diff --git a/swt/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swt/SWTTimer.java b/swt/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swt/SWTTimer.java
index b301193..340fe26 100644
--- a/swt/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swt/SWTTimer.java
+++ b/swt/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swt/SWTTimer.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
     // happen in applet case when TimerQueues thread is destroyed.
     private long expirationTime;
     private SWTTimer nextTimer;
-    private boolean running;
+    boolean running;
 
     /**
      * DoPostEvent is a runnable class that fires actionEvents to the listeners
diff --git a/swt/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swt/SWTTimerQueue.java b/swt/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swt/SWTTimerQueue.java
index 363219d..95b95ef 100644
--- a/swt/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swt/SWTTimerQueue.java
+++ b/swt/src/main/java/edu/umd/cs/piccolox/swt/SWTTimerQueue.java
@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@
     }
 
     synchronized boolean containsTimer(final SWTTimer timer) {
-        return timer.isRunning();
+        //TODO: making this use isRunning without causing an infinite loop
+        return timer.running;
     }
 
     /**