diff --git a/src/helper/command.c b/src/helper/command.c
index ef50ab5bd..26d22794d 100644
--- a/src/helper/command.c
+++ b/src/helper/command.c
@@ -943,7 +943,19 @@ static int jim_command_dispatch(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *a
 	if (!command_can_run(cmd_ctx, c, Jim_GetString(argv[0], NULL)))
 		return JIM_ERR;
 
-	target_call_timer_callbacks();
+	/*
+	 * TODO: to be removed after v0.12.0
+	 * workaround for https://sourceforge.net/p/openocd/tickets/362/
+	 * After syntax change of "expr" in jimtcl 0.81
+	 * the replacement of jimtcl "expr" with openocd version in
+	 * https://review.openocd.org/6510/
+	 * introduces too many target polling during math expressions with
+	 * "expr" commands.
+	 * After v0.12.0 replace the following two lines with
+	 * target_call_timer_callbacks();
+	 */
+	if (strcmp(c->name, "expr"))
+		target_call_timer_callbacks_now();
 
 	/*
 	 * Black magic of overridden current target:
diff --git a/src/openocd.c b/src/openocd.c
index 54c5eb34f..07955256c 100644
--- a/src/openocd.c
+++ b/src/openocd.c
@@ -230,6 +230,65 @@ static int openocd_register_commands(struct command_context *cmd_ctx)
 	return register_commands(cmd_ctx, NULL, openocd_command_handlers);
 }
 
+/*
+ * TODO: to be removed after v0.12.0
+ * workaround for syntax change of "expr" in jimtcl 0.81
+ * replace "expr" with openocd version that prints the deprecated msg
+ */
+struct jim_scriptobj {
+	void *token;
+	Jim_Obj *filename_obj;
+	int len;
+	int subst_flags;
+	int in_use;
+	int firstline;
+	int linenr;
+	int missing;
+};
+
+static int jim_expr_command(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj * const *argv)
+{
+	if (argc == 2)
+		return Jim_EvalExpression(interp, argv[1]);
+
+	if (argc > 2) {
+		Jim_Obj *obj = Jim_ConcatObj(interp, argc - 1, argv + 1);
+		Jim_IncrRefCount(obj);
+		const char *s = Jim_String(obj);
+		struct jim_scriptobj *script = Jim_GetIntRepPtr(interp->currentScriptObj);
+		if (interp->currentScriptObj == interp->emptyObj ||
+				strcmp(interp->currentScriptObj->typePtr->name, "script") ||
+				script->subst_flags ||
+				script->filename_obj == interp->emptyObj)
+			LOG_WARNING("DEPRECATED! use 'expr { %s }' not 'expr %s'", s, s);
+		else
+			LOG_WARNING("DEPRECATED! (%s:%d) use 'expr { %s }' not 'expr %s'",
+						Jim_String(script->filename_obj), script->linenr, s, s);
+		int retcode = Jim_EvalExpression(interp, obj);
+		Jim_DecrRefCount(interp, obj);
+		return retcode;
+	}
+
+	Jim_WrongNumArgs(interp, 1, argv, "expression ?...?");
+	return JIM_ERR;
+}
+
+static const struct command_registration expr_handler[] = {
+	{
+		.name = "expr",
+		.jim_handler = jim_expr_command,
+		.mode = COMMAND_ANY,
+		.help = "",
+		.usage = "",
+	},
+	COMMAND_REGISTRATION_DONE
+};
+
+static int workaround_for_jimtcl_expr(struct command_context *cmd_ctx)
+{
+	return register_commands(cmd_ctx, NULL, expr_handler);
+}
+
 struct command_context *global_cmd_ctx;
 
 static struct command_context *setup_command_handler(Jim_Interp *interp)
@@ -242,6 +301,7 @@ static struct command_context *setup_command_handler(Jim_Interp *interp)
 	/* register subsystem commands */
 	typedef int (*command_registrant_t)(struct command_context *cmd_ctx_value);
 	static const command_registrant_t command_registrants[] = {
+		&workaround_for_jimtcl_expr,
 		&openocd_register_commands,
 		&server_register_commands,
 		&gdb_register_commands,