diff --git a/include/minix/com.h b/include/minix/com.h
index 5faacbec0..f6abc64e2 100644
--- a/include/minix/com.h
+++ b/include/minix/com.h
@@ -300,11 +300,6 @@
 #define DIO_PORT	m2_l1	/* single port address */
 #define DIO_VALUE	m2_l2	/* single I/O value */
 
-/* Field names for SYS_SETALARM. */
-#define ALRM_EXP_TIME   m2_l1	/* expire time for the alarm call */
-#define ALRM_ABS_TIME   m2_i2	/* set to 1 to use absolute alarm time */
-#define ALRM_TIME_LEFT  m2_l1	/* how many ticks were remaining */
-
 /* Field names for SYS_IRQCTL. */
 #define IRQ_REQUEST     m5_s1	/* what to do? */
 #  define IRQ_SETPOLICY     1	/* manage a slot of the IRQ table */
diff --git a/include/minix/ipc.h b/include/minix/ipc.h
index dfae34d2c..d64a7dac5 100644
--- a/include/minix/ipc.h
+++ b/include/minix/ipc.h
@@ -712,6 +712,15 @@ typedef struct {
 } mess_lsys_krn_sys_sdevio;
 _ASSERT_MSG_SIZE(mess_lsys_krn_sys_sdevio);
 
+typedef struct {
+	clock_t exp_time;
+	clock_t time_left;
+	int abs_time;
+
+	uint8_t padding[44];
+} mess_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm;
+_ASSERT_MSG_SIZE(mess_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm);
+
 typedef struct {
 	int request;
 	int vec_size;
@@ -1456,6 +1465,7 @@ typedef struct {
 		mess_lsys_krn_schedule	m_lsys_krn_schedule;
 		mess_lsys_krn_sys_memset m_lsys_krn_sys_memset;
 		mess_lsys_krn_sys_sdevio m_lsys_krn_sys_sdevio;
+		mess_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm;
 		mess_lsys_krn_sys_vdevio m_lsys_krn_sys_vdevio;
 
 		mess_lsys_pci_busc_get_bar m_lsys_pci_busc_get_bar;
diff --git a/kernel/system/do_setalarm.c b/kernel/system/do_setalarm.c
index fe065ccbc..ec1625be4 100644
--- a/kernel/system/do_setalarm.c
+++ b/kernel/system/do_setalarm.c
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
  *   m_type:	SYS_SETALARM 
  *
  * The parameters for this kernel call are:
- *    m2_l1:	ALRM_EXP_TIME		(alarm's expiration time)
- *    m2_i2:	ALRM_ABS_TIME		(expiration time is absolute?)
- *    m2_l1:	ALRM_TIME_LEFT		(return seconds left of previous)
+ *    m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.exp_time		(alarm's expiration time)
+ *    m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.abs_time		(expiration time is absolute?)
+ *    m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.time_left		(return seconds left of previous)
  */
 
 #include "kernel/system.h"
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ int do_setalarm(struct proc * caller, message * m_ptr)
 /* A process requests a synchronous alarm, or wants to cancel its alarm. */
   long exp_time;		/* expiration time for this alarm */
   int use_abs_time;		/* use absolute or relative time */
-  minix_timer_t *tp;			/* the process' timer structure */
+  minix_timer_t *tp;		/* the process' timer structure */
   clock_t uptime;		/* placeholder for current uptime */
 
   /* Extract shared parameters from the request message. */
-  exp_time = m_ptr->ALRM_EXP_TIME;	/* alarm's expiration time */
-  use_abs_time = m_ptr->ALRM_ABS_TIME;	/* flag for absolute time */
+  exp_time = m_ptr->m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.exp_time;		/* alarm's expiration time */
+  use_abs_time = m_ptr->m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.abs_time;	/* flag for absolute time */
   if (! (priv(caller)->s_flags & SYS_PROC)) return(EPERM);
 
   /* Get the timer structure and set the parameters for this alarm. */
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ int do_setalarm(struct proc * caller, message * m_ptr)
   /* Return the ticks left on the previous alarm. */
   uptime = get_monotonic(); 
   if ((tp->tmr_exp_time != TMR_NEVER) && (uptime < tp->tmr_exp_time) ) {
-      m_ptr->ALRM_TIME_LEFT = (tp->tmr_exp_time - uptime);
+      m_ptr->m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.time_left = (tp->tmr_exp_time - uptime);
   } else {
-      m_ptr->ALRM_TIME_LEFT = 0;
+      m_ptr->m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.time_left = 0;
   }
 
   /* Finally, (re)set the timer depending on the expiration time. */
diff --git a/lib/libsys/sys_setalarm.c b/lib/libsys/sys_setalarm.c
index 39d601732..935e75154 100644
--- a/lib/libsys/sys_setalarm.c
+++ b/lib/libsys/sys_setalarm.c
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ int abs_time;		/* use absolute or relative expiration time */
  * number can be SELF if the caller doesn't know its process number.
  */
     message m;
-    m.ALRM_EXP_TIME = exp_time;		/* the expiration time */
-    m.ALRM_ABS_TIME = abs_time;		/* time is absolute? */
+    m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.exp_time = exp_time; /* the expiration time */
+    m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.abs_time = abs_time; /* time is absolute? */
     return _kernel_call(SYS_SETALARM, &m);
 }
-
diff --git a/lib/libsys/tickdelay.c b/lib/libsys/tickdelay.c
index 1f5d50b93..4b87f2c3a 100644
--- a/lib/libsys/tickdelay.c
+++ b/lib/libsys/tickdelay.c
@@ -17,25 +17,24 @@ int tickdelay(clock_t ticks)
 
     if (ticks <= 0) return OK;		/* check for robustness */
 
-    m.ALRM_EXP_TIME = ticks;		/* request message after ticks */
-    m.ALRM_ABS_TIME = 0;		/* ticks are relative to now */
+    m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.exp_time = ticks;	/* request message after ticks */
+    m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.abs_time = 0;	/* ticks are relative to now */
     s = _kernel_call(SYS_SETALARM, &m);
     if (s != OK) return(s);
 
     sef_receive(CLOCK,&m_alarm);		/* await synchronous alarm */
 
     /* Check if we must reschedule the current alarm. */
-    if (m.ALRM_TIME_LEFT > 0 && m.ALRM_TIME_LEFT != TMR_NEVER) {
-    	m.ALRM_EXP_TIME = m.ALRM_TIME_LEFT - ticks;
-    	if (m.ALRM_EXP_TIME <= 0) 
-    		m.ALRM_EXP_TIME = 1;
+    if (m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.time_left > 0 &&
+		m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.time_left != TMR_NEVER) {
+
+	m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.exp_time =
+		m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.time_left - ticks;
+
+	if (m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.exp_time <= 0)
+		m.m_lsys_krn_sys_setalarm.exp_time = 1;
     	s = _kernel_call(SYS_SETALARM, &m);
     }
 
     return(s);
 }
-
-
-
-
-