diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-lint.yml b/.github/workflows/python-lint.yml
index d88b8a8..b2fe29f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-lint.yml
@@ -6,16 +6,17 @@ jobs:
   lint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-    - uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
-        python-version: "3.11"
+        python-version: "3.12"
     - uses: isort/isort-action@master
       with:
         sortPaths: "./maubot"
     - uses: psf/black@stable
       with:
         src: "./maubot"
+        version: "24.2.0"
     - name: pre-commit
       run: |
         pip install pre-commit
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 0de079e..e3c5bb8 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 repos:
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pre-commit-hooks
-    rev: v4.4.0
+    rev: v4.5.0
     hooks:
       - id: trailing-whitespace
         exclude_types: [markdown]
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ repos:
       - id: check-yaml
       - id: check-added-large-files
   - repo: https://github.com/psf/black
-    rev: 23.1.0
+    rev: 24.2.0
     hooks:
       - id: black
         language_version: python3
         files: ^maubot/.*\.pyi?$
   - repo: https://github.com/PyCQA/isort
-    rev: 5.12.0
+    rev: 5.13.2
     hooks:
       - id: isort
         files: ^maubot/.*\.pyi?$
diff --git a/dev-requirements.txt b/dev-requirements.txt
index 5cd14c2..bb8c2a0 100644
--- a/dev-requirements.txt
+++ b/dev-requirements.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 pre-commit>=2.10.1,<3
 isort>=5.10.1,<6
-black>=23,<24
+black>=24,<25
diff --git a/maubot/management/api/instance_database.py b/maubot/management/api/instance_database.py
index 97b2edf..a40434f 100644
--- a/maubot/management/api/instance_database.py
+++ b/maubot/management/api/instance_database.py
@@ -56,9 +56,11 @@ async def get_table(request: web.Request) -> web.Response:
     try:
         order = [tuple(order.split(":")) for order in request.query.getall("order")]
         order = [
-            (asc if sort.lower() == "asc" else desc)(table.columns[column])
-            if sort
-            else table.columns[column]
+            (
+                (asc if sort.lower() == "asc" else desc)(table.columns[column])
+                if sort
+                else table.columns[column]
+            )
             for column, sort in order
         ]
     except KeyError:
diff --git a/maubot/plugin_base.py b/maubot/plugin_base.py
index d7b6bbd..5e967dc 100644
--- a/maubot/plugin_base.py
+++ b/maubot/plugin_base.py
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ from mautrix.util.async_db import Database, UpgradeTable
 from mautrix.util.config import BaseProxyConfig
 from mautrix.util.logging import TraceLogger
 
+from .scheduler import BasicScheduler
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from .client import MaubotMatrixClient
     from .loader import BasePluginLoader
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ class Plugin(ABC):
     log: TraceLogger
     loop: AbstractEventLoop
     loader: BasePluginLoader
+    sched: BasicScheduler
     config: BaseProxyConfig | None
     database: Engine | Database | None
     webapp: PluginWebApp | None
@@ -58,6 +61,7 @@ class Plugin(ABC):
         webapp_url: str | None,
         loader: BasePluginLoader,
     ) -> None:
+        self.sched = BasicScheduler(log=log.getChild("scheduler"))
         self.client = client
         self.loop = loop
         self.http = http
@@ -117,6 +121,7 @@ class Plugin(ABC):
             self.client.remove_event_handler(event_type, func)
         if self.webapp is not None:
             self.webapp.clear()
+        self.sched.stop()
         await self.stop()
 
     async def stop(self) -> None:
diff --git a/maubot/scheduler.py b/maubot/scheduler.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cb39ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/maubot/scheduler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+# maubot - A plugin-based Matrix bot system.
+# Copyright (C) 2024 Tulir Asokan
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Awaitable, Callable
+import asyncio
+import logging
+
+
+class BasicScheduler:
+    background_loop: asyncio.Task | None
+    tasks: set[asyncio.Task]
+    log: logging.Logger
+
+    def __init__(self, log: logging.Logger) -> None:
+        self.log = log
+        self.tasks = set()
+
+    def _find_caller(self) -> str:
+        try:
+            file_name, line_number, function_name, _ = self.log.findCaller()
+            return f"{function_name} at {file_name}:{line_number}"
+        except ValueError:
+            return "unknown function"
+
+    def run_periodically(
+        self,
+        period: float | int,
+        func: Callable[[], Awaitable],
+        run_task_in_background: bool = False,
+        catch_errors: bool = True,
+    ) -> asyncio.Task:
+        """
+        Run a function periodically in the background.
+
+        Args:
+            period: The period in seconds between each call to the function.
+            func: The function to run. No parameters will be provided,
+                use :meth:`functools.partial` if you need to pass parameters.
+            run_task_in_background: If ``True``, the function will be run in a background task.
+                If ``False`` (the default), the loop will wait for the task to return before
+                sleeping for the next period.
+            catch_errors: Whether the scheduler should catch and log any errors.
+                If ``False``, errors will be raised, and the caller must await the returned task
+                to find errors. This parameter has no effect if ``run_task_in_background``
+                is ``True``.
+
+        Returns:
+            The asyncio task object representing the background loop.
+        """
+        task = asyncio.create_task(
+            self._call_periodically(
+                period,
+                func,
+                caller=self._find_caller(),
+                catch_errors=catch_errors,
+                run_task_in_background=run_task_in_background,
+            )
+        )
+        self._register_task(task)
+        return task
+
+    def run_later(
+        self, delay: float | int, coro: Awaitable, catch_errors: bool = True
+    ) -> asyncio.Task:
+        """
+        Run a coroutine after a delay.
+
+        Examples:
+            >>> self.sched.run_later(5, self.async_task(meow=True))
+
+        Args:
+            delay: The delay in seconds to await the coroutine after.
+            coro: The coroutine to await.
+            catch_errors: Whether the scheduler should catch and log any errors.
+                If ``False``, errors will be raised, and the caller must await the returned task
+                to find errors.
+
+        Returns:
+            The asyncio task object representing the scheduled task.
+        """
+        task = asyncio.create_task(
+            self._call_with_delay(
+                delay, coro, caller=self._find_caller(), catch_errors=catch_errors
+            )
+        )
+        self._register_task(task)
+        return task
+
+    def _register_task(self, task: asyncio.Task) -> None:
+        self.tasks.add(task)
+        task.add_done_callback(self.tasks.discard)
+
+    async def _call_periodically(
+        self,
+        period: float | int,
+        func: Callable[[], Awaitable],
+        caller: str,
+        catch_errors: bool,
+        run_task_in_background: bool,
+    ) -> None:
+        while True:
+            try:
+                await asyncio.sleep(period)
+                if run_task_in_background:
+                    self._register_task(
+                        asyncio.create_task(self._call_periodically_background(func(), caller))
+                    )
+                else:
+                    await func()
+            except asyncio.CancelledError:
+                raise
+            except Exception:
+                if catch_errors:
+                    self.log.exception(f"Uncaught error in background loop (created in {caller})")
+                else:
+                    raise
+
+    async def _call_periodically_background(self, coro: Awaitable, caller: str) -> None:
+        try:
+            await coro
+        except asyncio.CancelledError:
+            raise
+        except Exception:
+            self.log.exception(f"Uncaught error in background loop subtask (created in {caller})")
+
+    async def _call_with_delay(
+        self, delay: float | int, coro: Awaitable, caller: str, catch_errors: bool
+    ) -> None:
+        try:
+            await asyncio.sleep(delay)
+            await coro
+        except asyncio.CancelledError:
+            raise
+        except Exception:
+            if catch_errors:
+                self.log.exception(f"Uncaught error in scheduled task (created in {caller})")
+            else:
+                raise
+
+    def stop(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Stop all scheduled tasks and background loops.
+        """
+        for task in self.tasks:
+            task.cancel(msg="Scheduler stopped")
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 4cee457..6c2ca27 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ skip = ["maubot/management/frontend"]
 
 [tool.black]
 line-length = 99
-target-version = ["py38"]
+target-version = ["py310"]
 force-exclude = "maubot/management/frontend"