diff --git a/src/__tests__/wait-for-dom-change.js b/src/__tests__/wait-for-dom-change.js
index 39487672..730a4c20 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/wait-for-dom-change.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/wait-for-dom-change.js
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
-import {waitForDomChange} from '../wait-for-dom-change'
 import {renderIntoDocument} from './helpers/test-utils'
 
+function importModule() {
+  return require('../').waitForDomChange
+}
+
+let waitForDomChange
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  jest.useRealTimers()
+  jest.resetModules()
+  waitForDomChange = importModule()
+})
+
 test('waits for the dom to change in the document', async () => {
   const {container} = renderIntoDocument('<div />')
   const promise = waitForDomChange()
@@ -48,3 +59,52 @@ Array [
 ]
 `)
 })
+
+describe('timers', () => {
+  const expectElementToChange = async () => {
+    const importedWaitForDomChange = importModule()
+    const {container} = renderIntoDocument('<div />')
+
+    setTimeout(() => container.firstChild.setAttribute('id', 'foo'), 100)
+
+    const promise = importedWaitForDomChange({container, timeout: 200})
+
+    if (setTimeout._isMockFunction) {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(110)
+    }
+
+    await expect(promise).resolves.toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+  Array [
+    Object {
+      "addedNodes": Array [],
+      "attributeName": "id",
+      "attributeNamespace": null,
+      "nextSibling": null,
+      "oldValue": null,
+      "previousSibling": null,
+      "removedNodes": Array [],
+      "target": <div
+        id="foo"
+      />,
+      "type": "attributes",
+    },
+  ]
+  `)
+  }
+
+  it('works with real timers', async () => {
+    jest.useRealTimers()
+    await expectElementToChange()
+  })
+  it('works with fake timers', async () => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers()
+    await expectElementToChange()
+  })
+})
+
+test("doesn't change jest's timers value when importing the module", () => {
+  jest.useFakeTimers()
+  importModule()
+
+  expect(window.setTimeout._isMockFunction).toEqual(true)
+})
diff --git a/src/__tests__/wait-for-element-to-be-removed.js b/src/__tests__/wait-for-element-to-be-removed.js
index e541d86f..e52dfd21 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/wait-for-element-to-be-removed.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/wait-for-element-to-be-removed.js
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
-import {waitForElementToBeRemoved} from '../'
 import {renderIntoDocument} from './helpers/test-utils'
 
+function importModule() {
+  return require('../').waitForElementToBeRemoved
+}
+
+let waitForElementToBeRemoved
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  jest.useRealTimers()
+  jest.resetModules()
+  waitForElementToBeRemoved = importModule()
+})
+
 test('resolves on mutation only when the element is removed', async () => {
   const {queryAllByTestId} = renderIntoDocument(`
     <div data-testid="div"></div>
@@ -57,3 +68,52 @@ test('requires an unempty array of elements to exist first', () => {
     `"The callback function which was passed did not return an element or non-empty array of elements. waitForElementToBeRemoved requires that the element(s) exist before waiting for removal."`,
   )
 })
+
+describe('timers', () => {
+  const expectElementToBeRemoved = async () => {
+    const importedWaitForElementToBeRemoved = importModule()
+
+    const {queryAllByTestId} = renderIntoDocument(`
+  <div data-testid="div"></div>
+  <div data-testid="div"></div>
+`)
+    const divs = queryAllByTestId('div')
+    // first mutation
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      divs.forEach(d => d.setAttribute('id', 'mutated'))
+    })
+    // removal
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      divs.forEach(div => div.parentElement.removeChild(div))
+    }, 100)
+
+    const promise = importedWaitForElementToBeRemoved(
+      () => queryAllByTestId('div'),
+      {
+        timeout: 200,
+      },
+    )
+
+    if (setTimeout._isMockFunction) {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(110)
+    }
+
+    await promise
+  }
+
+  it('works with real timers', async () => {
+    jest.useRealTimers()
+    await expectElementToBeRemoved()
+  })
+  it('works with fake timers', async () => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers()
+    await expectElementToBeRemoved()
+  })
+})
+
+test("doesn't change jest's timers value when importing the module", () => {
+  jest.useFakeTimers()
+  importModule()
+
+  expect(window.setTimeout._isMockFunction).toEqual(true)
+})
diff --git a/src/__tests__/wait-for-element.js b/src/__tests__/wait-for-element.js
index 2fba0cb0..3dc29687 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/wait-for-element.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/wait-for-element.js
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
-import {waitForElement} from '../wait-for-element'
 import {render, renderIntoDocument} from './helpers/test-utils'
 
+function importModule() {
+  return require('../').waitForElement
+}
+
+let waitForElement
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  jest.useRealTimers()
+  jest.resetModules()
+  waitForElement = importModule()
+})
+
 test('waits for element to appear in the document', async () => {
   const {rerender, getByTestId} = renderIntoDocument('<div />')
   const promise = waitForElement(() => getByTestId('div'))
@@ -48,3 +59,34 @@ test('waits until callback does not return null', async () => {
 test('throws error if no callback is provided', async () => {
   await expect(waitForElement()).rejects.toThrow(/callback/i)
 })
+
+describe('timers', () => {
+  const expectElementToExist = async () => {
+    const importedWaitForElement = importModule()
+
+    const {rerender, getByTestId} = renderIntoDocument('<div />')
+
+    setTimeout(() => rerender('<div data-testid="div" />'), 100)
+
+    const promise = importedWaitForElement(() => getByTestId('div'), {
+      timeout: 200,
+    })
+
+    if (setTimeout._isMockFunction) {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(110)
+    }
+
+    const element = await promise
+
+    await expect(element).toBeInTheDocument()
+  }
+
+  it('works with real timers', async () => {
+    jest.useRealTimers()
+    await expectElementToExist()
+  })
+  it('works with fake timers', async () => {
+    jest.useFakeTimers()
+    await expectElementToExist()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/helpers.js b/src/helpers.js
index ab43e72b..1640892a 100644
--- a/src/helpers.js
+++ b/src/helpers.js
@@ -2,16 +2,42 @@ import MutationObserver from '@sheerun/mutationobserver-shim'
 
 const globalObj = typeof window === 'undefined' ? global : window
 
+// Currently this fn only supports jest timers, but it could support other test runners in the future.
+function runWithRealTimers(callback) {
+  const usingJestFakeTimers =
+    globalObj.setTimeout._isMockFunction && typeof jest !== 'undefined'
+
+  if (usingJestFakeTimers) {
+    jest.useRealTimers()
+  }
+
+  const callbackReturnValue = callback()
+
+  if (usingJestFakeTimers) {
+    jest.useFakeTimers()
+  }
+
+  return callbackReturnValue
+}
+
 // we only run our tests in node, and setImmediate is supported in node.
 // istanbul ignore next
 function setImmediatePolyfill(fn) {
   return globalObj.setTimeout(fn, 0)
 }
 
-const clearTimeoutFn = globalObj.clearTimeout
-// istanbul ignore next
-const setImmediateFn = globalObj.setImmediate || setImmediatePolyfill
-const setTimeoutFn = globalObj.setTimeout
+function getTimeFunctions() {
+  // istanbul ignore next
+  return {
+    clearTimeoutFn: globalObj.clearTimeout,
+    setImmediateFn: globalObj.setImmediate || setImmediatePolyfill,
+    setTimeoutFn: globalObj.setTimeout,
+  }
+}
+
+const {clearTimeoutFn, setImmediateFn, setTimeoutFn} = runWithRealTimers(
+  getTimeFunctions,
+)
 
 function newMutationObserver(onMutation) {
   const MutationObserverConstructor =
@@ -37,4 +63,5 @@ export {
   clearTimeoutFn as clearTimeout,
   setImmediateFn as setImmediate,
   setTimeoutFn as setTimeout,
+  runWithRealTimers,
 }
diff --git a/src/wait-for-dom-change.js b/src/wait-for-dom-change.js
index 71472383..09b742bf 100644
--- a/src/wait-for-dom-change.js
+++ b/src/wait-for-dom-change.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   setImmediate,
   setTimeout,
   clearTimeout,
+  runWithRealTimers,
 } from './helpers'
 import {getConfig} from './config'
 
@@ -20,7 +21,9 @@ function waitForDomChange({
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const timer = setTimeout(onTimeout, timeout)
     const observer = newMutationObserver(onMutation)
-    observer.observe(container, mutationObserverOptions)
+    runWithRealTimers(() =>
+      observer.observe(container, mutationObserverOptions),
+    )
 
     function onDone(error, result) {
       clearTimeout(timer)
diff --git a/src/wait-for-element-to-be-removed.js b/src/wait-for-element-to-be-removed.js
index 86e4b1fc..8bcbccb2 100644
--- a/src/wait-for-element-to-be-removed.js
+++ b/src/wait-for-element-to-be-removed.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   setImmediate,
   setTimeout,
   clearTimeout,
+  runWithRealTimers,
 } from './helpers'
 import {getConfig} from './config'
 
@@ -43,7 +44,9 @@ function waitForElementToBeRemoved(
         )
       } else {
         // Only observe for mutations only if there is element while checking synchronously
-        observer.observe(container, mutationObserverOptions)
+        runWithRealTimers(() =>
+          observer.observe(container, mutationObserverOptions),
+        )
       }
     } catch (error) {
       onDone(error)
diff --git a/src/wait-for-element.js b/src/wait-for-element.js
index 352f36ae..30fe0e9a 100644
--- a/src/wait-for-element.js
+++ b/src/wait-for-element.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   setImmediate,
   setTimeout,
   clearTimeout,
+  runWithRealTimers,
 } from './helpers'
 import {getConfig} from './config'
 
@@ -31,7 +32,9 @@ function waitForElement(
     const timer = setTimeout(onTimeout, timeout)
 
     const observer = newMutationObserver(onMutation)
-    observer.observe(container, mutationObserverOptions)
+    runWithRealTimers(() =>
+      observer.observe(container, mutationObserverOptions),
+    )
     function onDone(error, result) {
       clearTimeout(timer)
       setImmediate(() => observer.disconnect())