diff --git a/src/devices/machine/timer.h b/src/devices/machine/timer.h
index 64dc66f38c5..04d0f192325 100644
--- a/src/devices/machine/timer.h
+++ b/src/devices/machine/timer.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public:
 	bool enabled() const { return m_timer->enabled(); }
 
 	// property setters
-	void set_param(int param) const { assert(m_type == TIMER_TYPE_GENERIC); m_timer->set_param(param); }
+	void set_param(int param) const { if(m_type != TIMER_TYPE_GENERIC) fatalerror("Cannot change parameter on a non-generic timer.\n"); m_timer->set_param(param); }
 	void set_ptr(void *ptr) { m_ptr = ptr; }
 	void enable(bool enable = true) const { m_timer->enable(enable); }
 
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ public:
 	void reset() { adjust(attotime::never, 0, attotime::never); }
 	void adjust(const attotime &duration, s32 param = 0, const attotime &period = attotime::never) const
 	{
-		assert(m_type == TIMER_TYPE_GENERIC);
+		if(m_type != TIMER_TYPE_GENERIC)
+			fatalerror("Cannot adjust a non-generic timer.\n");
 		m_timer->adjust(duration, param, period);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/nes_sh6578.cpp b/src/mame/drivers/nes_sh6578.cpp
index 60cf7780fac..d0db1f56e8b 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/nes_sh6578.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/nes_sh6578.cpp
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ void nes_sh6578_state::nes_sh6578(machine_config& config)
 	m_screen->set_visarea(0*8, 32*8-1, 0*8, 30*8-1);
 	m_screen->set_screen_update(FUNC(nes_sh6578_state::screen_update));
 
-	TIMER(config, m_timer).configure_periodic(FUNC(nes_sh6578_state::timer_expired), attotime::never);
+	TIMER(config, m_timer).configure_generic(FUNC(nes_sh6578_state::timer_expired));
 
 	/* sound hardware */
 	SPEAKER(config, "mono").front_center();
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/vt1682.cpp b/src/mame/drivers/vt1682.cpp
index 8791fbacba2..ae2e3653965 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/vt1682.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/vt1682.cpp
@@ -5487,7 +5487,7 @@ void vt_vt1682_state::vt_vt1682_palbase(machine_config& config)
 void vt_vt1682_state::vt_vt1682_common(machine_config& config)
 {
 	TIMER(config, "scantimer").configure_scanline(FUNC(vt_vt1682_state::scanline), "screen", 0, 1);
-	TIMER(config, m_render_timer).configure_periodic(FUNC(vt_vt1682_state::line_render_start), attotime::never);
+	TIMER(config, m_render_timer).configure_generic(FUNC(vt_vt1682_state::line_render_start));
 
 	VT_VT1682_ALU(config, m_maincpu_alu, 0);
 	VT_VT1682_ALU(config, m_soundcpu_alu, 0);
diff --git a/src/mame/machine/vt1682_timer.cpp b/src/mame/machine/vt1682_timer.cpp
index 393dadf2ea8..c7d27522e6b 100644
--- a/src/mame/machine/vt1682_timer.cpp
+++ b/src/mame/machine/vt1682_timer.cpp
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ WRITE8_MEMBER(vrt_vt1682_timer_device::vt1682_timer_irqclear_w)
 
 void vrt_vt1682_timer_device::device_add_mconfig(machine_config& config)
 {
-	TIMER(config, m_timer).configure_periodic(FUNC(vrt_vt1682_timer_device::timer_expired), attotime::never);
+	TIMER(config, m_timer).configure_generic(FUNC(vrt_vt1682_timer_device::timer_expired));
 }
 
 void vrt_vt1682_timer_device::change_clock()