diff --git a/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/client/main.lua b/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/client/main.lua
index b514199bc..e5542912d 100644
--- a/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/client/main.lua
+++ b/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/client/main.lua
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ local function stopGamemodeRound(winner, draw, aborted)
         toggleAllControls(true, true, false)
     end
     -- begin fading out the screen
-    fadeCamera(false, CAMERA_LOAD_DELAY/1000)
+    fadeCamera(false, ROUND_START_DELAY/1000)
     -- show end screen and scoreboard
     _hud.endScreen:update(winner, draw, aborted)
     _hud.endScreen:setVisible(true)
diff --git a/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/server/main.lua b/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/server/main.lua
index 63d124198..486dd94b0 100644
--- a/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/server/main.lua
+++ b/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/server/main.lua
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ local function startGamemodeMap(mapResource)
 		end
 	end
 	-- schedule round to begin
-	setTimer(beginRound, CAMERA_LOAD_DELAY, 1)
+	_startTimer =  exports.missiontimer:createMissionTimer(ROUND_START_DELAY, true, "Next round begins in %s seconds", 0.5, 20, true, "default-bold", 1)
+	addEventHandler("onMissionTimerElapsed", _startTimer, beginRound)
 end
 addEventHandler("onGamemodeMapStart", root, startGamemodeMap)
 
@@ -82,6 +83,10 @@ addEventHandler("onGamemodeMapStart", root, startGamemodeMap)
 --	stopGamemodeMap: cleans up a gamemode map
 --
 local function stopGamemodeMap(mapResource)
+	-- kill start timer, if it exists
+	if isElement(_startTimer) then
+		destroyElement(_startTimer)
+	end
 	-- end the round
 	endRound(false, false, true)
 	-- update game state
diff --git a/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/server/round.lua b/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/server/round.lua
index 778f48e7e..622e6e66f 100644
--- a/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/server/round.lua
+++ b/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/server/round.lua
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 --	beginRound: begins the round
 --
 function beginRound()
+	-- destroy start timer
+	destroyElement(_startTimer)
 	-- start round timer
 	if _timeLimit > 0 then
-		_missionTimer = exports.missiontimer:createMissionTimer(_timeLimit, true, true, 0.5, 20, true, "default-bold", 1)
+		_missionTimer = exports.missiontimer:createMissionTimer(_timeLimit, true, "%m:%s", 0.5, 20, true, "default-bold", 1)
 		addEventHandler("onMissionTimerElapsed", _missionTimer, onTimeElapsed)
 	end
 	-- attach player wasted handler
diff --git a/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/shared/shared.lua b/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/shared/shared.lua
index ab84255bf..b83743a0a 100644
--- a/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/shared/shared.lua
+++ b/[gamemodes]/[deathmatch]/deathmatch/shared/shared.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CAMERA_LOAD_DELAY = 5000 -- delay used at beginning and end of round (ms)
+ROUND_START_DELAY = 5000 -- delay used at beginning and end of round (ms)
 
 --
 --  enum: creates a c-style enum