diff --git a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/api/timer/server/methods.js b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/api/timer/server/methods.js
index 85be11faa2..9ba7df826b 100644
--- a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/api/timer/server/methods.js
+++ b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/api/timer/server/methods.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { Meteor } from 'meteor/meteor';
-import activateTimer from './methods/activateTimer';
 import deactivateTimer from './methods/deactivateTimer';
 import resetTimer from './methods/resetTimer';
 import startTimer from './methods/startTimer';
@@ -11,7 +10,6 @@ import setTrack from './methods/setTrack';
 import timerEnded from './methods/endTimer';
 
 Meteor.methods({
-  activateTimer,
   deactivateTimer,
   resetTimer,
   startTimer,
diff --git a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/api/timer/server/methods/activateTimer.js b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/api/timer/server/methods/activateTimer.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 41cb168caa..0000000000
--- a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/api/timer/server/methods/activateTimer.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-import { check } from 'meteor/check';
-import RedisPubSub from '/imports/startup/server/redis';
-import Logger from '/imports/startup/server/logger';
-import { extractCredentials } from '/imports/api/common/server/helpers';
-import { getInitialState } from '../helpers';
-
-export default function activateTimer() {
-  const REDIS_CONFIG = Meteor.settings.private.redis;
-  const CHANNEL = REDIS_CONFIG.channels.toAkkaApps;
-  const EVENT_NAME = 'ActivateTimerReqMsg';
-
-  try {
-    const { meetingId, requesterUserId } = extractCredentials(this.userId);
-    check(meetingId, String);
-    check(requesterUserId, String);
-
-    const payload = getInitialState();
-
-    RedisPubSub.publishUserMessage(CHANNEL, EVENT_NAME, meetingId, requesterUserId, payload);
-  } catch (err) {
-    Logger.error(`Activating timer: ${err}`);
-  }
-}
diff --git a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/actions-bar/actions-dropdown/component.jsx b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/actions-bar/actions-dropdown/component.jsx
index 3f55470ff4..3ae3bd60e9 100755
--- a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/actions-bar/actions-dropdown/component.jsx
+++ b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/actions-bar/actions-dropdown/component.jsx
@@ -165,9 +165,9 @@ class ActionsDropdown extends PureComponent {
   }
 
   handleTimerClick() {
-    const { isTimerActive, layoutContextDispatch } = this.props;
+    const { isTimerActive, activateTimer } = this.props;
     if (!isTimerActive) {
-      TimerService.activateTimer(layoutContextDispatch);
+      activateTimer();
     } else {
       TimerService.deactivateTimer();
     }
diff --git a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/actions-bar/actions-dropdown/container.jsx b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/actions-bar/actions-dropdown/container.jsx
index 97d6d31534..ad3b5198c2 100644
--- a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/actions-bar/actions-dropdown/container.jsx
+++ b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/actions-bar/actions-dropdown/container.jsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import React, { useContext } from 'react';
 import PresentationUploaderService from '/imports/ui/components/presentation/presentation-uploader/service';
 import ActionsDropdown from './component';
 import { layoutSelectInput, layoutDispatch, layoutSelect } from '../../layout/context';
-import { SMALL_VIEWPORT_BREAKPOINT } from '../../layout/enums';
+import { SMALL_VIEWPORT_BREAKPOINT, ACTIONS, PANELS } from '../../layout/enums';
 import { isCameraAsContentEnabled, isTimerFeatureEnabled } from '/imports/ui/services/features';
 import { PluginsContext } from '/imports/ui/components/components-data/plugin-context/context';
 import { useSubscription, useMutation } from '@apollo/client';
@@ -10,8 +10,12 @@ import {
   PROCESSED_PRESENTATIONS_SUBSCRIPTION,
 } from '/imports/ui/components/whiteboard/queries';
 import { SET_PRESENTER } from '/imports/ui/core/graphql/mutations/userMutations';
+import { TIMER_ACTIVATE } from '../../timer/mutations';
 import Auth from '/imports/ui/services/auth';
 
+const TIMER_CONFIG = Meteor.settings.public.timer;
+const MILLI_IN_MINUTE = 60000;
+
 const ActionsDropdownContainer = (props) => {
   const sidebarContent = layoutSelectInput((i) => i.sidebarContent);
   const sidebarNavigation = layoutSelectInput((i) => i.sidebarNavigation);
@@ -29,11 +33,29 @@ const ActionsDropdownContainer = (props) => {
   const presentations = presentationData?.pres_presentation || [];
 
   const [setPresenter] = useMutation(SET_PRESENTER);
+  const [timerActivate] = useMutation(TIMER_ACTIVATE);
 
   const handleTakePresenter = () => {
     setPresenter({ variables: { userId: Auth.userID } });
   };
 
+  const activateTimer = () => {
+    const stopwatch = true;
+    const running = false;
+    const time = TIMER_CONFIG.time * MILLI_IN_MINUTE;
+
+    timerActivate({ variables: { stopwatch, running, time } });
+
+    layoutContextDispatch({
+      type: ACTIONS.SET_SIDEBAR_CONTENT_IS_OPEN,
+      value: true,
+    });
+    layoutContextDispatch({
+      type: ACTIONS.SET_SIDEBAR_CONTENT_PANEL,
+      value: PANELS.TIMER,
+    });
+  };
+
   return (
     <ActionsDropdown
       {...{
@@ -49,6 +71,7 @@ const ActionsDropdownContainer = (props) => {
         setPresentation: PresentationUploaderService.setPresentation,
         isCameraAsContentEnabled: isCameraAsContentEnabled(),
         handleTakePresenter,
+        activateTimer,
         ...props,
       }}
     />
diff --git a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/timer/mutations.jsx b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/timer/mutations.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..574a0cbcc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/timer/mutations.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { gql } from '@apollo/client';
+
+export const TIMER_ACTIVATE = gql`
+  mutation timerActivate($stopwatch: Boolean!, $running: Boolean!, $time: Int!) {
+    timerActivate(
+      stopwatch: $stopwatch,
+      running: $running,
+      time: $time
+    )
+  }
+`;
+
+export default {
+  TIMER_ACTIVATE,
+};
diff --git a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/timer/service.js b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/timer/service.js
index 278e5bdb56..4f723bea16 100644
--- a/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/timer/service.js
+++ b/bigbluebutton-html5/imports/ui/components/timer/service.js
@@ -91,26 +91,6 @@ const setTimer = (time) => makeCall('setTimer', time);
 
 const resetTimer = () => makeCall('resetTimer');
 
-const activateTimer = (layoutContextDispatch) => {
-    makeCall('activateTimer');
-    //Set an observer to switch to timer tab as soon as the timer is activated
-    const handle =Timer.find({ meetingId: Auth.meetingID }).observeChanges({
-      changed(id, timer) {
-        if (timer.active === true) {
-          layoutContextDispatch({
-            type: ACTIONS.SET_SIDEBAR_CONTENT_IS_OPEN,
-            value: true,
-          });
-          layoutContextDispatch({
-            type: ACTIONS.SET_SIDEBAR_CONTENT_PANEL,
-            value: PANELS.TIMER,
-          });
-        }
-        handle.stop();
-      }
-    });
-  };
-
 const deactivateTimer = () => makeCall('deactivateTimer');
 
 const timerEnded = () => makeCall('timerEnded');
@@ -323,7 +303,6 @@ export default {
   setMinutes,
   setSeconds,
   resetTimer,
-  activateTimer,
   deactivateTimer,
   fetchTimeOffset,
   setTrack,