.tv_sec = 0;
+            con->window->urgent.tv_usec = 0;
         }
     }
     LOG("Urgency flag changed to %d\n", con->urgent);
diff --git a/src/match.c b/src/match.c
index c460d422..e92a95d2 100644
--- a/src/match.c
+++ b/src/match.c
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@
  */
 #include "all.h"
 
+/* From sys/time.h, not sure if it’s available on all systems. */
+# define _i3_timercmp(a, b, CMP)                                                  \
+  (((a).tv_sec == (b).tv_sec) ?                                             \
+   ((a).tv_usec CMP (b).tv_usec) :                                          \
+   ((a).tv_sec CMP (b).tv_sec))
+
 /*
  * Initializes the Match data structure. This function is necessary because the
  * members representing boolean values (like dock) need to be initialized with
@@ -125,13 +131,13 @@ bool match_matches_window(Match *match, i3Window *window) {
     Con *con = NULL;
     if (match->urgent == U_LATEST) {
         /* if the window isn't urgent, no sense in searching */
-        if (window->urgent == 0) {
+        if (window->urgent.tv_sec == 0) {
             return false;
         }
         /* if we find a window that is newer than this one, bail */
         TAILQ_FOREACH(con, &all_cons, all_cons) {
             if ((con->window != NULL) &&
-                (con->window->urgent > window->urgent)) {
+                _i3_timercmp(con->window->urgent, window->urgent, >)) {
                 return false;
             }
         }
@@ -140,14 +146,14 @@ bool match_matches_window(Match *match, i3Window *window) {
 
     if (match->urgent == U_OLDEST) {
         /* if the window isn't urgent, no sense in searching */
-        if (window->urgent == 0) {
+        if (window->urgent.tv_sec == 0) {
             return false;
         }
         /* if we find a window that is older than this one (and not 0), bail */
         TAILQ_FOREACH(con, &all_cons, all_cons) {
             if ((con->window != NULL) &&
-                (con->window->urgent != 0) &&
-                (con->window->urgent < window->urgent)) {
+                (con->window->urgent.tv_sec != 0) &&
+                _i3_timercmp(con->window->urgent, window->urgent, <)) {
                 return false;
             }
         }
diff --git a/testcases/t/113-urgent.t b/testcases/t/113-urgent.t
index 9c3dbab6..04f72c3d 100644
--- a/testcases/t/113-urgent.t
+++ b/testcases/t/113-urgent.t
@@ -95,10 +95,6 @@ is($x->input_focus, $different_window->id, 'new window focused again');
 $top->add_hint('urgency');
 sync_with_i3;
 
-# Unfortunately, we cannot get rid of this delay. We need it because i3 stores
-# the time of an urgency hint with second precision.
-sleep 1;
-
 $bottom->add_hint('urgency');
 sync_with_i3;
 
@@ -123,10 +119,6 @@ is($x->input_focus, $different_window->id, 'new window focused again');
 $top->add_hint('urgency');
 sync_with_i3;
 
-# Unfortunately, we cannot get rid of this delay. We need it because i3 stores
-# the time of an urgency hint with second precision.
-sleep 1;
-
 $bottom->add_hint('urgency');
 sync_with_i3;