diff --git a/apis/rust/node/src/config.rs b/apis/rust/node/src/config.rs
index 5102b0b8..d2a20643 100644
--- a/apis/rust/node/src/config.rs
+++ b/apis/rust/node/src/config.rs
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ pub struct UserInputMapping {
     pub output: DataId,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone)]
 #[serde(deny_unknown_fields, rename_all = "lowercase")]
 pub enum CommunicationConfig {
     Zenoh {
diff --git a/binaries/coordinator/src/main.rs b/binaries/coordinator/src/main.rs
index f6a743f0..e860c58e 100644
--- a/binaries/coordinator/src/main.rs
+++ b/binaries/coordinator/src/main.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
-use dora_core::descriptor::{self, CoreNodeKind, Descriptor};
-use dora_node_api::config::NodeId;
+use dora_core::descriptor::{self, collect_dora_timers, CoreNodeKind, Descriptor};
+use dora_node_api::{
+    communication,
+    config::{format_duration, NodeId},
+};
 use eyre::{bail, eyre, WrapErr};
 use futures::{stream::FuturesUnordered, StreamExt};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use tokio_stream::wrappers::IntervalStream;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, clap::Parser)]
 #[clap(about = "Dora coordinator")]
@@ -57,6 +61,7 @@ async fn run_dataflow(dataflow_path: PathBuf, runtime: &Path) -> eyre::Result<()
     })?;
 
     let nodes = descriptor.resolve_aliases();
+    let dora_timers = collect_dora_timers(&nodes);
     let mut communication = descriptor.communication;
 
     if nodes
@@ -94,6 +99,28 @@ async fn run_dataflow(dataflow_path: PathBuf, runtime: &Path) -> eyre::Result<()
         }
     }
 
+    for interval in dora_timers {
+        let communication = communication.clone();
+        let task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let communication = communication::init(&communication)
+                .await
+                .wrap_err("failed to init communication layer")?;
+            let topic = {
+                let duration = format_duration(interval);
+                format!("dora/timer/{duration}")
+            };
+            let mut stream = IntervalStream::new(tokio::time::interval(interval));
+            while let Some(_) = stream.next().await {
+                let publish = communication.publish(&topic, &[]);
+                publish
+                    .await
+                    .wrap_err("failed to publish timer tick message")?;
+            }
+            Ok(())
+        });
+        tasks.push(task);
+    }
+
     while let Some(task_result) = tasks.next().await {
         task_result
             .wrap_err("failed to join async task")?
diff --git a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
index 4797f06c..5ae27129 100644
--- a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
+++ b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/mod.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use std::{
     collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet},
     path::PathBuf,
 };
+pub use visualize::collect_dora_timers;
 
 mod visualize;
 
diff --git a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/visualize.rs b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/visualize.rs
index aeed8842..8d4a8d0a 100644
--- a/libraries/core/src/descriptor/visualize.rs
+++ b/libraries/core/src/descriptor/visualize.rs
@@ -15,19 +15,7 @@ pub fn visualize_nodes(nodes: &[ResolvedNode]) -> String {
         all_nodes.insert(&node.id, node);
     }
 
-    let mut dora_timers = BTreeSet::new();
-    for node in nodes {
-        match &node.kind {
-            CoreNodeKind::Runtime(node) => {
-                for operator in &node.operators {
-                    collect_dora_nodes(operator.config.inputs.values(), &mut dora_timers);
-                }
-            }
-            CoreNodeKind::Custom(node) => {
-                collect_dora_nodes(node.run_config.inputs.values(), &mut dora_timers);
-            }
-        }
-    }
+    let dora_timers = collect_dora_timers(nodes);
     if !dora_timers.is_empty() {
         writeln!(flowchart, "subgraph ___dora___ [dora]").unwrap();
         writeln!(flowchart, "  subgraph ___timer_timer___ [timer]").unwrap();
@@ -46,6 +34,23 @@ pub fn visualize_nodes(nodes: &[ResolvedNode]) -> String {
     flowchart
 }
 
+pub fn collect_dora_timers(nodes: &[ResolvedNode]) -> BTreeSet<Duration> {
+    let mut dora_timers = BTreeSet::new();
+    for node in nodes {
+        match &node.kind {
+            CoreNodeKind::Runtime(node) => {
+                for operator in &node.operators {
+                    collect_dora_nodes(operator.config.inputs.values(), &mut dora_timers);
+                }
+            }
+            CoreNodeKind::Custom(node) => {
+                collect_dora_nodes(node.run_config.inputs.values(), &mut dora_timers);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    dora_timers
+}
+
 fn collect_dora_nodes(
     values: std::collections::btree_map::Values<DataId, InputMapping>,
     dora_timers: &mut BTreeSet<Duration>,