diff --git a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/AbstractScheduledEventExecutor.java b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/AbstractScheduledEventExecutor.java
index 0c58b7a4d2..d037c49fac 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/AbstractScheduledEventExecutor.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/AbstractScheduledEventExecutor.java
@@ -124,12 +124,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractScheduledEventExecutor extends AbstractEventExecut
     }
 
     @Override
-    public  ScheduledFuture<?> schedule(Runnable command, long delay, TimeUnit unit) {
+    public ScheduledFuture<?> schedule(Runnable command, long delay, TimeUnit unit) {
         ObjectUtil.checkNotNull(command, "command");
         ObjectUtil.checkNotNull(unit, "unit");
         if (delay < 0) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-                    String.format("delay: %d (expected: >= 0)", delay));
+            delay = 0;
         }
         return schedule(new ScheduledFutureTask<Void>(
                 this, command, null, ScheduledFutureTask.deadlineNanos(unit.toNanos(delay))));
@@ -140,8 +139,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractScheduledEventExecutor extends AbstractEventExecut
         ObjectUtil.checkNotNull(callable, "callable");
         ObjectUtil.checkNotNull(unit, "unit");
         if (delay < 0) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-                    String.format("delay: %d (expected: >= 0)", delay));
+            delay = 0;
         }
         return schedule(new ScheduledFutureTask<V>(
                 this, callable, ScheduledFutureTask.deadlineNanos(unit.toNanos(delay))));
diff --git a/common/src/test/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/AbstractScheduledEventExecutorTest.java b/common/src/test/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/AbstractScheduledEventExecutorTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..64a803601f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/src/test/java/io/netty/util/concurrent/AbstractScheduledEventExecutorTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2017 The Netty Project
+ *
+ * The Netty Project licenses this file to you under the Apache License,
+ * version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+ * with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at:
+ *
+ *   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+ * WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+ * License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+package io.netty.util.concurrent;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+
+public class AbstractScheduledEventExecutorTest {
+    private static final Runnable TEST_RUNNABLE = new Runnable() {
+
+        @Override
+        public void run() {
+        }
+    };
+
+    private static final Callable<?> TEST_CALLABLE = Executors.callable(TEST_RUNNABLE);
+
+    @Test
+    public void testScheduleRunnableZero() {
+        TestScheduledEventExecutor executor = new TestScheduledEventExecutor();
+        ScheduledFuture<?> future = executor.schedule(TEST_RUNNABLE, 0, TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS);
+        assertEquals(0, future.getDelay(TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS));
+        assertNotNull(executor.pollScheduledTask());
+        assertNull(executor.pollScheduledTask());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testScheduleRunnableNegative() {
+        TestScheduledEventExecutor executor = new TestScheduledEventExecutor();
+        ScheduledFuture<?> future = executor.schedule(TEST_RUNNABLE, -1, TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS);
+        assertEquals(0, future.getDelay(TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS));
+        assertNotNull(executor.pollScheduledTask());
+        assertNull(executor.pollScheduledTask());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testScheduleCallableZero() {
+        TestScheduledEventExecutor executor = new TestScheduledEventExecutor();
+        ScheduledFuture<?> future = executor.schedule(TEST_CALLABLE, 0, TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS);
+        assertEquals(0, future.getDelay(TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS));
+        assertNotNull(executor.pollScheduledTask());
+        assertNull(executor.pollScheduledTask());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testScheduleCallableNegative() {
+        TestScheduledEventExecutor executor = new TestScheduledEventExecutor();
+        ScheduledFuture<?> future = executor.schedule(TEST_CALLABLE, -1, TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS);
+        assertEquals(0, future.getDelay(TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS));
+        assertNotNull(executor.pollScheduledTask());
+        assertNull(executor.pollScheduledTask());
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void testScheduleAtFixedRateRunnableZero() {
+        TestScheduledEventExecutor executor = new TestScheduledEventExecutor();
+        executor.scheduleAtFixedRate(TEST_RUNNABLE, 0, 0, TimeUnit.DAYS);
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void testScheduleAtFixedRateRunnableNegative() {
+        TestScheduledEventExecutor executor = new TestScheduledEventExecutor();
+        executor.scheduleAtFixedRate(TEST_RUNNABLE, 0, -1, TimeUnit.DAYS);
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void testScheduleWithFixedDelayZero() {
+        TestScheduledEventExecutor executor = new TestScheduledEventExecutor();
+        executor.scheduleWithFixedDelay(TEST_RUNNABLE, 0, -1, TimeUnit.DAYS);
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
+    public void testScheduleWithFixedDelayNegative() {
+        TestScheduledEventExecutor executor = new TestScheduledEventExecutor();
+        executor.scheduleWithFixedDelay(TEST_RUNNABLE, 0, -1, TimeUnit.DAYS);
+    }
+
+    private static final class TestScheduledEventExecutor extends AbstractScheduledEventExecutor {
+        @Override
+        public boolean isShuttingDown() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean inEventLoop(Thread thread) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void shutdown() {
+            // NOOP
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Future<?> shutdownGracefully(long quietPeriod, long timeout, TimeUnit unit) {
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Future<?> terminationFuture() {
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean isShutdown() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean isTerminated() {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean awaitTermination(long timeout, TimeUnit unit) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void execute(Runnable command) {
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public EventExecutorGroup parent() {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+}