diff --git a/userspace/falco/statsfilewriter.cpp b/userspace/falco/statsfilewriter.cpp
index 91461dcb..56cf5fc0 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/statsfilewriter.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/statsfilewriter.cpp
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ bool StatsFileWriter::init(sinsp *inspector, string &filename, uint32_t interval
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	timer.it_value.tv_sec = 0;
-	timer.it_value.tv_usec = interval_msec * 1000;
+	timer.it_value.tv_sec = interval_msec / 1000;
+	timer.it_value.tv_usec = (interval_msec % 1000) * 1000;
 	timer.it_interval = timer.it_value;
 	if (setitimer(ITIMER_REAL, &timer, NULL) == -1)
 	{