diff --git a/include/zmq.h b/include/zmq.h
index 6cdf68f1..a3dc7818 100644
--- a/include/zmq.h
+++ b/include/zmq.h
@@ -232,23 +232,6 @@ ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_poll (zmq_pollitem_t *items, int nitems, long timeout);
 
 ZMQ_EXPORT int zmq_device (int device, void * insocket, void* outsocket);
 
-/******************************************************************************/
-/*  Helper functions.                                                         */
-/******************************************************************************/
-
-/*  Helper functions are used by perf tests so that they don't have to care   */
-/*  about minutiae of time-related functions on different OS platforms.       */
-
-/*  Starts the stopwatch. Returns the handle to the watch.                    */
-ZMQ_EXPORT void *zmq_stopwatch_start ();
-
-/*  Stops the stopwatch. Returns the number of microseconds elapsed since     */
-/*  the stopwatch was started.                                                */
-ZMQ_EXPORT unsigned long zmq_stopwatch_stop (void *watch_);
-
-/*  Sleeps for specified number of seconds.                                   */
-ZMQ_EXPORT void zmq_sleep (int seconds_);
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/perf/Makefile.am b/perf/Makefile.am
index bf3dde96..323c91a0 100644
--- a/perf/Makefile.am
+++ b/perf/Makefile.am
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_builddir)/include
 
 noinst_PROGRAMS = local_lat remote_lat local_thr remote_thr
+EXTRA_DIST = helpers.h
 
 local_lat_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libzmq.la
-local_lat_SOURCES = local_lat.cpp
+local_lat_SOURCES = local_lat.cpp helpers.cpp
 
 remote_lat_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libzmq.la
-remote_lat_SOURCES = remote_lat.cpp
+remote_lat_SOURCES = remote_lat.cpp helpers.cpp
 
 local_thr_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libzmq.la
-local_thr_SOURCES = local_thr.cpp
+local_thr_SOURCES = local_thr.cpp helpers.cpp
 
 remote_thr_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libzmq.la
-remote_thr_SOURCES = remote_thr.cpp
+remote_thr_SOURCES = remote_thr.cpp helpers.cpp
diff --git a/perf/helpers.cpp b/perf/helpers.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..71a38e21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perf/helpers.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+/*
+    Copyright (c) 2007-2010 iMatix Corporation
+
+    This file is part of 0MQ.
+
+    0MQ is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+    the terms of the Lesser GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    0MQ is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    Lesser GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the Lesser GNU General Public License
+    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#ifdef _WIN32
+#   include <windows.h>
+#else
+#   include <sys/time.h>
+#   include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+#include "../src/stdint.hpp"
+
+#ifdef _WIN32
+
+static uint64_t now ()
+{    
+    //  Get the high resolution counter's accuracy.
+    LARGE_INTEGER ticksPerSecond;
+    QueryPerformanceFrequency (&ticksPerSecond);
+
+    //  What time is it?
+    LARGE_INTEGER tick;
+    QueryPerformanceCounter (&tick);
+
+    //  Convert the tick number into the number of seconds
+    //  since the system was started.
+    double ticks_div = (double) (ticksPerSecond.QuadPart / 1000000);     
+    return (uint64_t) (tick.QuadPart / ticks_div);
+}
+
+void perf_sleep (int seconds_)
+{
+    Sleep (seconds_ * 1000);
+}
+
+#else /* not _WIN32 */
+
+static uint64_t now ()
+{
+    struct timeval tv;
+    int rc;
+
+    rc = gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
+    assert (rc == 0);
+    return (tv.tv_sec * (uint64_t) 1000000 + tv.tv_usec);
+}
+
+void perf_sleep (int seconds_)
+{
+    sleep (seconds_);
+}
+
+#endif /* _WIN32 */
+
+void *stopwatch_start ()
+{
+    uint64_t *watch = (uint64_t*) malloc (sizeof (uint64_t));
+    assert (watch);
+    *watch = now ();
+    return (void*) watch;
+}
+
+unsigned long stopwatch_stop (void *watch_)
+{
+    uint64_t end = now ();
+    uint64_t start = *(uint64_t*) watch_;
+    free (watch_);
+    return (unsigned long) (end - start);
+}
diff --git a/perf/helpers.h b/perf/helpers.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b790f59a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/perf/helpers.h
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/*
+    Copyright (c) 2007-2010 iMatix Corporation
+
+    This file is part of 0MQ.
+
+    0MQ is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+    the terms of the Lesser GNU General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    0MQ is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    Lesser GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the Lesser GNU General Public License
+    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+#ifndef __HELPERS_H_INCLUDED__
+#define __HELPERS_H_INCLUDED__
+
+/******************************************************************************/
+/*  Helper functions.                                                         */
+/******************************************************************************/
+
+/*  Helper functions are used by perf tests so that they don't have to care   */
+/*  about minutiae of time-related functions on different OS platforms.       */
+
+/*  Starts the stopwatch. Returns the handle to the watch.                    */
+void *stopwatch_start ();
+
+/*  Stops the stopwatch. Returns the number of microseconds elapsed since     */
+/*  the stopwatch was started.                                                */
+unsigned long stopwatch_stop (void *watch_);
+
+/*  Sleeps for specified number of seconds.                                   */
+void perf_sleep (int seconds_);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/perf/local_lat.cpp b/perf/local_lat.cpp
index 9297137a..4cfb155d 100644
--- a/perf/local_lat.cpp
+++ b/perf/local_lat.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "../include/zmq.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include "helpers.h"
 
 int main (int argc, char *argv [])
 {
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv [])
         return -1;
     }
 
-    zmq_sleep (1);
+    perf_sleep (1);
 
     rc = zmq_close (s);
     if (rc != 0) {
diff --git a/perf/local_thr.cpp b/perf/local_thr.cpp
index b612157d..42b3ec75 100644
--- a/perf/local_thr.cpp
+++ b/perf/local_thr.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "../include/zmq.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include "helpers.h"
 
 int main (int argc, char *argv [])
 {
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv [])
         return -1;
     }
 
-    watch = zmq_stopwatch_start ();
+    watch = stopwatch_start ();
 
     for (i = 0; i != message_count - 1; i++) {
         rc = zmq_recv (s, &msg, 0);
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv [])
         }
     }
 
-    elapsed = zmq_stopwatch_stop (watch);
+    elapsed = stopwatch_stop (watch);
     if (elapsed == 0)
         elapsed = 1;
 
diff --git a/perf/remote_lat.cpp b/perf/remote_lat.cpp
index df18b562..1a408f1e 100644
--- a/perf/remote_lat.cpp
+++ b/perf/remote_lat.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include "helpers.h"
 
 int main (int argc, char *argv [])
 {
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv [])
     }
     memset (zmq_msg_data (&msg), 0, message_size);
 
-    watch = zmq_stopwatch_start ();
+    watch = stopwatch_start ();
 
     for (i = 0; i != roundtrip_count; i++) {
         rc = zmq_send (s, &msg, 0);
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv [])
         }
     }
 
-    elapsed = zmq_stopwatch_stop (watch);
+    elapsed = stopwatch_stop (watch);
 
     rc = zmq_msg_close (&msg);
     if (rc != 0) {
diff --git a/perf/remote_thr.cpp b/perf/remote_thr.cpp
index 1ddee4b0..99fa482c 100644
--- a/perf/remote_thr.cpp
+++ b/perf/remote_thr.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "../include/zmq.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include "helpers.h"
 
 int main (int argc, char *argv [])
 {
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv [])
         }
     }
 
-    zmq_sleep (10);
+    perf_sleep (10);
 
     rc = zmq_close (s);
     if (rc != 0) {
diff --git a/src/zmq.cpp b/src/zmq.cpp
index 5f0b8ea0..c32fd65b 100644
--- a/src/zmq.cpp
+++ b/src/zmq.cpp
@@ -663,61 +663,3 @@ int zmq_device (int device_, void *insocket_, void *outsocket_)
         return EINVAL;
     }
 }
-
-#if defined ZMQ_HAVE_WINDOWS
-
-static uint64_t now ()
-{    
-    //  Get the high resolution counter's accuracy.
-    LARGE_INTEGER ticksPerSecond;
-    QueryPerformanceFrequency (&ticksPerSecond);
-
-    //  What time is it?
-    LARGE_INTEGER tick;
-    QueryPerformanceCounter (&tick);
-
-    //  Convert the tick number into the number of seconds
-    //  since the system was started.
-    double ticks_div = (double) (ticksPerSecond.QuadPart / 1000000);     
-    return (uint64_t) (tick.QuadPart / ticks_div);
-}
-
-void zmq_sleep (int seconds_)
-{
-    Sleep (seconds_ * 1000);
-}
-
-#else
-
-static uint64_t now ()
-{
-    struct timeval tv;
-    int rc;
-
-    rc = gettimeofday (&tv, NULL);
-    assert (rc == 0);
-    return (tv.tv_sec * (uint64_t) 1000000 + tv.tv_usec);
-}
-
-void zmq_sleep (int seconds_)
-{
-    sleep (seconds_);
-}
-
-#endif
-
-void *zmq_stopwatch_start ()
-{
-    uint64_t *watch = (uint64_t*) malloc (sizeof (uint64_t));
-    zmq_assert (watch);
-    *watch = now ();
-    return (void*) watch;
-}
-
-unsigned long zmq_stopwatch_stop (void *watch_)
-{
-    uint64_t end = now ();
-    uint64_t start = *(uint64_t*) watch_;
-    free (watch_);
-    return (unsigned long) (end - start);
-}