diff --git a/neutron/openstack/common/periodic_task.py b/neutron/openstack/common/periodic_task.py
index cf2985e13a..1ebdc1af6f 100644
--- a/neutron/openstack/common/periodic_task.py
+++ b/neutron/openstack/common/periodic_task.py
@@ -11,22 +11,20 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import datetime
 import time
 
 from oslo.config import cfg
 import six
 
-from neutron.openstack.common.gettextutils import _
+from neutron.openstack.common.gettextutils import _, _LE, _LI
 from neutron.openstack.common import log as logging
-from neutron.openstack.common import timeutils
 
 
 periodic_opts = [
     cfg.BoolOpt('run_external_periodic_tasks',
                 default=True,
-                help=('Some periodic tasks can be run in a separate process. '
-                      'Should we run them here?')),
+                help='Some periodic tasks can be run in a separate process. '
+                     'Should we run them here?'),
 ]
 
 CONF = cfg.CONF
@@ -46,8 +44,8 @@ def periodic_task(*args, **kwargs):
 
     This decorator can be used in two ways:
 
-        1. Without arguments '@periodic_task', this will be run on every cycle
-           of the periodic scheduler.
+        1. Without arguments '@periodic_task', this will be run on the default
+           interval of 60 seconds.
 
         2. With arguments:
            @periodic_task(spacing=N [, run_immediately=[True|False]])
@@ -78,7 +76,7 @@ def periodic_task(*args, **kwargs):
         if f._periodic_immediate:
             f._periodic_last_run = None
         else:
-            f._periodic_last_run = timeutils.utcnow()
+            f._periodic_last_run = time.time()
         return f
 
     # NOTE(sirp): The `if` is necessary to allow the decorator to be used with
@@ -113,11 +111,6 @@ class _PeriodicTasksMeta(type):
         except AttributeError:
             cls._periodic_tasks = []
 
-        try:
-            cls._periodic_last_run = cls._periodic_last_run.copy()
-        except AttributeError:
-            cls._periodic_last_run = {}
-
         try:
             cls._periodic_spacing = cls._periodic_spacing.copy()
         except AttributeError:
@@ -129,28 +122,33 @@ class _PeriodicTasksMeta(type):
                 name = task.__name__
 
                 if task._periodic_spacing < 0:
-                    LOG.info(_('Skipping periodic task %(task)s because '
-                               'its interval is negative'),
+                    LOG.info(_LI('Skipping periodic task %(task)s because '
+                                 'its interval is negative'),
                              {'task': name})
                     continue
                 if not task._periodic_enabled:
-                    LOG.info(_('Skipping periodic task %(task)s because '
-                               'it is disabled'),
+                    LOG.info(_LI('Skipping periodic task %(task)s because '
+                                 'it is disabled'),
                              {'task': name})
                     continue
 
                 # A periodic spacing of zero indicates that this task should
-                # be run every pass
+                # be run on the default interval to avoid running too
+                # frequently.
                 if task._periodic_spacing == 0:
-                    task._periodic_spacing = None
+                    task._periodic_spacing = DEFAULT_INTERVAL
 
                 cls._periodic_tasks.append((name, task))
                 cls._periodic_spacing[name] = task._periodic_spacing
-                cls._periodic_last_run[name] = task._periodic_last_run
 
 
 @six.add_metaclass(_PeriodicTasksMeta)
 class PeriodicTasks(object):
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(PeriodicTasks, self).__init__()
+        self._periodic_last_run = {}
+        for name, task in self._periodic_tasks:
+            self._periodic_last_run[name] = task._periodic_last_run
 
     def run_periodic_tasks(self, context, raise_on_error=False):
         """Tasks to be run at a periodic interval."""
@@ -158,30 +156,27 @@ class PeriodicTasks(object):
         for task_name, task in self._periodic_tasks:
             full_task_name = '.'.join([self.__class__.__name__, task_name])
 
-            now = timeutils.utcnow()
             spacing = self._periodic_spacing[task_name]
             last_run = self._periodic_last_run[task_name]
 
             # If a periodic task is _nearly_ due, then we'll run it early
-            if spacing is not None and last_run is not None:
-                due = last_run + datetime.timedelta(seconds=spacing)
-                if not timeutils.is_soon(due, 0.2):
-                    idle_for = min(idle_for, timeutils.delta_seconds(now, due))
+            idle_for = min(idle_for, spacing)
+            if last_run is not None:
+                delta = last_run + spacing - time.time()
+                if delta > 0.2:
+                    idle_for = min(idle_for, delta)
                     continue
 
-            if spacing is not None:
-                idle_for = min(idle_for, spacing)
-
-            LOG.debug(_("Running periodic task %(full_task_name)s"),
+            LOG.debug("Running periodic task %(full_task_name)s",
                       {"full_task_name": full_task_name})
-            self._periodic_last_run[task_name] = timeutils.utcnow()
+            self._periodic_last_run[task_name] = time.time()
 
             try:
                 task(self, context)
             except Exception as e:
                 if raise_on_error:
                     raise
-                LOG.exception(_("Error during %(full_task_name)s: %(e)s"),
+                LOG.exception(_LE("Error during %(full_task_name)s: %(e)s"),
                               {"full_task_name": full_task_name, "e": e})
             time.sleep(0)
 
diff --git a/neutron/services/loadbalancer/agent/agent_manager.py b/neutron/services/loadbalancer/agent/agent_manager.py
index e94978e900..0e315554a6 100644
--- a/neutron/services/loadbalancer/agent/agent_manager.py
+++ b/neutron/services/loadbalancer/agent/agent_manager.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ class LbaasAgentManager(periodic_task.PeriodicTasks):
     #       object individually;
 
     def __init__(self, conf):
+        super(LbaasAgentManager, self).__init__()
         self.conf = conf
         self.context = context.get_admin_context_without_session()
         self.plugin_rpc = agent_api.LbaasAgentApi(