diff --git a/kernel/time/Kconfig b/kernel/time/Kconfig
index c88fc43494c9e03e43217f12d75d6c8a7bb26ac7..27cc404ea18756b751ab2ed169e7b560ebeba62f 100644
--- a/kernel/time/Kconfig
+++ b/kernel/time/Kconfig
@@ -75,17 +75,33 @@ config NO_HZ_COMMON
 	depends on !ARCH_USES_GETTIMEOFFSET && GENERIC_CLOCKEVENTS
 	select TICK_ONESHOT
 
+# Kept around for compatibility, maps to NO_HZ_IDLE
 config NO_HZ
-	bool "Tickless System (Dynamic Ticks)"
+	bool
+
+choice
+	prompt "Timer tick handling"
+	default NO_HZ_IDLE if NO_HZ
+
+config PERIODIC_HZ
+	bool "Periodic timer ticks (constant rate, no dynticks)"
+	help
+	  This option keeps the tick running periodically at a constant
+	  rate, even when the CPU doesn't need it.
+
+config NO_HZ_IDLE
+	bool "Idle dynticks system (tickless idle)"
 	depends on !ARCH_USES_GETTIMEOFFSET && GENERIC_CLOCKEVENTS
 	select NO_HZ_COMMON
 	help
-	  This option enables a tickless system: timer interrupts will
-	  only trigger on an as-needed basis both when the system is
-	  busy and when the system is idle.
+	  This option enables a tickless idle system: timer interrupts
+	  will only trigger on an as-needed basis when the system is idle.
+	  This is usually interesting for energy saving.
+
+	  Most of the time you want to say Y here.
 
 config NO_HZ_EXTENDED
-	bool "Full dynticks system"
+	bool "Full dynticks system (tickless single task)"
 	# NO_HZ_COMMON dependency
 	depends on !ARCH_USES_GETTIMEOFFSET && GENERIC_CLOCKEVENTS
 	# RCU_USER_QS
@@ -112,6 +128,8 @@ config NO_HZ_EXTENDED
 
 	 Say N.
 
+endchoice
+
 config HIGH_RES_TIMERS
 	bool "High Resolution Timer Support"
 	depends on !ARCH_USES_GETTIMEOFFSET && GENERIC_CLOCKEVENTS