diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/RefineServlet.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/RefineServlet.java
index 50bf557aa..4e0a09d09 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/RefineServlet.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/RefineServlet.java
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Timer;
-import java.util.TimerTask;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import javax.servlet.ServletException;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
@@ -80,23 +81,19 @@ public class RefineServlet extends Butterfly {
     static final private Map<String, Command> commands = new HashMap<String, Command>();
 
     // timer for periodically saving projects
-    static private Timer _timer = new Timer("autosave");
+    static private ScheduledExecutorService service = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
 
     static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger("refine");
 
-    static final protected long s_autoSavePeriod = 1000 * 60 * 5; // 5 minutes
+    static final protected long AUTOSAVE_PERIOD = 5; // 5 minutes
     
-    static protected class AutoSaveTimerTask extends TimerTask {
+    static protected class AutoSaveTimerTask implements Runnable {
         @Override
         public void run() {
             try {
                 ProjectManager.singleton.save(false); // quick, potentially incomplete save
-            } finally {
-                if (_timer != null) {
-                    _timer.schedule(new AutoSaveTimerTask(), s_autoSavePeriod);
-                    // we don't use scheduleAtFixedRate because that might result in
-                    // bunched up events when the computer is put in sleep mode
-                }
+            } catch (final Throwable e) {
+                // Not the best, but we REALLY want this to keep trying
             }
         }
     }
@@ -134,7 +131,8 @@ public class RefineServlet extends Butterfly {
         FileProjectManager.initialize(s_dataDir);
         ImportingManager.initialize(this);
 
-        _timer.schedule(new AutoSaveTimerTask(), s_autoSavePeriod);
+        service.scheduleWithFixedDelay(new AutoSaveTimerTask(), AUTOSAVE_PERIOD, 
+                AUTOSAVE_PERIOD, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
 
         logger.trace("< initialize");
     }
diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/importing/ImportingManager.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/importing/ImportingManager.java
index 3752c7b9f..2111a1af6 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/importing/ImportingManager.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/importing/ImportingManager.java
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ package com.google.refine.importing;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -43,8 +45,9 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
-import java.util.Timer;
-import java.util.TimerTask;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import org.apache.commons.io.FileUtils;
 import org.json.JSONException;
@@ -104,29 +107,25 @@ public class ImportingManager {
     final static public Map<String, ImportingController> controllers = new HashMap<String, ImportingController>();
     
     // timer for periodically deleting stale importing jobs
-    static private Timer _timer;
+    static private ScheduledExecutorService service;
 
-    final static private long s_timerPeriod = 1000 * 60 * 10; // 10 minutes
-    final static private long s_stalePeriod = 1000 * 60 * 60; // 60 minutes
+    final static private long TIMER_PERIOD = 10; // 10 minutes
+    final static private long STALE_PERIOD = 60; // 60 minutes
     
-    static private class CleaningTimerTask extends TimerTask {
+    static private class CleaningTimerTask implements Runnable {
         @Override
         public void run() {
-            try {
-                cleanUpStaleJobs();
-            } finally {
-                _timer.schedule(new CleaningTimerTask(), s_timerPeriod);
-                // we don't use scheduleAtFixedRate because that might result in
-                // bunched up events when the computer is put in sleep mode
-            }
+            // An exception here will keep future runs of this task from happening, 
+            // but won't affect other timer tasks
+            cleanUpStaleJobs();
         }
     }
     
     static public void initialize(RefineServlet servlet) {
         ImportingManager.servlet = servlet;
         
-        _timer = new Timer("autosave");
-        _timer.schedule(new CleaningTimerTask(), s_timerPeriod);
+        service =  Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        service.scheduleWithFixedDelay(new CleaningTimerTask(), TIMER_PERIOD, TIMER_PERIOD, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
     }
     
     static public void registerFormat(String format, String label) {
@@ -289,13 +288,13 @@ public class ImportingManager {
     
     static private void cleanUpStaleJobs() {
         long now = System.currentTimeMillis();
-        HashSet<Long> keys;
+        Collection<Long> keys;
         synchronized(jobs) {
-            keys = new HashSet<Long>(jobs.keySet());
+            keys = new ArrayList<Long>(jobs.keySet());
         }
         for (Long id : keys) {
             ImportingJob job = jobs.get(id);
-            if (job != null && !job.updating && now - job.lastTouched > s_stalePeriod) {
+            if (job != null && !job.updating && now - job.lastTouched > STALE_PERIOD) {
                 job.dispose();
                 jobs.remove(id);
                 logger.info("Disposed " + id);