diff --git a/libavutil/timer.h b/libavutil/timer.h
index 49e92fdfee..3fff77ff1c 100644
--- a/libavutil/timer.h
+++ b/libavutil/timer.h
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@
 #   endif
 #endif
 
+#ifndef FF_TIMER_UNITS
+#   define FF_TIMER_UNITS "UNITS"
+#endif
+
 #ifdef AV_READ_TIME
 #define START_TIMER                             \
     uint64_t tend;                              \
@@ -76,7 +80,7 @@
             tskip_count++;                                                \
         if (((tcount + tskip_count) & (tcount + tskip_count - 1)) == 0) { \
             av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR,                                    \
-                   "%"PRIu64" UNITS in %s, %d runs, %d skips\n",          \
+                   "%"PRIu64" " FF_TIMER_UNITS " in %s, %d runs, %d skips\n",          \
                    tsum * 10 / tcount, id, tcount, tskip_count);          \
         }                                                                 \
     }
diff --git a/libavutil/x86/timer.h b/libavutil/x86/timer.h
index d812d46aed..5b24b511c1 100644
--- a/libavutil/x86/timer.h
+++ b/libavutil/x86/timer.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #if HAVE_INLINE_ASM
 
+#define FF_TIMER_UNITS "decicycles"
 #define AV_READ_TIME read_time
 
 static inline uint64_t read_time(void)