diff --git a/java/org/rocksdb/BackupableDBOptions.java b/java/org/rocksdb/BackupableDBOptions.java
index 0989d39a8..5d71b144f 100644
--- a/java/org/rocksdb/BackupableDBOptions.java
+++ b/java/org/rocksdb/BackupableDBOptions.java
@@ -29,14 +29,17 @@ package org.rocksdb;
  *     useful for backing up in-memory databases where log file are persisted,
  *     but table files are in memory. Default: true
  * @param backupRateLimit Max bytes that can be transferred in a second during
- *     backup. If 0, go as fast as you can. Default: 0
+ *     backup. If 0 or negative, then go as fast as you can. Default: 0
  * @param restoreRateLimit Max bytes that can be transferred in a second during
- *     restore. If 0, go as fast as you can. Default: 0
+ *     restore. If 0 or negative, then go as fast as you can. Default: 0
  */
 public class BackupableDBOptions extends RocksObject {
   public BackupableDBOptions(String path, boolean shareTableFiles, boolean sync,
       boolean destroyOldData, boolean backupLogFiles, long backupRateLimit,
       long restoreRateLimit) {
+    backupRateLimit = (backupRateLimit <= 0) ? 0 : backupRateLimit;
+    restoreRateLimit = (restoreRateLimit <= 0) ? 0 : restoreRateLimit;
+
     super();
     newBackupableDBOptions(path, shareTableFiles, sync, destroyOldData,
         backupLogFiles, backupRateLimit, restoreRateLimit);
diff --git a/java/rocksjni/backupablejni.cc b/java/rocksjni/backupablejni.cc
index 9fee7cfcc..1ddcbd036 100644
--- a/java/rocksjni/backupablejni.cc
+++ b/java/rocksjni/backupablejni.cc
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ void Java_org_rocksdb_BackupableDBOptions_newBackupableDBOptions(
     JNIEnv* env, jobject jobj, jstring jpath, jboolean jshare_table_files,
     jboolean jsync, jboolean jdestroy_old_data, jboolean jbackup_log_files,
     jlong jbackup_rate_limit, jlong jrestore_rate_limit) {
+  jbackup_rate_limit = (jbackup_rate_limit <= 0) ? 0 : jbackup_rate_limit;
+  jrestore_rate_limit = (jrestore_rate_limit <= 0) ? 0 : jrestore_rate_limit;
+
   const char* cpath = env->GetStringUTFChars(jpath, 0);
 
   auto bopt = new rocksdb::BackupableDBOptions(cpath, nullptr,