diff --git a/torch/distributed/elastic/timer/api.py b/torch/distributed/elastic/timer/api.py
index 7c856f078d89a..313f6fa14940c 100644
--- a/torch/distributed/elastic/timer/api.py
+++ b/torch/distributed/elastic/timer/api.py
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ def clear_timers(self, worker_ids: set[Any]) -> None:
     def get_expired_timers(self, deadline: float) -> dict[str, list[TimerRequest]]:
         """
         Returns all expired timers for each worker_id. An expired timer
-        is a timer for which the expiration_time is less than or equal to
-        the provided deadline.
+        is a timer for which the expiration_time is less than the
+        provided deadline.
         """
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
@@ -187,10 +187,11 @@ def _watchdog_loop(self):
                 logger.exception("Error running watchdog")
 
     def _run_watchdog(self):
+        from datetime import datetime
         batch_size = max(1, self._request_queue.size())
         timer_requests = self._request_queue.get(batch_size, self._max_interval)
         self.register_timers(timer_requests)
-        now = time.time()
+        now = datetime.now().timestamp()
         reaped_worker_ids = set()
         for worker_id, expired_timers in self.get_expired_timers(now).items():
             logger.info(
@@ -228,7 +229,9 @@ def stop(self) -> None:
         self._stop_signaled = True
         if self._watchdog_thread:
             logger.info("Stopping watchdog thread...")
-            self._watchdog_thread.join(self._max_interval)
+            self._watchdog_thread.join(self._max_interval * 2)
+            if self._watchdog_thread.is_alive():
+                logger.warning("Watchdog thread did not stop in time")
             self._watchdog_thread = None
         else:
             logger.info("No watchdog thread running, doing nothing")
@@ -267,6 +270,7 @@ def expires(
         with expires(after=10):
             torch.distributed.all_reduce(...)
     """
+    from datetime import datetime
     if client is None:
         if _timer_client is None:
             raise RuntimeError("Configure timer client before using countdown timers.")
@@ -275,7 +279,7 @@ def expires(
         # grab the caller file + lineno
         caller = getframeinfo(stack()[1][0])
         scope = f"{caller.filename}#{caller.lineno}"
-    expiration = time.time() + after
+    expiration = datetime.now().timestamp() + after
     client.acquire(scope, expiration)
     try:
         yield