diff --git a/common/cache/metricsScopeCache.go b/common/cache/metricsScopeCache.go
index a7e7a686c46..82b3bd6332f 100644
--- a/common/cache/metricsScopeCache.go
+++ b/common/cache/metricsScopeCache.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/uber/cadence/common"
+	"github.com/uber/cadence/common/clock"
 	"github.com/uber/cadence/common/metrics"
 )
 
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ type (
 		cache         atomic.Value
 		closeCh       chan struct{}
 		flushDuration time.Duration
+		timeSource    clock.TimeSource
 	}
 )
 
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ func NewDomainMetricsScopeCache() DomainMetricsScopeCache {
 		},
 		closeCh:       make(chan struct{}),
 		flushDuration: flushBufferedMetricsScopeDuration,
+		timeSource:    clock.NewRealTimeSource(),
 	}
 
 	mc.cache.Store(make(metricsScopeMap))
@@ -66,9 +69,11 @@ func NewDomainMetricsScopeCache() DomainMetricsScopeCache {
 }
 
 func (c *domainMetricsScopeCache) flushBufferedMetricsScope(flushDuration time.Duration) {
+	ticker := c.timeSource.NewTicker(flushDuration)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
 	for {
 		select {
-		case <-time.After(flushDuration):
+		case <-ticker.Chan():
 			c.buffer.Lock()
 			if len(c.buffer.bufferMap) > 0 {
 				scopeMap := make(metricsScopeMap)
diff --git a/service/history/engine/engineimpl/query_workflow.go b/service/history/engine/engineimpl/query_workflow.go
index 15fef7f42e8..623e138b955 100644
--- a/service/history/engine/engineimpl/query_workflow.go
+++ b/service/history/engine/engineimpl/query_workflow.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (e *historyEngineImpl) QueryWorkflow(
 	}
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(queryFirstDecisionTaskWaitTime)
 	for mutableStateResp.GetPreviousStartedEventID() <= 0 && time.Now().Before(deadline) {
-		<-time.After(queryFirstDecisionTaskCheckInterval)
+		time.Sleep(queryFirstDecisionTaskCheckInterval)
 		mutableStateResp, err = e.getMutableState(ctx, request.GetDomainUUID(), execution)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/service/history/queue/timer_queue_processor.go b/service/history/queue/timer_queue_processor.go
index 7ab0eaf3c61..329622bf608 100644
--- a/service/history/queue/timer_queue_processor.go
+++ b/service/history/queue/timer_queue_processor.go
@@ -401,6 +401,13 @@ func (t *timerQueueProcessor) completeTimerLoop() {
 	completeTimer := time.NewTimer(t.config.TimerProcessorCompleteTimerInterval())
 	defer completeTimer.Stop()
 
+	// Create a retryTimer once, and reset it as needed
+	retryTimer := time.NewTimer(0)
+	defer retryTimer.Stop()
+	// Stop it immediately because we don't want it to fire initially
+	if !retryTimer.Stop() {
+		<-retryTimer.C
+	}
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-t.shutdownChan:
@@ -425,11 +432,15 @@ func (t *timerQueueProcessor) completeTimerLoop() {
 					return
 				}
 
+				// Reset the retryTimer for the delay between attempts
+				// TODO: the first retry has 0 backoff, revisit it to see if it's expected
+				retryDuration := time.Duration(attempt*100) * time.Millisecond
+				retryTimer.Reset(retryDuration)
 				select {
 				case <-t.shutdownChan:
 					t.drain()
 					return
-				case <-time.After(time.Duration(attempt*100) * time.Millisecond):
+				case <-retryTimer.C:
 					// do nothing. retry loop will continue
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/service/history/queue/transfer_queue_processor.go b/service/history/queue/transfer_queue_processor.go
index 02af6cf2e2e..5ff660acc19 100644
--- a/service/history/queue/transfer_queue_processor.go
+++ b/service/history/queue/transfer_queue_processor.go
@@ -363,6 +363,14 @@ func (t *transferQueueProcessor) completeTransferLoop() {
 	completeTimer := time.NewTimer(t.config.TransferProcessorCompleteTransferInterval())
 	defer completeTimer.Stop()
 
+	// Create a retryTimer once, and reset it as needed
+	retryTimer := time.NewTimer(0)
+	defer retryTimer.Stop()
+	// Stop it immediately because we don't want it to fire initially
+	if !retryTimer.Stop() {
+		<-retryTimer.C
+	}
+
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-t.shutdownChan:
@@ -387,12 +395,15 @@ func (t *transferQueueProcessor) completeTransferLoop() {
 					t.Stop()
 					return
 				}
-
+				// Reset the retryTimer for the delay between attempts
+				// TODO: the first retry has 0 backoff, revisit it to see if it's expected
+				retryDuration := time.Duration(attempt*100) * time.Millisecond
+				retryTimer.Reset(retryDuration)
 				select {
 				case <-t.shutdownChan:
 					t.drain()
 					return
-				case <-time.After(time.Duration(attempt*100) * time.Millisecond):
+				case <-retryTimer.C:
 					// do nothing. retry loop will continue
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/service/worker/scanner/tasklist/scavenger.go b/service/worker/scanner/tasklist/scavenger.go
index 353e3d47060..1c26ff46fa8 100644
--- a/service/worker/scanner/tasklist/scavenger.go
+++ b/service/worker/scanner/tasklist/scavenger.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/uber/cadence/common"
 	"github.com/uber/cadence/common/cache"
+	"github.com/uber/cadence/common/clock"
 	"github.com/uber/cadence/common/dynamicconfig"
 	"github.com/uber/cadence/common/log"
 	"github.com/uber/cadence/common/log/tag"
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ type (
 		maxTasksPerJobFn         dynamicconfig.IntPropertyFn
 		cleanOrphans             dynamicconfig.BoolPropertyFn
 		pollInterval             time.Duration
+		timeSource               clock.TimeSource
 
 		// stopC is used to signal the scavenger to stop
 		stopC chan struct{}
@@ -178,6 +180,7 @@ func NewScavenger(
 		pollInterval:             pollInterval,
 		maxTasksPerJobFn:         maxTasksPerJobFn,
 		getOrphanTasksPageSizeFn: getOrphanTasksPageSize,
+		timeSource:               clock.NewRealTimeSource(),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -257,9 +260,11 @@ func (s *Scavenger) process(taskListInfo *p.TaskListInfo) executor.TaskStatus {
 
 func (s *Scavenger) awaitExecutor() {
 	outstanding := s.executor.TaskCount()
+	ticker := s.timeSource.NewTicker(s.pollInterval)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
 	for outstanding > 0 {
 		select {
-		case <-time.After(s.pollInterval):
+		case <-ticker.Chan():
 			outstanding = s.executor.TaskCount()
 			s.scope.UpdateGauge(metrics.TaskListOutstandingCount, float64(outstanding))
 		case <-s.stopC: