diff --git a/doc/api/timers.md b/doc/api/timers.md
index df645c104a286d..7f3c0a3027b088 100644
--- a/doc/api/timers.md
+++ b/doc/api/timers.md
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ added: v0.0.1
 -->
 
 * `callback` {Function} The function to call when the timer elapses.
-* `delay` {number} The number of milliseconds to wait before calling the
+* `delay` {number|bigint} The number of milliseconds to wait before calling the
   `callback`.
 * `...args` {any} Optional arguments to pass when the `callback` is called.
 * Returns: {Timeout} for use with [`clearInterval()`][]
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ added: v0.0.1
 -->
 
 * `callback` {Function} The function to call when the timer elapses.
-* `delay` {number} The number of milliseconds to wait before calling the
+* `delay` {number|bigint} The number of milliseconds to wait before calling the
   `callback`.
 * `...args` {any} Optional arguments to pass when the `callback` is called.
 * Returns: {Timeout} for use with [`clearTimeout()`][]
diff --git a/lib/internal/timers.js b/lib/internal/timers.js
index c7d9d1750e9821..9c699c2e9fcf56 100644
--- a/lib/internal/timers.js
+++ b/lib/internal/timers.js
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ function initAsyncResource(resource, type) {
 // Timer constructor function.
 // The entire prototype is defined in lib/timers.js
 function Timeout(callback, after, args, isRepeat) {
-  after *= 1; // coalesce to number or NaN
+  if (typeof after !== 'bigint') { // eslint-disable-line valid-typeof
+    after *= 1; // coalesce to number or NaN
+  }
+
   if (!(after >= 1 && after <= TIMEOUT_MAX)) {
     if (after > TIMEOUT_MAX) {
       process.emitWarning(`${after} does not fit into` +
@@ -65,6 +68,11 @@ function Timeout(callback, after, args, isRepeat) {
     after = 1; // schedule on next tick, follows browser behavior
   }
 
+  // at this point after is either a number or bigint and in both
+  // cases its value is in the limit of signed int so it is safe to
+  // convert after to number
+  after = Number(after);
+
   this._idleTimeout = after;
   this._idlePrev = this;
   this._idleNext = this;
@@ -126,11 +134,14 @@ function setUnrefTimeout(callback, after, arg1, arg2, arg3) {
 
 // Type checking used by timers.enroll() and Socket#setTimeout()
 function validateTimerDuration(msecs) {
-  if (typeof msecs !== 'number') {
-    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('msecs', 'number', msecs);
+  if ((typeof msecs !== 'number') &&
+    (typeof msecs !== 'bigint')) { // eslint-disable-line valid-typeof
+    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('msecs', ['number', 'bigint'], msecs);
   }
 
-  if (msecs < 0 || !isFinite(msecs)) {
+  // ensure that msecs is non-negative and finite
+  // note: bigint is always a finite (typeof Infinity and NaN is 'number')
+  if (msecs < 0 || (typeof msecs === 'number' && !isFinite(msecs))) {
     throw new ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE('msecs', 'a non-negative finite number', msecs);
   }
 
@@ -142,5 +153,5 @@ function validateTimerDuration(msecs) {
     return TIMEOUT_MAX;
   }
 
-  return msecs;
+  return Number(msecs);
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-http2-timeouts.js b/test/parallel/test-http2-timeouts.js
index db5822776aea5e..b92b456ed378fe 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-http2-timeouts.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-http2-timeouts.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ server.on('stream', common.mustCall((stream) => {
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE',
       type: TypeError,
       message:
-        'The "msecs" argument must be of type number. Received type string'
+        'The "msecs" argument must be one of type number or bigint. Received type string'
     }
   );
   common.expectsError(
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-timers-max-duration-warning.js b/test/parallel/test-timers-max-duration-warning.js
index c978cf29c3fe4d..f54a86c6a496c9 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-timers-max-duration-warning.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-timers-max-duration-warning.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const assert = require('assert');
 const timers = require('timers');
 
 const OVERFLOW = Math.pow(2, 31); // TIMEOUT_MAX is 2^31-1
+const TEST_MATRIX = [OVERFLOW, BigInt(OVERFLOW)];
 
 function timerNotCanceled() {
   assert.fail('Timer should be canceled');
@@ -19,24 +20,25 @@ process.on('warning', common.mustCall((warning) => {
   assert.strictEqual(lines[0], `${OVERFLOW} does not fit into a 32-bit signed` +
                                ' integer.');
   assert.strictEqual(lines.length, 2);
-}, 5));
-
-
-{
-  const timeout = setTimeout(timerNotCanceled, OVERFLOW);
-  clearTimeout(timeout);
-}
-
-{
-  const interval = setInterval(timerNotCanceled, OVERFLOW);
-  clearInterval(interval);
-}
-
-{
-  const timer = {
-    _onTimeout: timerNotCanceled
-  };
-  timers.enroll(timer, OVERFLOW);
-  timers.active(timer);
-  timers.unenroll(timer);
+}, 8));
+
+for (let i = 0; i < TEST_MATRIX.length; i++) {
+  {
+    const timeout = setTimeout(timerNotCanceled, TEST_MATRIX[i]);
+    clearTimeout(timeout);
+  }
+
+  {
+    const interval = setInterval(timerNotCanceled, TEST_MATRIX[i]);
+    clearInterval(interval);
+  }
+
+  {
+    const timer = {
+      _onTimeout: timerNotCanceled
+    };
+    timers.enroll(timer, TEST_MATRIX[i]);
+    timers.active(timer);
+    timers.unenroll(timer);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-timers.js b/test/parallel/test-timers.js
index 1aa5d351a4d4bd..e18ef4e4a924fb 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-timers.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-timers.js
@@ -48,7 +48,15 @@ const inputs = [
   1,
   1.0,
   2147483648,     // browser behavior: timeouts > 2^31-1 run on next tick
-  12345678901234  // ditto
+  12345678901234, // ditto
+  BigInt(2 ** 72),  // ditto
+  BigInt(0),
+  BigInt(-10),
+  BigInt(-1),
+  BigInt(true),
+  BigInt(false),
+  BigInt(1),
+  BigInt('')
 ];
 
 const timeouts = [];