diff --git a/include/serial/impl/unix-timespec.h b/include/serial/impl/unix-timespec.h
index 79c1d8c..dc642f6 100644
--- a/include/serial/impl/unix-timespec.h
+++ b/include/serial/impl/unix-timespec.h
@@ -38,20 +38,22 @@
 
 /*! Smooth over platform variances in getting an accurate timespec
  * representing the present moment. */ 
-static inline void
-get_time_now (struct timespec &time)
+static inline struct timespec
+get_time_now ()
 {
+  struct timespec ts;
 # ifdef __MACH__ // OS X does not have clock_gettime, use clock_get_time
   clock_serv_t cclock;
   mach_timespec_t mts;
   host_get_clock_service(mach_host_self(), CALENDAR_CLOCK, &cclock);
   clock_get_time(cclock, &mts);
   mach_port_deallocate(mach_task_self(), cclock);
-  time.tv_sec = mts.tv_sec;
-  time.tv_nsec = mts.tv_nsec;
+  ts.tv_sec = mts.tv_sec;
+  ts.tv_nsec = mts.tv_nsec;
 # else
-  clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &time);
+  clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &ts);
 # endif
+  return ts;
 }
 
 /*! Simple function to normalize the tv_nsec field to [0..1e9), carrying
diff --git a/src/impl/unix.cc b/src/impl/unix.cc
index 115f94f..9a502fb 100755
--- a/src/impl/unix.cc
+++ b/src/impl/unix.cc
@@ -438,12 +438,11 @@ Serial::SerialImpl::read (uint8_t *buf, size_t size)
     FD_ZERO (&readfds);
     FD_SET (fd_, &readfds);
     // Begin timing select
-    struct timespec start, end;
-    get_time_now (start);
+    struct timespec start(get_time_now());
     // Call select to block for serial data or a timeout
     int r = select (fd_ + 1, &readfds, NULL, NULL, &timeout);
     // Calculate difference and update the structure
-    get_time_now (end);
+    struct timespec end(get_time_now());
     // Calculate the time select took
     struct timespec diff(end - start);
 
@@ -535,14 +534,13 @@ Serial::SerialImpl::write (const uint8_t *data, size_t length)
     // does not occur.
 #if !defined(__linux__)
     // Begin timing select
-    struct timespec start, end;
-    get_time_now(start);
+    struct timespec start(get_time_now());
 #endif
     // Do the select
     int r = select (fd_ + 1, NULL, &writefds, NULL, &timeout);
 #if !defined(__linux__)
     // Calculate difference and update the structure
-    get_time_now(end);
+    struct timespec end(get_time_now());
     // Calculate the time select took
     struct timespec diff(end - start);
     // Update the timeout