diff --git a/core/includes/bootstrap.inc b/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
index 0a68d25..41335cf 100644
--- a/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
+++ b/core/includes/bootstrap.inc
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\Settings;
+use Drupal\Component\Utility\Timer;
 use Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel;
 use Drupal\Core\Database\Database;
 use Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection\ContainerBuilder;
@@ -327,71 +328,27 @@
 const CONFIG_STAGING_DIRECTORY = 'staging';
 
 /**
- * Starts the timer with the specified name.
- *
- * If you start and stop the same timer multiple times, the measured intervals
- * will be accumulated.
- *
- * @param $name
- *   The name of the timer.
+ * @deprecated as of Drupal 8.0.
+ * @see  Drupal\Component\Utility\Timer::start
  */
 function timer_start($name) {
-  global $timers;
-
-  $timers[$name]['start'] = microtime(TRUE);
-  $timers[$name]['count'] = isset($timers[$name]['count']) ? ++$timers[$name]['count'] : 1;
+  Timer::start($name);
 }
 
 /**
- * Reads the current timer value without stopping the timer.
- *
- * @param $name
- *   The name of the timer.
- *
- * @return
- *   The current timer value in ms.
+ * @deprecated as of Drupal 8.0.
+ * @see  Drupal\Component\Utility\Timer::read
  */
 function timer_read($name) {
-  global $timers;
-
-  if (isset($timers[$name]['start'])) {
-    $stop = microtime(TRUE);
-    $diff = round(($stop - $timers[$name]['start']) * 1000, 2);
-
-    if (isset($timers[$name]['time'])) {
-      $diff += $timers[$name]['time'];
-    }
-    return $diff;
-  }
-  return $timers[$name]['time'];
+  return Timer::read($name);
 }
 
 /**
- * Stops the timer with the specified name.
- *
- * @param $name
- *   The name of the timer.
- *
- * @return
- *   A timer array. The array contains the number of times the timer has been
- *   started and stopped (count) and the accumulated timer value in ms (time).
+ * @deprecated as of Drupal 8.0.
+ * @see  Drupal\Component\Utility\Timer::stop
  */
 function timer_stop($name) {
-  global $timers;
-
-  if (isset($timers[$name]['start'])) {
-    $stop = microtime(TRUE);
-    $diff = round(($stop - $timers[$name]['start']) * 1000, 2);
-    if (isset($timers[$name]['time'])) {
-      $timers[$name]['time'] += $diff;
-    }
-    else {
-      $timers[$name]['time'] = $diff;
-    }
-    unset($timers[$name]['start']);
-  }
-
-  return $timers[$name];
+  return Timer::stop($name);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2269,6 +2226,9 @@ function _drupal_exception_handler($exception) {
  * Sets up the script environment and loads settings.php.
  */
 function _drupal_bootstrap_configuration() {
+  // Activate the class loader.
+  drupal_classloader();
+
   drupal_environment_initialize();
   // Start a page timer:
   timer_start('page');
@@ -2278,8 +2238,6 @@ function _drupal_bootstrap_configuration() {
   // Make sure we are using the test database prefix in child Drupal sites.
   _drupal_initialize_db_test_prefix();
 
-  // Activate the class loader.
-  drupal_classloader();
 
   // Load the procedural configuration system helper functions.
   require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/core/includes/config.inc';
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Utility/Timer.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Utility/Timer.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f16d92b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Component/Utility/Timer.php
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains Drupal\Component\Utility\Timer
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\Component\Utility;
+
+/**
+ * Provides helpers to use timers throughout a request.
+ */
+class Timer {
+
+  static protected $timers = array();
+
+  /**
+   * Starts the timer with the specified name.
+   *
+   * If you start and stop the same timer multiple times, the measured intervals
+   * will be accumulated.
+   *
+   * @param $name
+   *   The name of the timer.
+   */
+  static public function start($name) {
+    static::$timers[$name]['start'] = microtime(TRUE);
+    static::$timers[$name]['count'] = isset(static::$timers[$name]['count']) ? ++static::$timers[$name]['count'] : 1;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Reads the current timer value without stopping the timer.
+   *
+   * @param $name
+   *   The name of the timer.
+   *
+   * @return
+   *   The current timer value in ms.
+   */
+  static public function read($name) {
+    if (isset(static::$timers[$name]['start'])) {
+      $stop = microtime(TRUE);
+      $diff = round(($stop - static::$timers[$name]['start']) * 1000, 2);
+
+      if (isset(static::$timers[$name]['time'])) {
+        $diff += static::$timers[$name]['time'];
+      }
+      return $diff;
+    }
+    return static::$timers[$name]['time'];
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Stops the timer with the specified name.
+   *
+   * @param $name
+   *   The name of the timer.
+   *
+   * @return
+   *   A timer array. The array contains the number of times the timer has been
+   *   started and stopped (count) and the accumulated timer value in ms (time).
+   */
+  static public function stop($name) {
+    if (isset(static::$timers[$name]['start'])) {
+      $stop = microtime(TRUE);
+      $diff = round(($stop - static::$timers[$name]['start']) * 1000, 2);
+      if (isset(static::$timers[$name]['time'])) {
+        static::$timers[$name]['time'] += $diff;
+      }
+      else {
+        static::$timers[$name]['time'] = $diff;
+      }
+      unset(static::$timers[$name]['start']);
+    }
+
+    return static::$timers[$name];
+  }
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Bootstrap/TimerUnitTest.php b/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Bootstrap/TimerUnitTest.php
deleted file mode 100644
index ab100e2..0000000
--- a/core/modules/system/lib/Drupal/system/Tests/Bootstrap/TimerUnitTest.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-/**
- * @file
- * Definition of Drupal\system\Tests\Bootstrap\TimerUnitTest.
- */
-
-namespace Drupal\system\Tests\Bootstrap;
-
-use Drupal\simpletest\UnitTestBase;
-
-/**
- * Tests timer_read().
- */
-class TimerUnitTest extends UnitTestBase {
-
-  public static function getInfo() {
-    return array(
-      'name' => 'Timer test',
-      'description' => 'Test that timer_read() works both when a timer is running and when a timer is stopped.',
-      'group' => 'Bootstrap',
-    );
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Tests timer_read() time accumulation accuracy across multiple restarts.
-   */
-  function testTimer() {
-    timer_start('test');
-    sleep(1);
-    $this->assertTrue(timer_read('test') >= 1000, 'Timer measured 1 second of sleeping while running.');
-    sleep(1);
-    timer_stop('test');
-    $this->assertTrue(timer_read('test') >= 2000, 'Timer measured 2 seconds of sleeping after being stopped.');
-    timer_start('test');
-    sleep(1);
-    $this->assertTrue(timer_read('test') >= 3000, 'Timer measured 3 seconds of sleeping after being restarted.');
-    sleep(1);
-    $timer = timer_stop('test');
-    $this->assertTrue(timer_read('test') >= 4000, 'Timer measured 4 seconds of sleeping after being stopped for a second time.');
-    $this->assertEqual($timer['count'], 2, 'Timer counted 2 instances of being started.');
-  }
-}
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Component/Utility/TimerUnitTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Component/Utility/TimerUnitTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..593eb6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/Tests/Component/Utility/TimerUnitTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Definition of Drupal\system\Tests\Component\Utility\TimerUnitTest.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\Tests\Component\Utility;
+
+use Drupal\Tests\UnitTestCase;
+use Drupal\Component\Utility\Timer;
+
+/**
+ * Tests Timer::read().
+ */
+class TimerUnitTest extends UnitTestCase {
+
+  public static function getInfo() {
+    return array(
+      'name' => 'Timer test',
+      'description' => 'Test that Timer::read() works both when a timer is running and when a timer is stopped.',
+      'group' => 'Bootstrap',
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests Timer::read() time accumulation accuracy across multiple restarts.
+   */
+  function testTimer() {
+    Timer::start('test');
+    usleep(5000);
+    $value = Timer::read('test');
+    usleep(5000);
+    $value2 = Timer::read('test');
+    usleep(5000);
+    $value3 = Timer::read('test');
+    usleep(5000);
+    $value4 = Timer::read('test');
+
+    $this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(5, $value, 'Timer measured 5 milliseconds of sleeping while running.');
+    $this->assertLessThan(10, $value, 'Timer measured 5 milliseconds of sleeping while running.');
+
+    $this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(10, $value2, 'Timer measured 10 milliseconds of sleeping while running.');
+    $this->assertLessThan(15, $value2, 'Timer measured 10 milliseconds of sleeping while running.');
+
+    $this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(15, $value3, 'Timer measured 15 milliseconds of sleeping while running.');
+    $this->assertLessThan(20, $value3, 'Timer measured 15 milliseconds of sleeping while running.');
+
+    $this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(20, $value4, 'Timer measured 20 milliseconds of sleeping while running.');
+    $this->assertLessThan(25, $value4, 'Timer measured 20 milliseconds of sleeping while running.');
+  }
+}