diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aicombat.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aicombat.cpp
index 58a908672..51fcb92c1 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aicombat.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aicombat.cpp
@@ -146,19 +146,10 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         }
         storage.mActionCooldown -= duration;
 
-        float& timerReact = storage.mTimerReact;
-        if (timerReact < AI_REACTION_TIME)
-        {
-            timerReact += duration;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            timerReact = 0;
-            if (attack(actor, target, storage, characterController))
-                return true;
-        }
+        if (storage.mReaction.update(duration) == Misc::TimerStatus::Waiting)
+            return false;
 
-        return false;
+        return attack(actor, target, storage, characterController);
     }
 
     bool AiCombat::attack(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, const MWWorld::Ptr& target, AiCombatStorage& storage, CharacterController& characterController)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aicombat.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aicombat.hpp
index 3a77aa8e8..0f42c6e2d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aicombat.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aicombat.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "pathfinding.hpp"
 #include "movement.hpp"
 #include "obstacle.hpp"
+#include "aitimer.hpp"
 
 namespace ESM
 {
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
     struct AiCombatStorage : AiTemporaryBase
     {
         float mAttackCooldown;
-        float mTimerReact;
+        AiReactionTimer mReaction;
         float mTimerCombatMove;
         bool mReadyToAttack;
         bool mAttack;
@@ -60,7 +61,6 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
         AiCombatStorage():
         mAttackCooldown(0.0f),
-        mTimerReact(AI_REACTION_TIME),
         mTimerCombatMove(0.0f),
         mReadyToAttack(false),
         mAttack(false),
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
index 99132b711..00e1c9c3a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 MWMechanics::AiPackage::AiPackage(AiPackageTypeId typeId, const Options& options) :
     mTypeId(typeId),
     mOptions(options),
-    mTimer(AI_REACTION_TIME + 1.0f), // to force initial pathbuild
     mTargetActorRefId(""),
     mTargetActorId(-1),
     mRotateOnTheRunChecks(0),
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ MWWorld::Ptr MWMechanics::AiPackage::getTarget() const
 void MWMechanics::AiPackage::reset()
 {
     // reset all members
-    mTimer = AI_REACTION_TIME + 1.0f;
+    mReaction.reset();
     mIsShortcutting = false;
     mShortcutProhibited = false;
     mShortcutFailPos = osg::Vec3f();
@@ -75,7 +74,7 @@ void MWMechanics::AiPackage::reset()
 
 bool MWMechanics::AiPackage::pathTo(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, const osg::Vec3f& dest, float duration, float destTolerance)
 {
-    mTimer += duration; //Update timer
+    const Misc::TimerStatus timerStatus = mReaction.update(duration);
 
     const osg::Vec3f position = actor.getRefData().getPosition().asVec3(); //position of the actor
     MWBase::World* world = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld();
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ bool MWMechanics::AiPackage::pathTo(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, const osg::Vec3f&
     const bool isDestReached = (distToTarget <= destTolerance);
     const bool actorCanMoveByZ = canActorMoveByZAxis(actor);
 
-    if (!isDestReached && mTimer > AI_REACTION_TIME)
+    if (!isDestReached && timerStatus == Misc::TimerStatus::Elapsed)
     {
         if (actor.getClass().isBipedal(actor))
             openDoors(actor);
@@ -142,8 +141,6 @@ bool MWMechanics::AiPackage::pathTo(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, const osg::Vec3f&
                     mPathFinder.addPointToPath(dest); //Adds the final destination to the path, to try to get to where you want to go
             }
         }
-
-        mTimer = 0;
     }
 
     const float actorTolerance = 2 * actor.getClass().getMaxSpeed(actor) * duration
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.hpp
index 4201de5c8..81b09c8b9 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "obstacle.hpp"
 #include "aistate.hpp"
 #include "aipackagetypeid.hpp"
+#include "aitimer.hpp"
 
 namespace MWWorld
 {
@@ -28,8 +29,6 @@ namespace ESM
 
 namespace MWMechanics
 {
-    const float AI_REACTION_TIME = 0.25f;
-
     class CharacterController;
     class PathgridGraph;
 
@@ -158,7 +157,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             PathFinder mPathFinder;
             ObstacleCheck mObstacleCheck;
 
-            float mTimer;
+            AiReactionTimer mReaction;
 
             std::string mTargetActorRefId;
             mutable int mTargetActorId;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aitimer.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aitimer.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..804cda1bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aitimer.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#ifndef OPENMW_MECHANICS_AITIMER_H
+#define OPENMW_MECHANICS_AITIMER_H
+
+#include <components/misc/rng.hpp>
+#include <components/misc/timer.hpp>
+
+namespace MWMechanics
+{
+    constexpr float AI_REACTION_TIME = 0.25f;
+
+    class AiReactionTimer
+    {
+        public:
+            static constexpr float sDeviation = 0.1f;
+
+            Misc::TimerStatus update(float duration) { return mImpl.update(duration); }
+
+            void reset() { mImpl.reset(Misc::Rng::deviate(0, sDeviation)); }
+
+        private:
+            Misc::DeviatingPeriodicTimer mImpl {AI_REACTION_TIME, sDeviation,
+                                                Misc::Rng::deviate(0, sDeviation)};
+    };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
index 375209a25..72b8757bf 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
@@ -223,15 +223,10 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
         doPerFrameActionsForState(actor, duration, storage);
 
-        float& lastReaction = storage.mReaction;
-        lastReaction += duration;
-        if (AI_REACTION_TIME <= lastReaction)
-        {
-            lastReaction = 0;
-            return reactionTimeActions(actor, storage, pos);
-        }
-        else
+        if (storage.mReaction.update(duration) == Misc::TimerStatus::Waiting)
             return false;
+
+        return reactionTimeActions(actor, storage, pos);
     }
 
     bool AiWander::reactionTimeActions(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, AiWanderStorage& storage, ESM::Position& pos)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.hpp
index 8e718061e..52a926d14 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "pathfinding.hpp"
 #include "obstacle.hpp"
 #include "aistate.hpp"
+#include "aitimer.hpp"
 
 namespace ESM
 {
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
     /// \brief This class holds the variables AiWander needs which are deleted if the package becomes inactive.
     struct AiWanderStorage : AiTemporaryBase
     {
-        float mReaction; // update some actions infrequently
+        AiReactionTimer mReaction;
 
         // AiWander states
         enum WanderState
@@ -57,7 +58,6 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         int mStuckCount;
 
         AiWanderStorage():
-            mReaction(0),
             mState(Wander_ChooseAction),
             mIsWanderingManually(false),
             mCanWanderAlongPathGrid(true),
diff --git a/components/misc/rng.cpp b/components/misc/rng.cpp
index 23d820448..4805f0d91 100644
--- a/components/misc/rng.cpp
+++ b/components/misc/rng.cpp
@@ -47,4 +47,9 @@ namespace Misc
     {
         return static_cast<unsigned int>(std::chrono::high_resolution_clock::now().time_since_epoch().count());
     }
+
+    float Rng::deviate(float mean, float deviation, Seed& seed)
+    {
+        return std::uniform_real_distribution<float>(mean - deviation, mean + deviation)(seed.mGenerator);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/components/misc/rng.hpp b/components/misc/rng.hpp
index 8efca438d..998ac0d53 100644
--- a/components/misc/rng.hpp
+++ b/components/misc/rng.hpp
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ public:
 
     /// returns default seed for RNG
     static unsigned int generateDefaultSeed();
+
+    static float deviate(float mean, float deviation, Seed& seed = getSeed());
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/components/misc/timer.hpp b/components/misc/timer.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..81a2ca073
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/misc/timer.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#ifndef OPENMW_COMPONENTS_MISC_TIMER_H
+#define OPENMW_COMPONENTS_MISC_TIMER_H
+
+#include "rng.hpp"
+
+namespace Misc
+{
+    enum class TimerStatus
+    {
+        Waiting,
+        Elapsed,
+    };
+
+    class DeviatingPeriodicTimer
+    {
+        public:
+            explicit DeviatingPeriodicTimer(float period, float deviation, float timeLeft)
+                : mPeriod(period), mDeviation(deviation), mTimeLeft(timeLeft)
+            {}
+
+            TimerStatus update(float duration)
+            {
+                if (mTimeLeft > 0)
+                {
+                    mTimeLeft -= duration;
+                    return TimerStatus::Waiting;
+                }
+
+                mTimeLeft = Rng::deviate(mPeriod, mDeviation);
+                return TimerStatus::Elapsed;
+            }
+
+            void reset(float timeLeft) { mTimeLeft = timeLeft; }
+
+        private:
+            const float mPeriod;
+            const float mDeviation;
+            float mTimeLeft;
+    };
+}
+
+#endif