diff --git a/cmd/micro/initlua.go b/cmd/micro/initlua.go
index 5acb979d..77349caa 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/initlua.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/initlua.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"log"
+	"time"
 
 	lua "github.com/yuin/gopher-lua"
 	luar "layeh.com/gopher-luar"
@@ -54,7 +55,11 @@ func luaImportMicro() *lua.LTable {
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "Tabs", luar.New(ulua.L, func() *action.TabList {
 		return action.Tabs
 	}))
-	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "Lock", luar.New(ulua.L, &ulua.Lock))
+	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "After", luar.New(ulua.L, func(t time.Duration, f func()) {
+		time.AfterFunc(t, func() {
+			timerChan <- f
+		})
+	}))
 
 	return pkg
 }
diff --git a/cmd/micro/micro.go b/cmd/micro/micro.go
index a90d7e7a..178ad4f2 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/micro.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/micro.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/v2/internal/buffer"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/v2/internal/clipboard"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/v2/internal/config"
-	ulua "github.com/zyedidia/micro/v2/internal/lua"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/v2/internal/screen"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/v2/internal/shell"
 	"github.com/zyedidia/micro/v2/internal/util"
@@ -46,6 +45,8 @@ var (
 
 	sigterm chan os.Signal
 	sighup  chan os.Signal
+
+	timerChan chan func()
 )
 
 func InitFlags() {
@@ -365,6 +366,8 @@ func main() {
 	signal.Notify(sigterm, syscall.SIGTERM, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGQUIT, syscall.SIGABRT)
 	signal.Notify(sighup, syscall.SIGHUP)
 
+	timerChan = make(chan func())
+
 	// Here is the event loop which runs in a separate thread
 	go func() {
 		for {
@@ -415,21 +418,19 @@ func DoEvent() {
 	select {
 	case f := <-shell.Jobs:
 		// If a new job has finished while running in the background we should execute the callback
-		ulua.Lock.Lock()
 		f.Function(f.Output, f.Args)
-		ulua.Lock.Unlock()
 	case <-config.Autosave:
-		ulua.Lock.Lock()
 		for _, b := range buffer.OpenBuffers {
 			b.Save()
 		}
-		ulua.Lock.Unlock()
 	case <-shell.CloseTerms:
 	case event = <-screen.Events:
 	case <-screen.DrawChan():
 		for len(screen.DrawChan()) > 0 {
 			<-screen.DrawChan()
 		}
+	case f := <-timerChan:
+		f()
 	case <-sighup:
 		for _, b := range buffer.OpenBuffers {
 			if !b.Modified() {
@@ -473,12 +474,10 @@ func DoEvent() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	ulua.Lock.Lock()
 	_, resize := event.(*tcell.EventResize)
 	if action.InfoBar.HasPrompt && !resize {
 		action.InfoBar.HandleEvent(event)
 	} else {
 		action.Tabs.HandleEvent(event)
 	}
-	ulua.Lock.Unlock()
 }
diff --git a/internal/lua/lua.go b/internal/lua/lua.go
index 3ce9472f..e17f2a66 100644
--- a/internal/lua/lua.go
+++ b/internal/lua/lua.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 	"time"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 var L *lua.LState
-var Lock sync.Mutex
 
 // LoadFile loads a lua file
 func LoadFile(module string, file string, data []byte) error {
@@ -523,21 +521,16 @@ func importErrors() *lua.LTable {
 func importTime() *lua.LTable {
 	pkg := L.NewTable()
 
-	L.SetField(pkg, "After", luar.New(L, time.After))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Sleep", luar.New(L, time.Sleep))
-	L.SetField(pkg, "Tick", luar.New(L, time.Tick))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Since", luar.New(L, time.Since))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "FixedZone", luar.New(L, time.FixedZone))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "LoadLocation", luar.New(L, time.LoadLocation))
-	L.SetField(pkg, "NewTicker", luar.New(L, time.NewTicker))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Date", luar.New(L, time.Date))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Now", luar.New(L, time.Now))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Parse", luar.New(L, time.Parse))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "ParseDuration", luar.New(L, time.ParseDuration))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "ParseInLocation", luar.New(L, time.ParseInLocation))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Unix", luar.New(L, time.Unix))
-	L.SetField(pkg, "AfterFunc", luar.New(L, time.AfterFunc))
-	L.SetField(pkg, "NewTimer", luar.New(L, time.NewTimer))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Nanosecond", luar.New(L, time.Nanosecond))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Microsecond", luar.New(L, time.Microsecond))
 	L.SetField(pkg, "Millisecond", luar.New(L, time.Millisecond))
diff --git a/runtime/help/plugins.md b/runtime/help/plugins.md
index 19dd0c3e..497f623d 100644
--- a/runtime/help/plugins.md
+++ b/runtime/help/plugins.md
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ The packages and functions are listed below (in Go type signatures):
        current pane is not a BufPane.
 
     - `CurTab() *Tab`: returns the current tab.
+
+    - `After(t time.Duration, f func())`: run function `f` in the background
+       after time `t` elapses. See https://pkg.go.dev/time#Duration for the
+       usage of `time.Duration`.
+
 * `micro/config`
 	- `MakeCommand(name string, action func(bp *BufPane, args[]string),
                    completer buffer.Completer)`: