diff --git a/src/kernel/mempool_entry.h b/src/kernel/mempool_entry.h
index dd0c23a2cde..29ca1fd0e28 100644
--- a/src/kernel/mempool_entry.h
+++ b/src/kernel/mempool_entry.h
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 #include <primitives/transaction.h>
 #include <txgraph.h>
 #include <util/overflow.h>
+#include <util/time.h>
 
-#include <chrono>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <functional>
diff --git a/src/kernel/mempool_options.h b/src/kernel/mempool_options.h
index a18d565c65c..392c837fbbf 100644
--- a/src/kernel/mempool_options.h
+++ b/src/kernel/mempool_options.h
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 
 #include <policy/feerate.h>
 #include <policy/policy.h>
+#include <util/time.h>
 
-#include <chrono>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <optional>
 
diff --git a/src/util/time.h b/src/util/time.h
index 967ea780aaf..30d363bb612 100644
--- a/src/util/time.h
+++ b/src/util/time.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #ifndef BITCOIN_UTIL_TIME_H
 #define BITCOIN_UTIL_TIME_H
 
+// The `util/time.h` header is designed to be a drop-in replacement for `chrono`.
 #include <chrono> // IWYU pragma: export
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <optional>