diff --git a/app/display/gimpdisplay.c b/app/display/gimpdisplay.c
index f52c282487..18a049a94a 100644
--- a/app/display/gimpdisplay.c
+++ b/app/display/gimpdisplay.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 #include "gimp-intl.h"
 
 
-#define FLUSH_NOW_TIMEOUT 20
+#define FLUSH_NOW_INTERVAL 20000 /* 20 ms in microseconds */
 
 
 enum
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ struct _GimpDisplayPrivate
   GtkWidget *shell;
   GSList    *update_areas;
 
-  guint      flush_now_timeout;
+  GTimeVal   last_flush_now;
 };
 
 #define GIMP_DISPLAY_GET_PRIVATE(display) \
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ struct _GimpDisplayPrivate
 
 static void     gimp_display_progress_iface_init (GimpProgressInterface *iface);
 
-static void     gimp_display_dispose             (GObject             *object);
 static void     gimp_display_set_property        (GObject             *object,
                                                   guint                property_id,
                                                   const GValue        *value,
@@ -140,7 +139,6 @@ gimp_display_class_init (GimpDisplayClass *klass)
 {
   GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
 
-  object_class->dispose      = gimp_display_dispose;
   object_class->set_property = gimp_display_set_property;
   object_class->get_property = gimp_display_get_property;
 
@@ -191,20 +189,6 @@ gimp_display_progress_iface_init (GimpProgressInterface *iface)
   iface->message    = gimp_display_progress_message;
 }
 
-static void
-gimp_display_dispose (GObject *object)
-{
-  GimpDisplayPrivate *private = GIMP_DISPLAY_GET_PRIVATE (object);
-
-  if (private->flush_now_timeout)
-    {
-      g_source_remove (private->flush_now_timeout);
-      private->flush_now_timeout = 0;
-    }
-
-  G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
-}
-
 static void
 gimp_display_set_property (GObject      *object,
                            guint         property_id,
@@ -634,12 +618,6 @@ gimp_display_set_image (GimpDisplay *display,
 
   shell = gimp_display_get_shell (display);
 
-  if (private->flush_now_timeout)
-    {
-      g_source_remove (private->flush_now_timeout);
-      private->flush_now_timeout = 0;
-    }
-
   if (private->image)
     {
       /*  stop any active tool  */
@@ -815,18 +793,6 @@ gimp_display_flush_now (GimpDisplay *display)
 
 /*  private functions  */
 
-static gboolean
-gimp_display_flush_now_timeout (GimpDisplay *display)
-{
-  GimpDisplayPrivate *private = GIMP_DISPLAY_GET_PRIVATE (display);
-
-  private->flush_now_timeout = 0;
-
-  gimp_display_shell_flush (gimp_display_get_shell (display), TRUE);
-
-  return FALSE;
-}
-
 static void
 gimp_display_flush_whenever (GimpDisplay *display,
                              gboolean     now)
@@ -857,12 +823,22 @@ gimp_display_flush_whenever (GimpDisplay *display,
 
   if (now)
     {
-      if (! private->flush_now_timeout)
-        private->flush_now_timeout =
-          gdk_threads_add_timeout_full (G_PRIORITY_HIGH_IDLE,
-                                        FLUSH_NOW_TIMEOUT,
-                                        (GSourceFunc) gimp_display_flush_now_timeout,
-                                        display, NULL);
+      GTimeVal time_now;
+      gint     diff_usec;
+
+      g_get_current_time (&time_now);
+
+      diff_usec = (((guint64) time_now.tv_sec * G_USEC_PER_SEC +
+                    (guint64) time_now.tv_usec) -
+                   ((guint64) private->last_flush_now.tv_sec * G_USEC_PER_SEC +
+                    (guint64) private->last_flush_now.tv_usec));
+
+      if (diff_usec > FLUSH_NOW_INTERVAL)
+        {
+          gimp_display_shell_flush (gimp_display_get_shell (display), now);
+
+          g_get_current_time (&private->last_flush_now);
+        }
     }
   else
     {