diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/timeout/HashedWheelTimer.java b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/timeout/HashedWheelTimer.java
index 25f81b942d..75e84959c7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/timeout/HashedWheelTimer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jboss/netty/handler/timeout/HashedWheelTimer.java
@@ -194,7 +194,9 @@ public class HashedWheelTimer implements Timer {
         }
 
         delay = unit.toNanos(delay);
-        checkDelay(delay);
+        if (delay < tickDuration) {
+            delay = tickDuration;
+        }
 
         if (!workerThread.isAlive()) {
             start();
@@ -237,13 +239,6 @@ public class HashedWheelTimer implements Timer {
         return true;
     }
 
-    void checkDelay(long delay) {
-        if (delay < tickDuration) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-                    "delay must be greater than " + tickDuration + " nanoseconds");
-        }
-    }
-
     private final class Worker implements Runnable {
 
         private long startTime;