diff --git a/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM0-GENERIC/main.c b/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM0-GENERIC/main.c
index 20af5d493..023db0b8c 100644
--- a/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM0-GENERIC/main.c
+++ b/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM0-GENERIC/main.c
@@ -16,8 +16,29 @@
 
 #include "nil.h"
 
+#if !defined(SYSTEM_CLOCK)
+#define SYSTEM_CLOCK 8000000U
+#endif
+
 /*
- * Blinker thread #1.
+ * @brief   System Timer handler.
+ */
+CH_IRQ_HANDLER(SysTick_Handler) {
+
+  CH_IRQ_PROLOGUE();
+
+  chSysLockFromISR();
+  chSysTimerHandlerI();
+  chSysUnlockFromISR();
+
+  CH_IRQ_EPILOGUE();
+}
+
+static uint32_t seconds_counter;
+static uint32_t minutes_counter;
+
+/*
+ * Seconds counter thread.
  */
 static THD_WORKING_AREA(waThread1, 128);
 static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
@@ -26,6 +47,21 @@ static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
 
   while (true) {
     chThdSleepMilliseconds(1000);
+    seconds_counter++;
+  }
+}
+
+/*
+ * Minutes counter thread.
+ */
+static THD_WORKING_AREA(waThread2, 128);
+static THD_FUNCTION(Thread2, arg) {
+
+  (void)arg;
+
+  while (true) {
+    chThdSleepSeconds(60);
+    minutes_counter++;
   }
 }
 
@@ -34,7 +70,8 @@ static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
  * match NIL_CFG_NUM_THREADS.
  */
 THD_TABLE_BEGIN
-  THD_TABLE_ENTRY(waThread1, "sleeper", Thread1, NULL)
+THD_TABLE_ENTRY(waThread1, "counter1", Thread1, NULL)
+THD_TABLE_ENTRY(waThread2, "counter2", Thread2, NULL)
 THD_TABLE_END
 
 /*
@@ -42,6 +79,15 @@ THD_TABLE_END
  */
 int main(void) {
 
+  /*
+   * Hardware initialization, in this simple demo just the systick timer is
+   * initialized.
+   */
+  SysTick->LOAD = SYSTEM_CLOCK / NIL_CFG_ST_FREQUENCY - (systime_t)1;
+  SysTick->VAL = (uint32_t)0;
+  SysTick->CTRL = SysTick_CTRL_CLKSOURCE_Msk | SysTick_CTRL_ENABLE_Msk |
+                  SysTick_CTRL_ENABLE_Msk;
+
   /*
    * System initializations.
    * - Kernel initialization, the main() function becomes a thread and the
diff --git a/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM0-GENERIC/nilconf.h b/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM0-GENERIC/nilconf.h
index 6718e19ff..27b6bac60 100644
--- a/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM0-GENERIC/nilconf.h
+++ b/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM0-GENERIC/nilconf.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
  * @note    This number is not inclusive of the idle thread which is
  *          Implicitly handled.
  */
-#define NIL_CFG_NUM_THREADS                 1
+#define NIL_CFG_NUM_THREADS                 2
 
 /** @} */
 
diff --git a/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM4-GENERIC/main.c b/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM4-GENERIC/main.c
index 20af5d493..023db0b8c 100644
--- a/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM4-GENERIC/main.c
+++ b/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM4-GENERIC/main.c
@@ -16,8 +16,29 @@
 
 #include "nil.h"
 
+#if !defined(SYSTEM_CLOCK)
+#define SYSTEM_CLOCK 8000000U
+#endif
+
 /*
- * Blinker thread #1.
+ * @brief   System Timer handler.
+ */
+CH_IRQ_HANDLER(SysTick_Handler) {
+
+  CH_IRQ_PROLOGUE();
+
+  chSysLockFromISR();
+  chSysTimerHandlerI();
+  chSysUnlockFromISR();
+
+  CH_IRQ_EPILOGUE();
+}
+
+static uint32_t seconds_counter;
+static uint32_t minutes_counter;
+
+/*
+ * Seconds counter thread.
  */
 static THD_WORKING_AREA(waThread1, 128);
 static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
@@ -26,6 +47,21 @@ static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
 
   while (true) {
     chThdSleepMilliseconds(1000);
+    seconds_counter++;
+  }
+}
+
+/*
+ * Minutes counter thread.
+ */
+static THD_WORKING_AREA(waThread2, 128);
+static THD_FUNCTION(Thread2, arg) {
+
+  (void)arg;
+
+  while (true) {
+    chThdSleepSeconds(60);
+    minutes_counter++;
   }
 }
 
@@ -34,7 +70,8 @@ static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
  * match NIL_CFG_NUM_THREADS.
  */
 THD_TABLE_BEGIN
-  THD_TABLE_ENTRY(waThread1, "sleeper", Thread1, NULL)
+THD_TABLE_ENTRY(waThread1, "counter1", Thread1, NULL)
+THD_TABLE_ENTRY(waThread2, "counter2", Thread2, NULL)
 THD_TABLE_END
 
 /*
@@ -42,6 +79,15 @@ THD_TABLE_END
  */
 int main(void) {
 
+  /*
+   * Hardware initialization, in this simple demo just the systick timer is
+   * initialized.
+   */
+  SysTick->LOAD = SYSTEM_CLOCK / NIL_CFG_ST_FREQUENCY - (systime_t)1;
+  SysTick->VAL = (uint32_t)0;
+  SysTick->CTRL = SysTick_CTRL_CLKSOURCE_Msk | SysTick_CTRL_ENABLE_Msk |
+                  SysTick_CTRL_ENABLE_Msk;
+
   /*
    * System initializations.
    * - Kernel initialization, the main() function becomes a thread and the
diff --git a/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM4-GENERIC/nilconf.h b/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM4-GENERIC/nilconf.h
index 6718e19ff..27b6bac60 100644
--- a/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM4-GENERIC/nilconf.h
+++ b/demos/various/NIL-ARMCM4-GENERIC/nilconf.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
  * @note    This number is not inclusive of the idle thread which is
  *          Implicitly handled.
  */
-#define NIL_CFG_NUM_THREADS                 1
+#define NIL_CFG_NUM_THREADS                 2
 
 /** @} */
 
diff --git a/demos/various/RT-ARMCM0-GENERIC/main.c b/demos/various/RT-ARMCM0-GENERIC/main.c
index fd6b6558e..2cc543d51 100644
--- a/demos/various/RT-ARMCM0-GENERIC/main.c
+++ b/demos/various/RT-ARMCM0-GENERIC/main.c
@@ -16,18 +16,40 @@
 
 #include "ch.h"
 
+#if !defined(SYSTEM_CLOCK)
+#define SYSTEM_CLOCK 8000000U
+#endif
+
 /*
- * This is a periodic thread that does absolutely nothing except sleeping.
+ * @brief   System Timer handler.
+ */
+CH_IRQ_HANDLER(SysTick_Handler) {
+
+  CH_IRQ_PROLOGUE();
+
+  chSysLockFromISR();
+  chSysTimerHandlerI();
+  chSysUnlockFromISR();
+
+  CH_IRQ_EPILOGUE();
+}
+
+static uint32_t seconds_counter;
+static uint32_t minutes_counter;
+
+/*
+ * Seconds counter thread.
  */
 static THD_WORKING_AREA(waThread1, 128);
 static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
 
   (void)arg;
 
-  chRegSetThreadName("sleeper");
+  chRegSetThreadName("counter");
 
   while (true) {
     chThdSleepMilliseconds(1000);
+    seconds_counter++;
   }
 }
 
@@ -36,6 +58,15 @@ static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
  */
 int main(void) {
 
+  /*
+   * Hardware initialization, in this simple demo just the systick timer is
+   * initialized.
+   */
+  SysTick->LOAD = SYSTEM_CLOCK / CH_CFG_ST_FREQUENCY - (systime_t)1;
+  SysTick->VAL = (uint32_t)0;
+  SysTick->CTRL = SysTick_CTRL_CLKSOURCE_Msk | SysTick_CTRL_ENABLE_Msk |
+                  SysTick_CTRL_ENABLE_Msk;
+
   /*
    * System initializations.
    * - Kernel initialization, the main() function becomes a thread and the
@@ -49,9 +80,11 @@ int main(void) {
   (void) chThdCreateStatic(waThread1, sizeof(waThread1), NORMALPRIO, Thread1, NULL);
 
   /*
-   * Normal main() thread activity, in this demo it just sleeps.
+   * Normal main() thread activity, in this demo it does nothing except
+   * increasing the minutes counter.
    */
   while (true) {
-    chThdSleepMilliseconds(1000);
+    chThdSleepSeconds(60);
+    minutes_counter++;
   }
 }
diff --git a/demos/various/RT-ARMCM4-GENERIC/main.c b/demos/various/RT-ARMCM4-GENERIC/main.c
index fd6b6558e..2cc543d51 100644
--- a/demos/various/RT-ARMCM4-GENERIC/main.c
+++ b/demos/various/RT-ARMCM4-GENERIC/main.c
@@ -16,18 +16,40 @@
 
 #include "ch.h"
 
+#if !defined(SYSTEM_CLOCK)
+#define SYSTEM_CLOCK 8000000U
+#endif
+
 /*
- * This is a periodic thread that does absolutely nothing except sleeping.
+ * @brief   System Timer handler.
+ */
+CH_IRQ_HANDLER(SysTick_Handler) {
+
+  CH_IRQ_PROLOGUE();
+
+  chSysLockFromISR();
+  chSysTimerHandlerI();
+  chSysUnlockFromISR();
+
+  CH_IRQ_EPILOGUE();
+}
+
+static uint32_t seconds_counter;
+static uint32_t minutes_counter;
+
+/*
+ * Seconds counter thread.
  */
 static THD_WORKING_AREA(waThread1, 128);
 static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
 
   (void)arg;
 
-  chRegSetThreadName("sleeper");
+  chRegSetThreadName("counter");
 
   while (true) {
     chThdSleepMilliseconds(1000);
+    seconds_counter++;
   }
 }
 
@@ -36,6 +58,15 @@ static THD_FUNCTION(Thread1, arg) {
  */
 int main(void) {
 
+  /*
+   * Hardware initialization, in this simple demo just the systick timer is
+   * initialized.
+   */
+  SysTick->LOAD = SYSTEM_CLOCK / CH_CFG_ST_FREQUENCY - (systime_t)1;
+  SysTick->VAL = (uint32_t)0;
+  SysTick->CTRL = SysTick_CTRL_CLKSOURCE_Msk | SysTick_CTRL_ENABLE_Msk |
+                  SysTick_CTRL_ENABLE_Msk;
+
   /*
    * System initializations.
    * - Kernel initialization, the main() function becomes a thread and the
@@ -49,9 +80,11 @@ int main(void) {
   (void) chThdCreateStatic(waThread1, sizeof(waThread1), NORMALPRIO, Thread1, NULL);
 
   /*
-   * Normal main() thread activity, in this demo it just sleeps.
+   * Normal main() thread activity, in this demo it does nothing except
+   * increasing the minutes counter.
    */
   while (true) {
-    chThdSleepMilliseconds(1000);
+    chThdSleepSeconds(60);
+    minutes_counter++;
   }
 }