diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/bus.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/bus.c
index a84348cd4..3889512a2 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/bus.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/bus.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ int nvgpu_get_timestamps_zipper(struct gk20a *g,
 		if (err)
 			return err;
 
-		samples[i].cpu_timestamp = (u64)get_cycles();
+		samples[i].cpu_timestamp = nvgpu_hr_timestamp();
 	}
 
 end:
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/timers.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/timers.c
index d0004aa5c..41b55543f 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/timers.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/linux/timers.c
@@ -241,3 +241,18 @@ s64 nvgpu_current_time_ms(void)
 {
 	return ktime_to_ms(ktime_get());
 }
+
+/**
+ * nvgpu_hr_timestamp - Opaque 'high resolution' time stamp.
+ *
+ * Return a "high resolution" time stamp. It does not really matter exactly what
+ * it is, so long as it generally returns unique values and monotonically
+ * increases - wrap around _is_ possible though in a system running for long
+ * enough.
+ *
+ * Note: what high resolution means is system dependent.
+ */
+u64 nvgpu_hr_timestamp(void)
+{
+	return get_cycles();
+}
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/timers.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/timers.h
index b0df29b64..2e2606191 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/timers.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/timers.h
@@ -109,5 +109,6 @@ void nvgpu_udelay(unsigned int usecs);
  * Timekeeping.
  */
 s64 nvgpu_current_time_ms(void);
+u64 nvgpu_hr_timestamp(void);
 
 #endif