diff --git a/lib/timers.js b/lib/timers.js
index 3039b49f2c37..e25052ebb8b3 100644
--- a/lib/timers.js
+++ b/lib/timers.js
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ exports.setTimeout = function(callback, after) {
   timer = new Timeout(after);
 
   if (arguments.length <= 2) {
-    timer._onTimeout = callback;
+    timer._onTimeout = callback.bind(global);
   } else {
     /*
      * Sometimes setTimeout is called with arguments, EG
@@ -241,9 +241,7 @@ exports.setTimeout = function(callback, after) {
      * desired in the normal case.
      */
     var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 2);
-    timer._onTimeout = function() {
-      callback.apply(timer, args);
-    }
+    timer._onTimeout = callback.bind(global, args);
   }
 
   if (process.domain) timer.domain = process.domain;
@@ -284,7 +282,7 @@ exports.setInterval = function(callback, repeat) {
   return timer;
 
   function wrapper() {
-    callback.apply(this, args);
+    callback.apply(global, args);
     // If callback called clearInterval().
     if (timer._repeat === false) return;
     // If timer is unref'd (or was - it's permanently removed from the list.)