diff --git a/subtree/rabit/include/rabit/timer.h b/subtree/rabit/include/rabit/timer.h
index eaada7ef4..46b7affc4 100644
--- a/subtree/rabit/include/rabit/timer.h
+++ b/subtree/rabit/include/rabit/timer.h
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ namespace utils {
  * \brief return time in seconds, not cross platform, avoid to use this in most places
  */
 inline double GetTime(void) {
-  #ifdef __MACH__ 
+  // TODO: use c++11 chrono when c++11 was available
+  #ifdef __MACH__
   clock_serv_t cclock;
   mach_timespec_t mts;
   host_get_clock_service(mach_host_self(), CALENDAR_CLOCK, &cclock);
@@ -26,9 +27,14 @@ inline double GetTime(void) {
   mach_port_deallocate(mach_task_self(), cclock);
   return static_cast<double>(mts.tv_sec) + static_cast<double>(mts.tv_nsec) * 1e-9;
   #else
+  #if defined(__unix__) || defined(__linux__)
   timespec ts;
   utils::Check(clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &ts) == 0, "failed to get time");
   return static_cast<double>(ts.tv_sec) + static_cast<double>(ts.tv_nsec) * 1e-9;
+  #else
+  // TODO: add MSVC macro, and MSVC timer
+  return static_cast<double>(time(NULL));
+  #endif
   #endif
 }
 }  // namespace utils