diff --git a/test/inductor/test_compile_worker.py b/test/inductor/test_compile_worker.py
index 8fde26c6acf..79f35765533 100644
--- a/test/inductor/test_compile_worker.py
+++ b/test/inductor/test_compile_worker.py
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 import operator
 import os
 import tempfile
+from threading import Event
 
 from torch._inductor.compile_worker.subproc_pool import (
     raise_testexc,
     SubprocException,
     SubprocPool,
 )
+from torch._inductor.compile_worker.timer import Timer
 from torch._inductor.test_case import TestCase
 from torch.testing._internal.common_utils import skipIfWindows
 from torch.testing._internal.inductor_utils import HAS_CPU
@@ -81,6 +83,59 @@ class TestCompileWorker(TestCase):
                 pool.shutdown()
 
 
+class TestTimer(TestCase):
+    def test_basics(self):
+        done = Event()
+
+        def doit():
+            done.set()
+
+        t = Timer(0.1, doit)
+        t.sleep_time = 0.1
+        t.record_call()
+        self.assertTrue(done.wait(4))
+        t.quit()
+
+    def test_repeated_calls(self):
+        done = Event()
+
+        def doit():
+            done.set()
+
+        t = Timer(0.1, doit)
+        t.sleep_time = 0.1
+        for i in range(10):
+            t.record_call()
+            self.assertTrue(done.wait(4))
+            done.clear()
+        t.quit()
+
+    def test_never_fires(self):
+        done = Event()
+
+        def doit():
+            done.set()
+
+        t = Timer(999, doit)
+        t.sleep_time = 0.1
+        t.record_call()
+        self.assertFalse(done.wait(4))
+        t.quit()
+
+    def test_spammy_calls(self):
+        done = Event()
+
+        def doit():
+            done.set()
+
+        t = Timer(1, doit)
+        t.sleep_time = 0.1
+        for i in range(400):
+            t.record_call()
+        self.assertTrue(done.wait(4))
+        t.quit()
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     from torch._inductor.test_case import run_tests
 
diff --git a/torch/_inductor/compile_worker/timer.py b/torch/_inductor/compile_worker/timer.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d4b0c0dc9e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/torch/_inductor/compile_worker/timer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+from threading import Lock, Thread
+from time import monotonic, sleep
+from typing import Callable, Optional, Union
+
+
+class Timer:
+    """
+    This measures how long we have gone since last receiving an event and if it is greater than a set interval, calls a function.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        duration: Union[int, float],  # Duration in seconds
+        call: Callable[[], None],  # Function to call when we expire
+    ) -> None:
+        # We don't start the background thread until we actually get an event.
+        self.background_thread: Optional[Thread] = None
+        self.last_called: Optional[float] = None
+        self.duration = duration
+        self.sleep_time = 60
+        self.call = call
+        self.exit = False
+
+        self.lock = Lock()
+
+    def record_call(self) -> None:
+        with self.lock:
+            if self.background_thread is None:
+                self.background_thread = Thread(
+                    target=self.check, daemon=True, name="subproc_worker_timer"
+                )
+                self.background_thread.start()
+            self.last_called = monotonic()
+
+    def quit(self) -> None:
+        with self.lock:
+            self.exit = True
+
+    def check(self) -> None:
+        while True:
+            # We have to be sensitive on checking here, to avoid too much impact on cpu
+            sleep(self.sleep_time)
+            with self.lock:
+                if self.exit:
+                    return
+                assert self.last_called is not None
+                if self.last_called + self.duration >= monotonic():
+                    continue
+                self.last_called = None
+                self.background_thread = None
+
+            # Releasing lock in case self.call() takes a very long time or is reentrant
+            self.call()
+            return