diff --git a/include/ntop_defines.h b/include/ntop_defines.h
index 41c812025b..1a6e672961 100644
--- a/include/ntop_defines.h
+++ b/include/ntop_defines.h
@@ -852,6 +852,7 @@
 #define SECOND_SCRIPT_PATH           "second.lua"
 #define MINUTE_SCRIPT_PATH           "minute.lua"
 #define HT_STATE_UPDATE_SCRIPT_PATH  "ht_state_update.lua"
+#define STATS_UPDATE_SCRIPT_PATH     "stats_update.lua"
 #define THIRTY_SECONDS_SCRIPT_PATH   "30sec.lua"
 #define FIVE_MINUTES_SCRIPT_PATH     "5min.lua"
 #define HOURLY_SCRIPT_PATH           "hourly.lua"
diff --git a/scripts/callbacks/interface/ht_state_update.lua b/scripts/callbacks/interface/ht_state_update.lua
index c0977feec3..c5dd65cc54 100644
--- a/scripts/callbacks/interface/ht_state_update.lua
+++ b/scripts/callbacks/interface/ht_state_update.lua
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 local dirs = ntop.getDirs()
 package.path = dirs.installdir .. "/scripts/lua/modules/?.lua;" .. package.path
 
-require "lua_utils"
 -- Keep it in sync with HT_STATE_UPDATE_SCRIPT_PATH periodicity in PeriodicActivities.cpp
 -- that is, with the frequency of execution of this script.
 local HT_STATE_UPDATE_FREQ = 5 
diff --git a/scripts/callbacks/interface/stats_update.lua b/scripts/callbacks/interface/stats_update.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb789c6821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/callbacks/interface/stats_update.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+--
+-- (C) 2013 - ntop.org
+--
+
+local dirs = ntop.getDirs()
+package.path = dirs.installdir .. "/scripts/lua/modules/?.lua;" .. package.path
+
+-- ########################################################
+
+interface.periodicStatsUpdate()
+
+-- ########################################################
+
diff --git a/src/LuaEngine.cpp b/src/LuaEngine.cpp
index e8a4aca09c..38492bbdcd 100644
--- a/src/LuaEngine.cpp
+++ b/src/LuaEngine.cpp
@@ -5866,6 +5866,20 @@ static int ntop_periodic_ht_state_update(lua_State* vm) {
 
 /* ****************************************** */
 
+static int ntop_periodic_stats_update(lua_State* vm) {
+  NetworkInterface *ntop_interface = getCurrentInterface(vm);
+
+  if(!ntop_interface)
+    return(CONST_LUA_ERROR);
+
+  ntop_interface->periodicStatsUpdate();
+  lua_pushnil(vm);
+
+  return(CONST_LUA_OK);
+}
+
+/* ****************************************** */
+
 static int ntop_get_interface_stats(lua_State* vm) {
   NetworkInterface *ntop_interface = getCurrentInterface(vm);
   bool get_direction_stats = false;
@@ -10350,6 +10364,9 @@ static const luaL_Reg ntop_interface_reg[] = {
   { "getHashTablesStats",       ntop_get_interface_hash_tables_stats },
   { "periodicHTStateUpdate",    ntop_periodic_ht_state_update        },
 
+  /* Function for the periodic update of hash tables stats (e.g., throughputs) */
+  { "periodicStatsUpdate",      ntop_periodic_stats_update           },
+
 #ifndef HAVE_NEDGE
   { "processFlow",              ntop_process_flow },
 #endif
diff --git a/src/NetworkInterface.cpp b/src/NetworkInterface.cpp
index 3ae96fdc9e..2e8049c808 100644
--- a/src/NetworkInterface.cpp
+++ b/src/NetworkInterface.cpp
@@ -2729,6 +2729,9 @@ u_int32_t NetworkInterface::getFlowMaxIdle() {
 /* **************************************************** */
 
 void NetworkInterface::periodicStatsUpdate() {
+#if 0
+  ntop->getTrace()->traceEvent(TRACE_NORMAL, "[%s][%s]", __FUNCTION__, get_name());
+#endif
   u_int32_t begin_slot = 0;
   periodic_stats_update_user_data_t periodic_stats_update_user_data;
   struct timeval tv;
@@ -5430,16 +5433,6 @@ void NetworkInterface::lua_hash_tables_stats(lua_State *vm) {
 /* **************************************************** */
 
 void NetworkInterface::runHousekeepingTasks() {
-  /* NOTE NOTE NOTE
-
-     This task runs asynchronously with respect to ntopng
-     so if you need to allocate memory you must LOCK
-
-     Example HTTPStats::updateHTTPHostRequest() is called
-     by both this function and the main thread
-  */
-
-  periodicStatsUpdate();
 }
 
 /* **************************************************** */
diff --git a/src/PeriodicActivities.cpp b/src/PeriodicActivities.cpp
index 14ac4405a4..77a99a88c1 100644
--- a/src/PeriodicActivities.cpp
+++ b/src/PeriodicActivities.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ void PeriodicActivities::startPeriodicActivitiesLoop() {
   static activity_descr ad[] = {
     { SECOND_SCRIPT_PATH,             1, false, 1           },
     { HT_STATE_UPDATE_SCRIPT_PATH,    5, false, num_threads },
+    { STATS_UPDATE_SCRIPT_PATH,       5, false, num_threads },
     { MINUTE_SCRIPT_PATH,            60, false, num_threads },
     { FIVE_MINUTES_SCRIPT_PATH,     300, false, num_threads },
     { HOURLY_SCRIPT_PATH,          3600, false, num_threads },