diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 659d66e..503c2ca 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@
         enabled: True
         maxconn: 1024
         timeout:
-          connect: 5000
-          client: 50000
-          server: 50000
+          connect: 5000ms
+          client: 50000ms
+          server: 50000ms
         listen:
           https-in:
             binds:
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@
               port: 8443
               params: 'maxconn 256'
 
+.. note::
+
+    Timeout values are assumed to be defined in 'ms' if no other unit is specifically defined.
+
 
 Sample pillar with custom logging
 
@@ -75,9 +79,9 @@
         enabled: True
         maxconn: 1024
         timeout:
-          connect: 5000
-          client: 50000
-          server: 50000
+          connect: 5000ms
+          client: 50000ms
+          server: 50000ms
         listen:
           https-in:
             binds:
@@ -92,6 +96,11 @@
               port: 8443
               params: 'maxconn 256'
 
+
+.. note::
+
+    Timeout values are assumed to be defined in 'ms' if no other unit is specifically defined.
+
 .. code-block:: yaml
 
       haproxy:
@@ -499,9 +508,9 @@
       stats_bind_process: "1 2"
       maxconn: 1024
       timeout:
-        connect: 5000
-        client: 50000
-        server: 50000
+        connect: 5000ms
+        client: 50000ms
+        server: 50000ms
       listen:
         https-in:
           bind_process: "1 2 3 4"
@@ -517,6 +526,10 @@
             port: 8443
             params: 'maxconn 256'
 
+.. note::
+
+    Timeout values are assumed to be defined in 'ms' if no other unit is specifically defined.
+
 Implement rate limiting, to prevent excessive requests
 This feature only works if using 'format: end'
 
@@ -556,8 +569,8 @@
           mode: tcp
           balance: roundrobin
           timeout:
-            check: 10
-            client: 20
+            check: 10s
+            client: 20s
           http_request:
             - action: "add-header X-Forwarded-Proto https"
               condition: "if { ssl_fc }"
@@ -603,6 +616,10 @@
           - auth admin1:AdMiN123
           rate_limit_sessions: 1000
 
+.. note::
+
+    Timeout values are assumed to be defined in 'ms' if no other unit is specifically defined.
+
 Implement rate limiting, to prevent excessive requests
 using 'format: listen'
 
diff --git a/haproxy/files/haproxy.cfg b/haproxy/files/haproxy.cfg
index de8d89c..0dfba08 100644
--- a/haproxy/files/haproxy.cfg
+++ b/haproxy/files/haproxy.cfg
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 {%- from "haproxy/map.jinja" import proxy, invalid_section_options with context -%}
 
+{% macro checktimeout(value) -%}
+  {% if value is number -%}{{ value }}ms{% else -%}{{ value }}{% endif %}
+{%- endmacro -%}
+
 global
 {%- for param_name, param in proxy.global.items()|sort %} {# Iterate through all global parameters #}
   {%- if param is iterable and param is not string and param|length > 0 %} {# Param is a list of values #}
@@ -36,12 +40,12 @@
   retries  {{ proxy.retries|default(3) }}
   stats  enable
 
-  timeout http-request {{ proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('http-request','10s') }}
-  timeout queue {{ proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('queue', '1m') }}
-  timeout connect {{ proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('connect', '10s') }}
-  timeout client {{ proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('client', '1m') }}
-  timeout server {{ proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('server', '1m') }}
-  timeout check {{ proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('check', '10s') }}
+  timeout http-request {{ checktimeout(proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('http-request','10s')) }}
+  timeout queue {{ checktimeout(proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('queue', '1m')) }}
+  timeout connect {{ checktimeout(proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('connect', '10s')) }}
+  timeout client {{ checktimeout(proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('client', '1m')) }}
+  timeout server {{ checktimeout(proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('server', '1m')) }}
+  timeout check {{ checktimeout(proxy.get('timeout', {}).get('check', '10s')) }}
 
 {%- if proxy.get('listen') is mapping and proxy.listen.admin_page is defined and proxy.listen.admin_page.user is defined %}
 
@@ -169,7 +173,7 @@
   mode {{ listen.mode|default('tcp') }}
   balance {{ listen.balance|default('roundrobin') }}
   {%- for ttype, timeout in listen.get('timeout', {}).iteritems() %}
-  timeout {{ ttype }} {{ timeout }}
+  timeout {{ ttype }} {{ checktimeout(timeout) }}
   {%- endfor %}
   {%- for aclname, acl in listen.get('acl', {}).iteritems() %}
   acl {{ aclname }} {{ acl }}
@@ -263,7 +267,7 @@
   {%- if stick_table_found.val %}
   stick-table type {{ listen.rate_limit.get('type', 'string') }} {%- if listen.rate_limit.len is defined and listen.rate_limit.type in ['string', 'binary'] %} len {{ listen.rate_limit.len }}{%- endif %} size {{ listen.rate_limit.get('size', '100k') }} store gpc0_rate({{ listen.rate_limit.get('duration', '60s') }})
   {%- endif %}
-  timeout tarpit {{ listen.rate_limit.get('tarpit_timeout', '2s') }}
+  timeout tarpit {{ checktimeout(listen.rate_limit.get('tarpit_timeout', '2s')) }}
   errorfile 500 /etc/haproxy/errors/429.http11
   http-request tarpit
   {%- endif %}
@@ -344,7 +348,7 @@
 {%- if listen.rate_limit is defined and listen.rate_limit.get('enabled', False) %}
 
 backend {{ listen_name }}-rate_limit
-  timeout tarpit {{ listen.rate_limit.get('tarpit_timeout', '2s') }}
+  timeout tarpit {{ checktimeout(listen.rate_limit.get('tarpit_timeout', '2s')) }}
   errorfile 500 /etc/haproxy/errors/429.http11
   http-request tarpit
 {%- endif %}
diff --git a/tests/pillar/single_general_service.sls b/tests/pillar/single_general_service.sls
index 244655c..578f07c 100644
--- a/tests/pillar/single_general_service.sls
+++ b/tests/pillar/single_general_service.sls
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
       3: 2
       4: 3
     stats_bind_process: "1 2"
+    timeout:
+      connect: 5000ms
+      client: 50000ms
+      server: 50000ms
     listen:
       glance_registry:
         binds: