diff --git a/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/ClockView.m b/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/ClockView.m
index d2dc759c83f5..533b797de9af 100644
--- a/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/ClockView.m
+++ b/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/ClockView.m
@@ -51,19 +51,21 @@ @implementation ClockView
     self = [super initWithText:dateString
         atPoint:NSMakePoint(frame.size.width - sz.width - menuBarHPad, menuBarVPad)
         withMaxWidth:300];
+    [self setFont:font];
 
-    [NSThread detachNewThreadSelector:@selector(update:) toTarget:self
-        withObject:[self window]];
+    [NSThread detachNewThreadSelector:@selector(notifyTick:) toTarget:self withObject:nil];
 
     return self;
 }
 
-- (void)update:(NSWindow*)window {
+- (NSString *)currentDateValue {
+    return [dateFormatter stringForObjectValue:[NSDate date]];
+}
+
+- (void)notifyTick:(id)arg {
     while(1) {
-        [self setAttributedStringValue:[[NSAttributedString alloc]
-            initWithString:[dateFormatter stringForObjectValue:[NSDate date]]
-            attributes:attributes]];
-        usleep(500000);
+        [[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:@"ClockTick" object:nil userInfo:NULL];
+        usleep(400000);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/MenuBarWindow.m b/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/MenuBarWindow.m
index 9bf2bb141862..fce87a09f1e5 100644
--- a/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/MenuBarWindow.m
+++ b/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/MenuBarWindow.m
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ @implementation MenuBarWindow
 
     [self setMovableByWindowBackground:NO];
 
+    NSNotificationCenter *nctr = [NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter];
+    [nctr addObserver:self selector:@selector(notifyTick:) name:@"ClockTick" object:nil];
+
     clockView = [[ClockView alloc] initWithFrame:frame];
     menuView = [[MenuView alloc] initWithFrame:frame];
     extrasView = [ExtrasView new];
@@ -53,6 +56,12 @@ @implementation MenuBarWindow
     return self;
 }
 
+- (void)notifyTick:(id)arg {
+    NSString *value = [clockView currentDateValue];
+    [clockView setStringValue:value];
+    [clockView display];
+}
+
 - (mach_port_t)activePort {
     return _menuPort;
 }
diff --git a/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/desktop.h b/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/desktop.h
index 99615cffb0da..6661cb6eeeeb 100644
--- a/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/desktop.h
+++ b/CoreServices/WindowServer/SystemUIServer/desktop.h
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ extern const NSString *WLMenuDidUpdateNotification;
 }
 
 - (ClockView *)initWithFrame:(NSRect)frame;
-- (void)update:(NSWindow *)window;
+- (NSString *)currentDateValue;
+- (void)notifyTick:(id)arg;
 @end
 
 // system and application menu titles view
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ extern const NSString *WLMenuDidUpdateNotification;
 }
 
 - (MenuBarWindow *)initWithFrame:(NSRect)frame forOutput:(NSScreen *)output;
+- (void)notifyTick:(id)arg;
 - (void)setPort:(mach_port_t)port forPID:(unsigned int)pid;
 - (void)removePortForPID:(unsigned int)pid;
 - (mach_port_t)portForPID:(unsigned int)pid;