diff --git a/libs/freetdm/sample/sched/ftdmsched b/libs/freetdm/sample/sched/ftdmsched
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..21ac8e52d5
Binary files /dev/null and b/libs/freetdm/sample/sched/ftdmsched differ
diff --git a/libs/freetdm/sample/sched/ftdmsched.c b/libs/freetdm/sample/sched/ftdmsched.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5cd7d6340a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/freetdm/sample/sched/ftdmsched.c
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+#include "../../src/include/private/ftdm_core.h"
+
+static int running = 1;
+
+typedef struct custom_data {
+	ftdm_timer_t *heartbeat_timer;
+	int beat;
+	int counter;
+	ftdm_sched_callback_t callback;
+	ftdm_sched_t *sched;
+} custom_data_t;
+
+void trap(int signal)
+{
+	running = 0;
+}
+
+void handle_heartbeat(void *usrdata)
+{
+	ftdm_status_t status;
+	custom_data_t *data = usrdata;
+
+	printf("beep (elapsed %dms count= %d)\n", data->beat, data->counter);
+	if (data->beat > 1000) {
+		data->beat -= 1000;
+	} else if (data->beat <= 1000 && data->beat > 200) {
+		data->beat -= 100;
+	} else if (data->beat <= 200 && data->beat > 100) {
+		if (!data->counter--) {
+			data->counter = 5;
+			data->beat -= 100;
+		}
+	} else if (data->beat <= 100 && data->beat > 10) {
+		if (!data->counter--) {
+			data->counter = 10;
+			data->beat -= 10;
+			if (data->beat == 10) {
+				data->counter = 200;
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		if (!data->counter--) {
+			data->counter = 5;
+			data->beat--;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!data->beat) {
+		printf("beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep you're dead!\n");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	data->heartbeat_timer = NULL;
+	status = ftdm_sched_timer(data->sched, "heartbeat", data->beat, data->callback, data, &data->heartbeat_timer);
+	if (status != FTDM_SUCCESS) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error creating heartbeat timer\n");
+		running = 0;
+		return;
+	}
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	ftdm_status_t status;
+	custom_data_t data;
+
+	ftdm_sched_t *sched;
+	signal(SIGINT, trap);
+	
+	ftdm_global_set_default_logger(FTDM_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG);
+
+	ftdm_cpu_monitor_disable();
+
+	if (ftdm_global_init() != FTDM_SUCCESS) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error loading FreeTDM\n");
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+
+	status = ftdm_sched_create(&sched, "testsched");
+	if (status != FTDM_SUCCESS) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error creating sched\n");
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+
+	data.sched = sched;
+	data.counter = 10;
+	data.beat = 5000;
+	data.callback = handle_heartbeat;
+	status = ftdm_sched_timer(sched, "heartbeat", data.beat, data.callback, &data, &data.heartbeat_timer);
+	if (status != FTDM_SUCCESS) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error creating heartbeat timer\n");
+		exit(-1);
+	}
+
+	ftdm_sched_free_run(sched);
+
+	while (running) {
+		ftdm_sleep(10);
+	}
+
+	ftdm_global_destroy();
+
+	printf("Done, press any key to die!\n");
+
+	getchar();
+	return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/libs/freetdm/src/ftdm_io.c b/libs/freetdm/src/ftdm_io.c
index e461d14f96..3dcca80ab3 100644
--- a/libs/freetdm/src/ftdm_io.c
+++ b/libs/freetdm/src/ftdm_io.c
@@ -4241,6 +4241,7 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_global_init(void)
 	ftdm_mutex_create(&globals.mutex);
 	ftdm_mutex_create(&globals.span_mutex);
 	ftdm_mutex_create(&globals.group_mutex);
+	ftdm_sched_global_init();
 	globals.running = 1;
 	return FTDM_SUCCESS;
 }
@@ -4287,6 +4288,7 @@ FT_DECLARE(uint32_t) ftdm_running(void)
 FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_global_destroy(void)
 {
 	ftdm_span_t *sp;
+	uint32_t sanity = 100;
 
 	time_end();
 
@@ -4320,6 +4322,15 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_global_destroy(void)
 
 	ftdm_unload_modules();
 
+	while (ftdm_free_sched_running() && --sanity) {
+		ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_DEBUG, "Waiting for schedule thread to finish\n");
+		ftdm_sleep(100);
+	}
+
+	if (!sanity) {
+		ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_CRIT, "schedule thread did not stop running, we may crash on shutdown\n");
+	}
+
 	ftdm_mutex_lock(globals.mutex);
 	hashtable_destroy(globals.interface_hash);
 	hashtable_destroy(globals.module_hash);
diff --git a/libs/freetdm/src/ftdm_sched.c b/libs/freetdm/src/ftdm_sched.c
index 17d5406a3d..10332a0787 100644
--- a/libs/freetdm/src/ftdm_sched.c
+++ b/libs/freetdm/src/ftdm_sched.c
@@ -34,9 +34,19 @@
 
 #include "private/ftdm_core.h"
 
+static struct {
+	ftdm_sched_t *freeruns;
+	ftdm_mutex_t *mutex;
+	ftdm_bool_t running;
+} sched_globals;
+
 struct ftdm_sched {
+	char name[80];
 	ftdm_mutex_t *mutex;
 	ftdm_timer_t *timers;
+	int freerun;
+	ftdm_sched_t *next;
+	ftdm_sched_t *prev;
 };
 
 struct ftdm_timer {
@@ -50,11 +60,109 @@ struct ftdm_timer {
 	ftdm_timer_t *prev;
 };
 
-FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_create(ftdm_sched_t **sched)
+/* FIXME: use ftdm_interrupt_t to wait for new schedules to monitor */
+#define SCHED_MAX_SLEEP 100
+static void *run_main_schedule(ftdm_thread_t *thread, void *data)
+{
+	int32_t timeto;
+	int32_t sleepms;
+	ftdm_status_t status;
+	ftdm_sched_t *current = NULL;
+	while (ftdm_running()) {
+		
+		sleepms = SCHED_MAX_SLEEP;
+
+		ftdm_mutex_lock(sched_globals.mutex);
+
+		if (!sched_globals.freeruns) {
+		
+			/* there are no free runs, wait a bit and check again (FIXME: use ftdm_interrupt_t for this) */
+			ftdm_mutex_unlock(sched_globals.mutex);
+
+			ftdm_sleep(sleepms);
+		}
+
+		for (current = sched_globals.freeruns; current; current = current->next) {
+
+			/* first run the schedule */
+			ftdm_sched_run(current);
+
+			/* now find out how much time to sleep until running them again */
+			status = ftdm_sched_get_time_to_next_timer(current, &timeto);
+			if (status != FTDM_SUCCESS) {
+				ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_WARNING, "Failed to get time to next timer for schedule %s, skipping\n", current->name);	
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			/* if timeto == -1 we don't want to sleep forever, so keep the last sleepms */
+			if (timeto != -1 && sleepms > timeto) {
+				sleepms = timeto;
+			}
+		}
+
+		ftdm_mutex_unlock(sched_globals.mutex);
+
+		ftdm_sleep(sleepms);
+	}
+	ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_NOTICE, "Main scheduling thread going out ...\n");
+	sched_globals.running = 0;
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_global_init()
+{
+	ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_DEBUG, "Initializing scheduling API\n");
+	memset(&sched_globals, 0, sizeof(sched_globals));
+	if (ftdm_mutex_create(&sched_globals.mutex) == FTDM_SUCCESS) {
+		return FTDM_SUCCESS;
+	}
+	return FTDM_FAIL;
+}
+
+FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_free_run(ftdm_sched_t *sched)
+{
+	ftdm_status_t status;
+	ftdm_assert_return(sched != NULL, FTDM_EINVAL, "invalid pointer\n");
+
+	ftdm_mutex_lock(sched_globals.mutex);
+
+	if (sched_globals.running == FTDM_FALSE) {
+		ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_NOTICE, "Launching main schedule thread\n");
+		status = ftdm_thread_create_detached(run_main_schedule, NULL);
+		if (status != FTDM_SUCCESS) {
+			ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_CRIT, "Failed to launch main schedule thread\n");
+			goto done;
+		} 
+		sched_globals.running = FTDM_TRUE;
+	}
+
+	ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_DEBUG, "Running schedule %s in the main schedule thread\n", sched->name);
+	
+	/* Add the schedule to the global list of free runs */
+	if (!sched_globals.freeruns) {
+		sched_globals.freeruns = sched;
+	}  else {
+		sched->next = sched_globals.freeruns;
+		sched_globals.freeruns->prev = sched;
+		sched_globals.freeruns = sched;
+	}
+
+done:
+	ftdm_mutex_unlock(sched_globals.mutex);
+	return status;
+}
+
+FT_DECLARE(ftdm_bool_t) ftdm_free_sched_running(void)
+{
+	return sched_globals.running;
+}
+
+FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_create(ftdm_sched_t **sched, const char *name)
 {
 	ftdm_sched_t *newsched = NULL;
 
-	ftdm_assert_return(sched != NULL, FTDM_EINVAL, "invalid pointer");
+	ftdm_assert_return(sched != NULL, FTDM_EINVAL, "invalid pointer\n");
+	ftdm_assert_return(name != NULL, FTDM_EINVAL, "invalid sched name\n");
 
 	*sched = NULL;
 
@@ -67,7 +175,10 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_create(ftdm_sched_t **sched)
 		goto failed;
 	}
 
+	ftdm_set_string(newsched->name, name);
+
 	*sched = newsched;
+	ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_DEBUG, "Created schedule %s\n", name);
 	return FTDM_SUCCESS;
 
 failed:
@@ -235,7 +346,8 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_get_time_to_next_timer(const ftdm_sched_t *
 #endif
 	ftdm_timer_t *current = NULL;
 	ftdm_timer_t *winner = NULL;
-
+	
+	/* forever by default */
 	*timeto = -1;
 
 #ifndef __linux__
@@ -299,21 +411,24 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_cancel_timer(ftdm_sched_t *sched, ftdm_time
 
 	ftdm_mutex_lock(sched->mutex);
 
+	/* special case where the cancelled timer is the head */
 	if (*intimer == sched->timers) {
-		timer = sched->timers;
-		if (timer->next) {
-			sched->timers = timer->next;
+		timer = *intimer;
+		/* the timer next is the new head (even if that means the new head will be NULL)*/
+		sched->timers = timer->next;
+		/* if there is a new head, clean its prev member */
+		if (sched->timers) {
 			sched->timers->prev = NULL;
-		} else {
-			sched->timers = NULL;
 		}
+		/* free the old head */
 		ftdm_safe_free(timer);
 		status = FTDM_SUCCESS;
 		*intimer = NULL;
 		goto done;
 	}
 
-	for (timer = sched->timers; timer; timer = timer->next) {
+	/* look for the timer and destroy it (we know now that is not head, se we start at the next member after head) */
+	for (timer = sched->timers->next; timer; timer = timer->next) {
 		if (timer == *intimer) {
 			if (timer->prev) {
 				timer->prev->next = timer->next;
@@ -347,7 +462,26 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_destroy(ftdm_sched_t **insched)
 	ftdm_assert_return(*insched != NULL, FTDM_EINVAL, "sched is null!\n");
 
 	sched = *insched;
-	
+
+	/* since destroying a sched may affect the global list, we gotta check */	
+	ftdm_mutex_lock(sched_globals.mutex);
+
+	/* if we're head, replace head with our next (whatever our next is, even null will do) */
+	if (sched == sched_globals.freeruns) {
+		sched_globals.freeruns = sched->next;
+	}
+	/* if we have a previous member (then we were not head) set our previous next to our next */
+	if (sched->prev) {
+		sched->prev->next = sched->next;
+	}
+	/* if we have a next then set their prev to our prev (if we were head prev will be null and sched->next is already the new head) */
+	if (sched->next) {
+		sched->next->prev = sched->prev;
+	}
+
+	ftdm_mutex_unlock(sched_globals.mutex);
+
+	/* now grab the sched mutex */
 	ftdm_mutex_lock(sched->mutex);
 
 	timer = sched->timers;
@@ -357,6 +491,8 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_destroy(ftdm_sched_t **insched)
 		ftdm_safe_free(deltimer);
 	}
 
+	ftdm_log(FTDM_LOG_DEBUG, "Destroying schedule %s\n", sched->name);
+
 	ftdm_mutex_unlock(sched->mutex);
 
 	ftdm_mutex_destroy(&sched->mutex);
diff --git a/libs/freetdm/src/include/ftdm_threadmutex.h b/libs/freetdm/src/include/ftdm_threadmutex.h
index 4d0030e260..c5afb46eb5 100644
--- a/libs/freetdm/src/include/ftdm_threadmutex.h
+++ b/libs/freetdm/src/include/ftdm_threadmutex.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_thread_create_detached(ftdm_thread_function_t fun
 FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_thread_create_detached_ex(ftdm_thread_function_t func, void *data, ftdm_size_t stack_size);
 FT_DECLARE(void) ftdm_thread_override_default_stacksize(ftdm_size_t size);
 
-
 FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_mutex_create(ftdm_mutex_t **mutex);
 FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_mutex_destroy(ftdm_mutex_t **mutex);
 
diff --git a/libs/freetdm/src/include/private/ftdm_sched.h b/libs/freetdm/src/include/private/ftdm_sched.h
index 214fbefe1c..0951d050a7 100644
--- a/libs/freetdm/src/include/private/ftdm_sched.h
+++ b/libs/freetdm/src/include/private/ftdm_sched.h
@@ -48,11 +48,14 @@ typedef struct ftdm_timer ftdm_timer_t;
 typedef void (*ftdm_sched_callback_t)(void *data);
 
 /*! \brief Create a new scheduling context */
-FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_create(ftdm_sched_t **sched);
+FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_create(ftdm_sched_t **sched, const char *name);
 
 /*! \brief Run the schedule to find timers that are expired and run its callbacks */
 FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_run(ftdm_sched_t *sched);
 
+/*! \brief Run the schedule in its own thread. Callbacks will be called in a core thread. You *must* not block there! */
+FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_free_run(ftdm_sched_t *sched);
+
 /*! 
  * \brief Schedule a new timer 
  * \param sched The scheduling context (required)
@@ -82,6 +85,12 @@ FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_destroy(ftdm_sched_t **sched);
  */
 FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_get_time_to_next_timer(const ftdm_sched_t *sched, int32_t *timeto);
 
+/*! \brief Global initialization, called just once, this is called by FreeTDM core, other users MUST not call it */
+FT_DECLARE(ftdm_status_t) ftdm_sched_global_init(void);
+
+/*! \brief Checks if the main scheduling thread is running */
+FT_DECLARE(ftdm_bool_t) ftdm_free_sched_running(void);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } 
 #endif