diff --git a/services/spd/opteed/opteed.mk b/services/spd/opteed/opteed.mk
index b1b21751f..643b05424 100644
--- a/services/spd/opteed/opteed.mk
+++ b/services/spd/opteed/opteed.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2013-2014, ARM Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.
+# Copyright (c) 2013-2019, ARM Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 #
@@ -13,3 +13,6 @@ SPD_SOURCES		:=	services/spd/opteed/opteed_common.c	\
 				services/spd/opteed/opteed_pm.c
 
 NEED_BL32		:=	yes
+
+# required so that optee code can control access to the timer registers
+NS_TIMER_SWITCH		:=	1