diff --git a/daemon/aux.c b/daemon/aux.c
index 85fa9ed1d..1d686cd7b 100644
--- a/daemon/aux.c
+++ b/daemon/aux.c
@@ -303,3 +303,20 @@ void thread_create_detach_prio(void (*f)(void *), void *d, const char *scheduler
 	if (thread_create(thread_detach_func, dt, 1, NULL, name))
 		abort();
 }
+
+static void thread_looper_helper(void *fp) {
+	void (*f)(void) = fp;
+
+	while (!rtpe_shutdown) {
+		gettimeofday(&rtpe_now, NULL);
+		f();
+
+		thread_cancel_enable();
+		usleep(1000000);			/* sleep for 1 second in each iteration */
+		thread_cancel_disable();
+	}
+}
+
+void thread_create_looper(void (*f)(void), const char *scheduler, int priority, const char *name) {
+	thread_create_detach_prio(thread_looper_helper, f, scheduler, priority, name);
+}
diff --git a/daemon/ice.c b/daemon/ice.c
index cd727f6ec..ae2c9f050 100644
--- a/daemon/ice.c
+++ b/daemon/ice.c
@@ -762,20 +762,6 @@ void ice_slow_timer(void) {
 	fragments_cleanup(false);
 }
 
-/**
- * Separate thread for for ice slow timer functionality.
- */
-void ice_slow_timer_iterator(void * dummy) {
-	while (!rtpe_shutdown) {
-		gettimeofday(&rtpe_now, NULL);
-		ice_slow_timer();
-
-		thread_cancel_enable();
-		usleep(1000000);			/* sleep for 1 second in each iteration */
-		thread_cancel_disable();
-	}
-}
-
 static void __fail_pair(struct ice_candidate_pair *pair) {
 	ilogs(ice, LOG_DEBUG, "Setting ICE candidate pair "PAIR_FORMAT" as failed", PAIR_FMT(pair));
 	PAIR_SET(pair, FAILED);
diff --git a/daemon/main.c b/daemon/main.c
index 084263f60..f68bd12e2 100644
--- a/daemon/main.c
+++ b/daemon/main.c
@@ -1347,7 +1347,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			rtpe_config.idle_priority, "load monitor");
 
 	/* separate thread for releasing ports (sockets), which are scheduled for clearing */
-	thread_create_detach_prio(sockets_releaser, NULL, rtpe_config.idle_scheduling,
+	thread_create_looper(release_closed_sockets, rtpe_config.idle_scheduling,
 			rtpe_config.idle_priority, "release closed sockets");
 
 	/* separate thread for update of running min/max call counters */
@@ -1355,11 +1355,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			rtpe_config.idle_priority, "call rate stats");
 
 	/* separate thread for ports iterations (stats update from the kernel) functionality */
-	thread_create_detach_prio(kernel_stats_updater_iterator, NULL, rtpe_config.idle_scheduling,
+	thread_create_looper(kernel_stats_updater, rtpe_config.idle_scheduling,
 			rtpe_config.idle_priority, "kernel stats updater");
 
 	/* separate thread for ice slow timer functionality */
-	thread_create_detach_prio(ice_slow_timer_iterator, NULL, rtpe_config.idle_scheduling,
+	thread_create_looper(ice_slow_timer, rtpe_config.idle_scheduling,
 			rtpe_config.idle_priority, "ice slow timer");
 
 	if (!is_addr_unspecified(&rtpe_config.redis_ep.address) && initial_rtpe_config.redis_delete_async)
diff --git a/daemon/media_socket.c b/daemon/media_socket.c
index 1b8778031..d0c0dea57 100644
--- a/daemon/media_socket.c
+++ b/daemon/media_socket.c
@@ -1002,19 +1002,6 @@ void append_thread_lpr_to_glob_lpr(void) {
 	mutex_unlock(&ports_to_release_glob_lock);
 }
 
-/**
- * Separate thread for releasing sockets scheduled for closing.
- */
-void sockets_releaser(void * dummy) {
-	while (!rtpe_shutdown) {
-		release_closed_sockets();
-
-		thread_cancel_enable();
-		usleep(1000000);			/* sleep for 1 second in each iteration */
-		thread_cancel_disable();
-	}
-}
-
 /**
  * Puts a list of `socket_t` objects into the `out`.
  *
@@ -3340,7 +3327,7 @@ struct interface_stats_block *interface_sampled_rate_stats_get(struct interface_
 /**
  * Ports iterations (stats update from the kernel) functionality.
  */
-static void kernel_stats_updater(void) {
+void kernel_stats_updater(void) {
 	struct rtpengine_list_entry *ke;
 	struct packet_stream *ps;
 	int j;
@@ -3507,13 +3494,3 @@ next:
 	}
 
 }
-void kernel_stats_updater_iterator(void * dummy) {
-	while (!rtpe_shutdown) {
-		gettimeofday(&rtpe_now, NULL);
-		kernel_stats_updater();
-
-		thread_cancel_enable();
-		usleep(1000000);			/* sleep for 1 second in each iteration */
-		thread_cancel_disable();
-	}
-}
diff --git a/include/aux.h b/include/aux.h
index bea02d9f3..06a3a91d5 100644
--- a/include/aux.h
+++ b/include/aux.h
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ void thread_waker_add(struct thread_waker *);
 void thread_waker_del(struct thread_waker *);
 void threads_join_all(bool cancel);
 void thread_create_detach_prio(void (*)(void *), void *, const char *, int, const char *);
+void thread_create_looper(void (*f)(void), const char *scheduler, int priority, const char *name);
 INLINE void thread_create_detach(void (*f)(void *), void *a, const char *name) {
 	thread_create_detach_prio(f, a, NULL, 0, name);
 }
diff --git a/include/ice.h b/include/ice.h
index 175e7947b..8a4af0fed 100644
--- a/include/ice.h
+++ b/include/ice.h
@@ -176,8 +176,6 @@ bool trickle_ice_update(struct ng_buffer *ngbuf, struct call *call, struct sdp_n
 
 void ice_slow_timer(void);
 
-void ice_slow_timer_iterator(void * dummy);
-
 #include "call.h"
 
 
diff --git a/include/media_socket.h b/include/media_socket.h
index 21eca9d2e..45d911da4 100644
--- a/include/media_socket.h
+++ b/include/media_socket.h
@@ -300,7 +300,6 @@ struct stream_fd *stream_fd_new(socket_t *fd, struct call *call, struct local_in
 struct stream_fd *stream_fd_lookup(const endpoint_t *);
 void stream_fd_release(struct stream_fd *);
 void release_closed_sockets(void);
-void sockets_releaser(void * dummy);
 void append_thread_lpr_to_glob_lpr(void);
 
 void free_intf_list(struct intf_list *il);
@@ -334,7 +333,7 @@ const struct transport_protocol *transport_protocol(const str *s);
 //void play_buffered(struct packet_stream *sink, struct codec_packet *cp, int buffered);
 void play_buffered(struct jb_packet *cp);
 
-void kernel_stats_updater_iterator(void * dummy);
+void kernel_stats_updater(void);
 
 INLINE int proto_is_rtp(const struct transport_protocol *protocol) {
 	// known to be RTP? therefore unknown is not RTP