diff --git a/data/lua/wml-tags.lua b/data/lua/wml-tags.lua
index d9ddc3c75d9..69679ec5651 100644
--- a/data/lua/wml-tags.lua
+++ b/data/lua/wml-tags.lua
@@ -539,3 +539,9 @@ function wml_actions.terrain(cfg)
 		wesnoth.set_terrain(loc[1], loc[2], terrain, cfg.layer, cfg.replace_if_failed)
 	end
 end
+
+function wml_actions.delay(cfg)
+	local delay = tonumber(cfg.time) or
+		helper.wml_error "[delay] missing required time= attribute."
+	wesnoth.delay(delay)
+end
diff --git a/src/game_events.cpp b/src/game_events.cpp
index a76ed31dc41..1d7d8ac7df1 100644
--- a/src/game_events.cpp
+++ b/src/game_events.cpp
@@ -727,13 +727,6 @@ WML_HANDLER_FUNCTION(colour_adjust, /*event_info*/, cfg)
 	color_adjust(cfg);
 }
 
-
-WML_HANDLER_FUNCTION(delay, /*event_info*/, cfg)
-{
-	game_display &screen = *resources::screen;
-	screen.delay(cfg["time"]);
-}
-
 WML_HANDLER_FUNCTION(scroll, /*event_info*/, cfg)
 {
 	game_display &screen = *resources::screen;