diff --git a/network/throttling/inbound_conn_upgrade_throttler.go b/network/throttling/inbound_conn_upgrade_throttler.go
index 4067d80b2b29..70ef77fe7dd2 100644
--- a/network/throttling/inbound_conn_upgrade_throttler.go
+++ b/network/throttling/inbound_conn_upgrade_throttler.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/logging"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/set"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/timer/mockable"
+
+	utils_timer "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/timer"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -131,10 +133,7 @@ func (n *inboundConnUpgradeThrottler) ShouldUpgrade(addrPort netip.AddrPort) boo
 }
 
 func (n *inboundConnUpgradeThrottler) Dispatch() {
-	timer := time.NewTimer(0)
-	if !timer.Stop() {
-		<-timer.C
-	}
+	timer := utils_timer.StoppedTimer()
 
 	defer timer.Stop()
 	for {
diff --git a/tests/antithesis/avalanchego/main.go b/tests/antithesis/avalanchego/main.go
index ae8f0bb051e8..648a4eb09314 100644
--- a/tests/antithesis/avalanchego/main.go
+++ b/tests/antithesis/avalanchego/main.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/wallet/subnet/primary"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/wallet/subnet/primary/common"
 
+	utils_timer "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/timer"
 	xtxs "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/vms/avm/txs"
 	ptxs "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/vms/platformvm/txs"
 	xbuilder "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/wallet/chain/x/builder"
@@ -148,10 +149,7 @@ type workload struct {
 }
 
 func (w *workload) run(ctx context.Context) {
-	timer := time.NewTimer(0)
-	if !timer.Stop() {
-		<-timer.C
-	}
+	timer := utils_timer.StoppedTimer()
 
 	var (
 		xWallet  = w.wallet.X()
diff --git a/tests/antithesis/xsvm/main.go b/tests/antithesis/xsvm/main.go
index 9e70ebff1fbf..ed6f72667421 100644
--- a/tests/antithesis/xsvm/main.go
+++ b/tests/antithesis/xsvm/main.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/vms/example/xsvm/api"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/vms/example/xsvm/cmd/issue/status"
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/vms/example/xsvm/cmd/issue/transfer"
+
+	utils_timer "github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/timer"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -118,10 +120,7 @@ type workload struct {
 }
 
 func (w *workload) run(ctx context.Context) {
-	timer := time.NewTimer(0)
-	if !timer.Stop() {
-		<-timer.C
-	}
+	timer := utils_timer.StoppedTimer()
 
 	uri := w.uris[w.id%len(w.uris)]
 
diff --git a/utils/timer/stopped_timer.go b/utils/timer/stopped_timer.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..11061241d172
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/timer/stopped_timer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2019-2024, Ava Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.
+// See the file LICENSE for licensing terms.
+
+package timer
+
+import (
+	"time"
+)
+
+// StoppedTimer returns a stopped timer so that there is no entry on
+// the C channel (and there isn't one scheduled to be added).
+//
+// This means that after calling Reset there will be no events on the
+// channel until the timer fires (at which point there will be exactly
+// one event sent to the channel).
+
+// It enables re-using the timer across loop iterations without
+// needing to have the first loop iteration perform any == nil checks
+// to initialize the first invocation.
+func StoppedTimer() *time.Timer {
+	timer := time.NewTimer(0)
+	if !timer.Stop() {
+		<-timer.C
+	}
+	return timer
+}