diff --git a/src/game/behaviors/bowser_puzzle_piece.inc.c b/src/game/behaviors/bowser_puzzle_piece.inc.c
index a8573e4b9..cbdccf75f 100644
--- a/src/game/behaviors/bowser_puzzle_piece.inc.c
+++ b/src/game/behaviors/bowser_puzzle_piece.inc.c
@@ -259,13 +259,11 @@ void (*sBowserPuzzlePieceActions[])(void) = {
 };
 
 void bhv_lll_bowser_puzzle_piece_loop(void) {
-    // make sure we're loaded and synchronized
-    if (!gNetworkAreaLoaded) {
-        o->oTimer = 0;
-        return;
-    } else if (o->oBowserPuzzlePieceTimer == 0 && (gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oBowserPuzzlePieceTimer) >= 650) {
-        o->oBowserPuzzlePieceTimer = ((gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oBowserPuzzlePieceTimer) / 650) * 650;
-        o->oTimer = 0;
+    u32 loopLength = 650;
+    if ((gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oBowserPuzzlePieceTimer) >= loopLength) {
+        u32 catchup = (gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oBowserPuzzlePieceTimer) / loopLength;
+        catchup *= loopLength;
+        o->oBowserPuzzlePieceTimer += catchup;
     }
 
     while (o->oBowserPuzzlePieceTimer < gNetworkAreaTimer) {
diff --git a/src/game/behaviors/checkerboard_platform.inc.c b/src/game/behaviors/checkerboard_platform.inc.c
index 342229d4f..832d1ba06 100644
--- a/src/game/behaviors/checkerboard_platform.inc.c
+++ b/src/game/behaviors/checkerboard_platform.inc.c
@@ -54,17 +54,11 @@ void bhv_checkerboard_platform_init(void) {
 }
 
 void bhv_checkerboard_platform_loop(void) {
-    // make sure we're loaded and synchronized
-    if (!gNetworkAreaLoaded) {
-        o->oTimer = 0;
-        o->oCheckerBoardPlatformTimer = 0;
-        return;
-    } else {
-        u32 loopLength = 132 + o->oCheckerBoardPlatformUnkFC * 2;
-        if (o->oCheckerBoardPlatformTimer == 0 && (gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oCheckerBoardPlatformTimer) >= loopLength) {
-            o->oTimer = 0;
-            o->oCheckerBoardPlatformTimer = ((gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oCheckerBoardPlatformTimer) / loopLength) * loopLength;
-        }
+    u32 loopLength = 132 + o->oCheckerBoardPlatformUnkFC * 2;
+    if ((gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oCheckerBoardPlatformTimer) >= loopLength) {
+        u32 catchup = (gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oCheckerBoardPlatformTimer) / loopLength;
+        catchup *= loopLength;
+        o->oCheckerBoardPlatformTimer += catchup;
     }
 
     if (o->oDistanceToMario < 1000.0f)
diff --git a/src/game/behaviors/ddd_pole.inc.c b/src/game/behaviors/ddd_pole.inc.c
index d8cf32fe7..0c8693d7d 100644
--- a/src/game/behaviors/ddd_pole.inc.c
+++ b/src/game/behaviors/ddd_pole.inc.c
@@ -10,18 +10,11 @@ void bhv_ddd_pole_init(void) {
 
 
 void bhv_ddd_pole_update(void) {
-    // make sure we're loaded and synchronized
-    if (!gNetworkAreaLoaded) {
-        o->oTimer = 0;
-        o->oDDDPoleTimer = 0;
-        return;
-    } else {
-        // catch up, jumping full loop cycles at a time
-        u16 loopTime = (((u16)o->oDDDPoleMaxOffset / 10) + 20) * 2;
-        if (o->oDDDPoleTimer == 0 && (gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oDDDPoleTimer) >= loopTime) {
-            o->oDDDPoleTimer = ((gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oDDDPoleTimer) / loopTime) * loopTime;
-            o->oTimer = 0;
-        }
+    u32 loopLength = (((u16)o->oDDDPoleMaxOffset / 10) + 20) * 2;
+    if ((gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oDDDPoleTimer) >= loopLength) {
+        u32 catchup = (gNetworkAreaTimer - o->oDDDPoleTimer) / loopLength;
+        catchup *= loopLength;
+        o->oDDDPoleTimer += catchup;
     }
 
     while (o->oDDDPoleTimer < gNetworkAreaTimer) {
diff --git a/src/pc/network/network.c b/src/pc/network/network.c
index 37490593d..e4c15c3c1 100644
--- a/src/pc/network/network.c
+++ b/src/pc/network/network.c
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ struct NetworkSystem* gNetworkSystem = &gNetworkSystemSocket;
 u16 networkLoadingLevel = 0;
 bool gNetworkAreaLoaded = false;
 bool gNetworkAreaSyncing = true;
-u32  gNetworkAreaTimer = 0;
+u32 gNetworkAreaTimerClock = 0;
+u32 gNetworkAreaTimer = 0;
 
 struct StringLinkedList gRegisteredMods = { 0 };
 
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ void network_on_init_area(void) {
     gNetworkAreaLoaded = false;
     gNetworkAreaSyncing = true;
     gNetworkAreaTimer = 0;
+    gNetworkAreaTimerClock = clock_elapsed_ticks();
 }
 
 void network_on_loaded_area(void) {
@@ -261,12 +263,10 @@ void network_update(void) {
         networkLoadingLevel++;
         if (!gNetworkAreaLoaded && networkLoadingLevel >= LOADING_LEVEL_THRESHOLD) {
             gNetworkAreaLoaded = true;
-            gNetworkAreaTimer = 0;
             network_on_loaded_area();
         }
-    } else if (gNetworkAreaLoaded) {
-        gNetworkAreaTimer++;
     }
+    gNetworkAreaTimer = (clock_elapsed_ticks() - gNetworkAreaTimerClock);
 
     // send out update packets
     if (gNetworkType != NT_NONE && network_player_any_connected()) {
diff --git a/src/pc/network/network.h b/src/pc/network/network.h
index 258d91c5d..4f9bdd30c 100644
--- a/src/pc/network/network.h
+++ b/src/pc/network/network.h
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ extern enum NetworkType gNetworkType;
 extern bool gNetworkAreaLoaded;
 extern bool gNetworkAreaSyncing;
 extern u32 gNetworkAreaTimer;
+extern u32 gNetworkAreaTimerClock;
 extern struct SyncObject gSyncObjects[];
 extern struct ServerSettings gServerSettings;
 extern struct StringLinkedList gRegisteredMods;
diff --git a/src/pc/network/packets/packet_area.c b/src/pc/network/packets/packet_area.c
index 864373d2b..8647e6324 100644
--- a/src/pc/network/packets/packet_area.c
+++ b/src/pc/network/packets/packet_area.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "object_constants.h"
 #include "object_fields.h"
 #include "model_ids.h"
+#include "pc/utils/misc.h"
 //#define DISABLE_MODULE_LOG 1
 #include "pc/debuglog.h"
 
@@ -140,6 +141,7 @@ void network_receive_area(struct Packet* p) {
 
     // read area variables
     packet_read(p, &gNetworkAreaTimer, sizeof(u32));
+    gNetworkAreaTimerClock = clock_elapsed_ticks() - gNetworkAreaTimer;
 
     // read removed sync ids
     area_remove_sync_ids_clear();
diff --git a/src/pc/utils/misc.c b/src/pc/utils/misc.c
index 3d3cfca8d..fdfab5c78 100644
--- a/src/pc/utils/misc.c
+++ b/src/pc/utils/misc.c
@@ -23,16 +23,27 @@ void update_all_mario_stars(void) {
     }
 }
 
-f32 clock_elapsed(void) {
+static u64 clock_elapsed_ns(void) {
     static bool sClockInitialized = false;
-    static struct timespec clock_start;
+    static u64 clock_start_ns;
     if (!sClockInitialized) {
+        struct timespec clock_start;
         clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &clock_start);
+        clock_start_ns = ((u64)clock_start.tv_sec) * 1000000000 + clock_start.tv_nsec;
         sClockInitialized = true;
     }
 
     struct timespec clock_current;
     clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &clock_current);
-    return (clock_current.tv_sec - clock_start.tv_sec)
-        + ((clock_current.tv_nsec - clock_start.tv_nsec) / 1000000000.0f);
+
+    u64 clock_current_ns = ((u64)clock_current.tv_sec) * 1000000000 + clock_current.tv_nsec;
+    return (clock_current_ns - clock_start_ns);
+}
+
+f32 clock_elapsed(void) {
+    return (clock_elapsed_ns() / 1000000000.0f);
+}
+
+u32 clock_elapsed_ticks(void) {
+    return (clock_elapsed_ns() * 3 / 100000000);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/pc/utils/misc.h b/src/pc/utils/misc.h
index 04bfd82a1..765e03052 100644
--- a/src/pc/utils/misc.h
+++ b/src/pc/utils/misc.h
@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@
 float smoothstep(float edge0, float edge1, float x);
 void update_all_mario_stars(void);
 f32 clock_elapsed(void);
+u32 clock_elapsed_ticks(void);
 
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file