Index: libcfa/src/concurrency/io.cfa
===================================================================
--- libcfa/src/concurrency/io.cfa	(revision 33e4968e2b4f6edd578608d8c459a3f3d2cf9479)
+++ libcfa/src/concurrency/io.cfa	(revision 31c967b40fdb700cadb78ef6b9488cfa9dea77f2)
@@ -243,6 +243,6 @@
 				/* paranoid */ verify( io.tscs[target].t.tv != ULLONG_MAX );
 				HELP: if(target < ctxs_count) {
-					const unsigned long long cutoff = calc_cutoff(ctsc, ctx->cq.id, ctxs_count, io.data, io.tscs, __shard_factor.io, false);
-					const unsigned long long age = moving_average(ctsc, io.tscs[target].t.tv, io.tscs[target].t.ma, false);
+					const __readyQ_avg_t cutoff = calc_cutoff(ctsc, ctx->cq.id, ctxs_count, io.data, io.tscs, __shard_factor.io, false);
+					const __readyQ_avg_t age = moving_average(ctsc, io.tscs[target].t.tv, io.tscs[target].t.ma, false);
 					__cfadbg_print_safe(io, "Kernel I/O: Help attempt on %u from %u, age %'llu vs cutoff %'llu, %s\n", target, ctx->cq.id, age, cutoff, age > cutoff ? "yes" : "no");
 					if(age <= cutoff) break HELP;
Index: libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel.hfa
===================================================================
--- libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel.hfa	(revision 33e4968e2b4f6edd578608d8c459a3f3d2cf9479)
+++ libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel.hfa	(revision 31c967b40fdb700cadb78ef6b9488cfa9dea77f2)
@@ -181,14 +181,8 @@
 
 // Aligned timestamps which are used by the ready queue and io subsystem
-union __attribute__((aligned(64))) __timestamp_t {
-	struct {
-		volatile unsigned long long tv;
-		volatile unsigned long long ma;
-	} t;
-	char __padding[192];
-};
-
-static inline void  ?{}(__timestamp_t & this) { this.t.tv = 0; this.t.ma = 0; }
-static inline void ^?{}(__timestamp_t &) {}
+union __attribute__((aligned(64))) __timestamp_t;
+
+void  ?{}(__timestamp_t & this);
+void ^?{}(__timestamp_t &);
 
 
Index: libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/cluster.cfa
===================================================================
--- libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/cluster.cfa	(revision 33e4968e2b4f6edd578608d8c459a3f3d2cf9479)
+++ libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/cluster.cfa	(revision 31c967b40fdb700cadb78ef6b9488cfa9dea77f2)
@@ -221,4 +221,7 @@
 static const unsigned __readyq_single_shard = 2;
 
+void  ?{}(__timestamp_t & this) { this.t.tv = 0; this.t.ma = 0; }
+void ^?{}(__timestamp_t &) {}
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Check that all the intrusive queues in the data structure are still consistent
Index: libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/cluster.hfa
===================================================================
--- libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/cluster.hfa	(revision 33e4968e2b4f6edd578608d8c459a3f3d2cf9479)
+++ libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/cluster.hfa	(revision 31c967b40fdb700cadb78ef6b9488cfa9dea77f2)
@@ -18,4 +18,5 @@
 #include "device/cpu.hfa"
 #include "kernel/private.hfa"
+#include "math.hfa"
 
 #include <limits.h>
@@ -23,17 +24,75 @@
 #include "clock.hfa"
 
+#if   defined(READYQ_USE_LINEAR_AVG)
+
+// no conversion needed in this case
+static inline __readyQ_avg_t __to_readyQ_avg(unsigned long long intsc) { return intsc; }
+
+// warn normally all ints
+#define warn_large_before warnf( !strict || old_avg < 33_000_000_000, "Suspiciously large previous average: %'llu (%llx), %'ldms \n", old_avg, old_avg, program()`ms )
+#define warn_large_after warnf( !strict || ret < 33_000_000_000, "Suspiciously large new average after %'ldms cputime: %'llu (%llx) from %'llu-%'llu (%'llu, %'llu) and %'llu\n", program()`ms, ret, ret, currtsc, intsc, new_val, new_val / 1000000, old_avg )
+
+// 8X linear factor is just 8 * x
+#define AVG_FACTOR( x ) (8 * (x))
+
+#elif defined(READYQ_USE_LOGDBL_AVG)
+
+// convert to log2 scale but using double
+static inline __readyQ_avg_t __to_readyQ_avg(unsigned long long intsc) { return log2(intsc); }
+
+#define warn_large_before warnf( !strict || old_avg < 35.0, "Suspiciously large previous average: %'lf, %'ldms \n", old_avg, program()`ms )
+#define warn_large_after warnf( !strict || ret < 35.3, "Suspiciously large new average after %'ldms cputime: %'lf from %'llu-%'llu (%'llu, %'llu) and %'lf\n", program()`ms, ret, currtsc, intsc, new_val, new_val / 1000000, old_avg ); \
+verify(ret >= 0)
+
+// 8X factor in logscale is log2(8X) = log2(8) + log2(X) = 3 + log2(X)
+#define AVG_FACTOR( x ) (3.0 + (x))
+
+// we need to overload the __atomic_load_n because they don't support double
+static inline double __atomic_load_n(volatile double * ptr, int mem) {
+	volatile uint64_t * uptr = (volatile uint64_t *)ptr;
+	_Static_assert(sizeof(*uptr) == sizeof(*ptr));
+	uint64_t ret = 0;
+	ret = __atomic_load_n(uptr, mem);
+	uint64_t *rp = &ret;
+	double ret = *(volatile double *)rp;
+	double c = 3e-100;
+	/* paranoid */ verify( ret == 0 || ret > 3e-100 );
+	return ret;
+}
+
+// we need to overload the __atomic_store_n because they don't support double
+static inline void __atomic_store_n(volatile double * ptr, double val, int mem) {
+	/* paranoid */ verify( val == 0 || val > 3e-100 );
+	volatile uint64_t * uptr = (volatile uint64_t *)ptr;
+	_Static_assert(sizeof(*uptr) == sizeof(*ptr));
+	uint64_t * valp = (uint64_t *)&val;
+	__atomic_store_n(uptr, *valp, mem);
+}
+
+#elif defined(READYQ_USE_LOGDBL_AVG)
+
+//convert to log2 scale but with fix point u32.32 values
+static inline __readyQ_avg_t __to_readyQ_avg(unsigned long long intsc) { return ulog2_32_32(tsc); }
+
+// 8X factor, +3 in logscale (see above) is + 0x3.00000000
+#define AVG_FACTOR( x ) (0x3_00000000ull + (x))
+
+#else
+#error must pick a scheme for averaging
+#endif
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Calc moving average based on existing average, before and current time.
-static inline unsigned long long moving_average(unsigned long long currtsc, unsigned long long instsc, unsigned long long old_avg, bool strict) {
+static inline __readyQ_avg_t moving_average(unsigned long long currtsc, unsigned long long intsc, __readyQ_avg_t old_avg, bool strict) {
 	(void)strict; // disable the warning around the fact this is unused in release.
-	/* paranoid */ warnf( !strict || old_avg < 33_000_000_000, "Suspiciously large previous average: %'llu (%llx), %'ldms \n", old_avg, old_avg, program()`ms );
+	/* paranoid */ warn_large_before;
 
-	const unsigned long long new_val = currtsc > instsc ? currtsc - instsc : 0;
-	const unsigned long long total_weight = 16;
-	const unsigned long long new_weight   = 4;
-	const unsigned long long old_weight = total_weight - new_weight;
-	const unsigned long long ret = ((new_weight * new_val) + (old_weight * old_avg)) / total_weight;
+	const unsigned long long new_val = currtsc > intsc ? currtsc - intsc : 0;
+	const __readyQ_avg_t total_weight = 16;
+	const __readyQ_avg_t new_weight   = 4;
+	const __readyQ_avg_t old_weight = total_weight - new_weight;
+	const __readyQ_avg_t ret = ((new_weight * __to_readyQ_avg(new_val)) + (old_weight * old_avg)) / total_weight;
 
-	/* paranoid */ warnf( !strict || ret < 33_000_000_000, "Suspiciously large new average after %'ldms cputime: %'llu (%llx) from %'llu-%'llu (%'llu, %'llu) and %'llu\n", program()`ms, ret, ret, currtsc, instsc, new_val, new_val / 1000000, old_avg );
+	/* paranoid */ warn_large_after;
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -42,5 +101,5 @@
 	if (ts_next == ULLONG_MAX) return;
 	unsigned long long now = rdtscl();
-	unsigned long long pma = __atomic_load_n(&tscs[ idx ].t.ma, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+	__readyQ_avg_t pma = __atomic_load_n(&tscs[ idx ].t.ma, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
 	__atomic_store_n(&tscs[ idx ].t.tv, ts_next, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
 	__atomic_store_n(&tscs[ idx ].t.ma, moving_average(now, ts_prev, pma, strict), __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
@@ -50,5 +109,5 @@
 // Calc age a timestamp should be before needing help.
 forall(Data_t * | { unsigned long long ts(Data_t & this); })
-static inline unsigned long long calc_cutoff(
+static inline __readyQ_avg_t calc_cutoff(
 	const unsigned long long ctsc,
 	unsigned procid,
@@ -60,14 +119,14 @@
 ) {
 	unsigned start = procid;
-	unsigned long long max = 0;
+	__readyQ_avg_t max = 0;
 	for(i; shard_factor) {
 		unsigned long long ptsc = ts(data[start + i]);
 		if(ptsc != ULLONG_MAX) {
 			/* paranoid */ verify( start + i < count );
-			unsigned long long tsc = moving_average(ctsc, ptsc, tscs[start + i].t.ma, strict);
-			if(tsc > max) max = tsc;
+			__readyQ_avg_t avg = moving_average(ctsc, ptsc, tscs[start + i].t.ma, strict);
+			if(avg > max) max = avg;
 		}
 	}
-	return 8 * max;
+	return AVG_FACTOR( max );
 }
 
Index: libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/private.hfa
===================================================================
--- libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/private.hfa	(revision 33e4968e2b4f6edd578608d8c459a3f3d2cf9479)
+++ libcfa/src/concurrency/kernel/private.hfa	(revision 31c967b40fdb700cadb78ef6b9488cfa9dea77f2)
@@ -49,6 +49,28 @@
 #endif
 
+// #define READYQ_USE_LINEAR_AVG
+#define READYQ_USE_LOGDBL_AVG
+// #define READYQ_USE_LOGINT_AVG
+
+#if   defined(READYQ_USE_LINEAR_AVG)
+typedef unsigned long long __readyQ_avg_t;
+#elif defined(READYQ_USE_LOGDBL_AVG)
+typedef double __readyQ_avg_t;
+#elif defined(READYQ_USE_LOGDBL_AVG)
+typedef unsigned long long __readyQ_avg_t;
+#else
+#error must pick a scheme for averaging
+#endif
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Scheduler
+union __attribute__((aligned(64))) __timestamp_t {
+	struct {
+		volatile unsigned long long tv;
+		volatile __readyQ_avg_t ma;
+	} t;
+	char __padding[192];
+};
+
 extern "C" {
 	void disable_interrupts() OPTIONAL_THREAD;
Index: libcfa/src/concurrency/ready_queue.cfa
===================================================================
--- libcfa/src/concurrency/ready_queue.cfa	(revision 33e4968e2b4f6edd578608d8c459a3f3d2cf9479)
+++ libcfa/src/concurrency/ready_queue.cfa	(revision 31c967b40fdb700cadb78ef6b9488cfa9dea77f2)
@@ -139,6 +139,6 @@
 		/* paranoid */ verify( readyQ.tscs[target].t.tv != ULLONG_MAX );
 		if(target < lanes_count) {
-			const unsigned long long cutoff = calc_cutoff(ctsc, proc->rdq.id, lanes_count, cltr->sched.readyQ.data, cltr->sched.readyQ.tscs, __shard_factor.readyq, true);
-			const unsigned long long age = moving_average(ctsc, readyQ.tscs[target].t.tv, readyQ.tscs[target].t.ma, false);
+			const __readyQ_avg_t cutoff = calc_cutoff(ctsc, proc->rdq.id, lanes_count, cltr->sched.readyQ.data, cltr->sched.readyQ.tscs, __shard_factor.readyq, true);
+			const __readyQ_avg_t age = moving_average(ctsc, readyQ.tscs[target].t.tv, readyQ.tscs[target].t.ma, false);
 			__cfadbg_print_safe(ready_queue, "Kernel : Help attempt on %u from %u, age %'llu vs cutoff %'llu, %s\n", target, this, age, cutoff, age > cutoff ? "yes" : "no");
 			if(age > cutoff) {
