diff --git a/ack_timer.go b/ack_timer.go
index 3d9b43e0..4e5494da 100644
--- a/ack_timer.go
+++ b/ack_timer.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package sctp
 
 import (
+	"math"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -17,22 +18,32 @@ type ackTimerObserver interface {
 	onAckTimeout()
 }
 
+type ackTimerState int
+
+const (
+	ackTimerStopped ackTimerState = iota
+	ackTimerStarted
+	ackTimerClosed
+)
+
 // ackTimer provides the retnransmission timer conforms with RFC 4960 Sec 6.3.1
 type ackTimer struct {
 	observer ackTimerObserver
-	interval time.Duration
-	stopFunc stopAckTimerLoop
-	closed   bool
 	mutex    sync.RWMutex
+	state    ackTimerState
+	timer    *time.Timer
+	cancel   chan struct{}
 }
 
-type stopAckTimerLoop func()
-
 // newAckTimer creates a new acknowledgement timer used to enable delayed ack.
 func newAckTimer(observer ackTimerObserver) *ackTimer {
+	timer := time.NewTimer(math.MaxInt64)
+	timer.Stop()
+
 	return &ackTimer{
 		observer: observer,
-		interval: ackInterval,
+		timer:    timer,
+		cancel:   make(chan struct{}, 1),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -41,34 +52,43 @@ func (t *ackTimer) start() bool {
 	t.mutex.Lock()
 	defer t.mutex.Unlock()
 
-	// this timer is already closed
-	if t.closed {
+	// this timer is already closed or already running
+	if t.state != ackTimerStopped {
 		return false
 	}
-
-	// this is a noop if the timer is already running
-	if t.stopFunc != nil {
-		return false
+	t.state = ackTimerStarted
+
+	select {
+	case <-t.cancel:
+		// the state thrashed from started to stopped and back to started. there
+		// is already a goroutine starting from an earlier call to start
+		return true
+	default:
 	}
 
-	cancelCh := make(chan struct{})
-
 	go func() {
-		timer := time.NewTimer(t.interval)
+		t.timer.Reset(ackInterval)
 
 		select {
-		case <-timer.C:
-			t.stop()
-			t.observer.onAckTimeout()
-		case <-cancelCh:
-			timer.Stop()
+		case <-t.timer.C:
+			t.mutex.Lock()
+			switch t.state {
+			case ackTimerStopped:
+				// if the timer is already stopped empty the cancel channel
+				<-t.cancel
+			case ackTimerStarted:
+				t.state = ackTimerStopped
+				defer t.observer.onAckTimeout()
+			case ackTimerClosed:
+			}
+			t.mutex.Unlock()
+		case <-t.cancel:
+			if !t.timer.Stop() {
+				<-t.timer.C
+			}
 		}
 	}()
 
-	t.stopFunc = func() {
-		close(cancelCh)
-	}
-
 	return true
 }
 
@@ -78,9 +98,9 @@ func (t *ackTimer) stop() {
 	t.mutex.Lock()
 	defer t.mutex.Unlock()
 
-	if t.stopFunc != nil {
-		t.stopFunc()
-		t.stopFunc = nil
+	if t.state == ackTimerStarted {
+		t.cancel <- struct{}{}
+		t.state = ackTimerStopped
 	}
 }
 
@@ -90,12 +110,10 @@ func (t *ackTimer) close() {
 	t.mutex.Lock()
 	defer t.mutex.Unlock()
 
-	if t.stopFunc != nil {
-		t.stopFunc()
-		t.stopFunc = nil
+	if t.state == ackTimerStarted {
+		t.cancel <- struct{}{}
 	}
-
-	t.closed = true
+	t.state = ackTimerClosed
 }
 
 // isRunning tests if the timer is running.
@@ -104,5 +122,5 @@ func (t *ackTimer) isRunning() bool {
 	t.mutex.RLock()
 	defer t.mutex.RUnlock()
 
-	return (t.stopFunc != nil)
+	return t.state == ackTimerStarted
 }
diff --git a/ack_timer_test.go b/ack_timer_test.go
index 145b6cde..575b3ecc 100644
--- a/ack_timer_test.go
+++ b/ack_timer_test.go
@@ -70,14 +70,16 @@ func TestAckTimer(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		})
 
-		// should start ok
-		ok := rt.start()
-		assert.True(t, ok, "start() should succeed")
-		assert.True(t, rt.isRunning(), "should be running")
+		for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
+			// should start ok
+			ok := rt.start()
+			assert.True(t, ok, "start() should succeed")
+			assert.True(t, rt.isRunning(), "should be running")
 
-		// stop immedidately
-		rt.stop()
-		assert.False(t, rt.isRunning(), "should not be running")
+			// stop immedidately
+			rt.stop()
+			assert.False(t, rt.isRunning(), "should not be running")
+		}
 
 		// Sleep more than 200msec of interval to test if it never times out
 		time.Sleep(ackInterval + 50*time.Millisecond)
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ func TestAckTimer(t *testing.T) {
 			"should not be timed out (actual: %d)", atomic.LoadUint32(&nCbs))
 
 		// can start again
-		ok = rt.start()
+		ok := rt.start()
 		assert.True(t, ok, "start() should succeed again")
 		assert.True(t, rt.isRunning(), "should be running")
 
diff --git a/rtx_timer.go b/rtx_timer.go
index 42848abc..354825b5 100644
--- a/rtx_timer.go
+++ b/rtx_timer.go
@@ -175,9 +175,12 @@ func (t *rtxTimer) start(rto float64) bool {
 	go func() {
 		canceling := false
 
+		timer := time.NewTimer(math.MaxInt64)
+		timer.Stop()
+
 		for !canceling {
 			timeout := calculateNextTimeout(rto, nRtos, t.rtoMax)
-			timer := time.NewTimer(time.Duration(timeout) * time.Millisecond)
+			timer.Reset(time.Duration(timeout) * time.Millisecond)
 
 			select {
 			case <-timer.C: