diff --git a/src/simulation/m_rhs.fpp b/src/simulation/m_rhs.fpp
index 0ab59a8454..369aa765e6 100644
--- a/src/simulation/m_rhs.fpp
+++ b/src/simulation/m_rhs.fpp
@@ -463,8 +463,7 @@ contains
     end subroutine s_initialize_rhs_module
 
     !> Compute the right-hand side of the semi-discrete governing equations for a single time stage
-    impure subroutine s_compute_rhs(q_cons_vf, q_T_sf, q_prim_vf, bc_type, rhs_vf, pb_in, rhs_pb, mv_in, rhs_mv, t_step, &
-                                    & time_avg, stage)
+    impure subroutine s_compute_rhs(q_cons_vf, q_T_sf, q_prim_vf, bc_type, rhs_vf, pb_in, rhs_pb, mv_in, rhs_mv, t_step, stage)
 
         type(scalar_field), dimension(sys_size), intent(inout)                                     :: q_cons_vf
         type(scalar_field), intent(inout)                                                          :: q_T_sf
@@ -478,9 +477,7 @@ contains
         real(stp), dimension(idwbuff(1)%beg:,idwbuff(2)%beg:,idwbuff(3)%beg:,1:,1:), intent(inout) :: mv_in
         real(wp), dimension(idwbuff(1)%beg:,idwbuff(2)%beg:,idwbuff(3)%beg:,1:,1:), intent(inout) :: rhs_mv
         integer, intent(in) :: t_step
-        real(wp), intent(inout) :: time_avg
         integer, intent(in) :: stage
-        real(wp) :: t_start, t_finish
         integer :: id
         integer(kind=8) :: i, j, k, l, q  !< Generic loop iterators
 
@@ -488,8 +485,6 @@ contains
 
         call nvtxStartRange("COMPUTE-RHS")
 
-        call cpu_time(t_start)
-
         if (.not. igr) then
             ! Association/Population of Working Variables
             $:GPU_PARALLEL_LOOP(private='[i, j, k, l]', collapse=4)
@@ -849,14 +844,6 @@ contains
             end if
         end if
 
-        call cpu_time(t_finish)
-
-        if (t_step >= 2) then
-            time_avg = (abs(t_finish - t_start) + (t_step - 2)*time_avg)/(t_step - 1)
-        else
-            time_avg = 0._wp
-        end if
-
         call nvtxEndRange
 
     end subroutine s_compute_rhs
diff --git a/src/simulation/m_time_steppers.fpp b/src/simulation/m_time_steppers.fpp
index 66b0951525..076df05563 100644
--- a/src/simulation/m_time_steppers.fpp
+++ b/src/simulation/m_time_steppers.fpp
@@ -459,6 +459,9 @@ contains
         integer, intent(in)     :: nstage
         integer                 :: i, j, k, l, q, s  !< Generic loop iterator
         real(wp)                :: start, finish
+        integer(kind=8)         :: stage_t0, stage_t1, clock_rate, clock_max
+        real(wp)                :: stage_time
+        integer, parameter      :: n_warmup = 2      !< time steps excluded before the timing floor (warmup/JIT/first-touch)
 
         call cpu_time(start)
         call nvtxStartRange("TIMESTEP")
@@ -467,8 +470,9 @@ contains
         if (adap_dt) call s_adaptive_dt_bubble(1)
 
         do s = 1, nstage
+            call system_clock(stage_t0)
             call s_compute_rhs(q_cons_ts(1)%vf, q_T_sf, q_prim_vf, bc_type, rhs_vf, pb_ts(1)%sf, rhs_pb, mv_ts(1)%sf, rhs_mv, &
-                               & t_step, time_avg, s)
+                               & t_step, s)
 
             if (s == 1) then
                 if (run_time_info) then
@@ -566,6 +570,25 @@ contains
                     call s_ibm_correct_state(q_cons_ts(1)%vf, q_prim_vf)
                 end if
             end if
+
+            ! Grind: minimum wall-clock time of a full RK stage (compute + halo H2D/D2H +
+            ! update + IBM correction, aside from I/O) over steady-state stages. Wall clock
+            ! (not cpu_time, which counts MPI spin-wait) and the minimum (jitter only adds
+            ! time) make it reproducible; the min over stages drops the I/O-bearing s==1 stage.
+            call system_clock(stage_t1, clock_rate, clock_max)
+            ! Correct the delta for the rare case of the clock counter wrapping past clock_max.
+            if (stage_t1 >= stage_t0) then
+                stage_time = real(stage_t1 - stage_t0, wp)/real(clock_rate, wp)
+            else
+                stage_time = real(stage_t1 - stage_t0 + clock_max + 1_8, wp)/real(clock_rate, wp)
+            end if
+            if (t_step - t_step_start < n_warmup) then
+                time_avg = 0._wp
+            else if (time_avg <= 0._wp) then
+                time_avg = stage_time
+            else
+                time_avg = min(time_avg, stage_time)
+            end if
         end do
 
         if (ib) then