diff --git a/spring-tx/src/main/java/org/springframework/transaction/support/DefaultTransactionDefinition.java b/spring-tx/src/main/java/org/springframework/transaction/support/DefaultTransactionDefinition.java
index c0588f4f6daf..8b505392416c 100644
--- a/spring-tx/src/main/java/org/springframework/transaction/support/DefaultTransactionDefinition.java
+++ b/spring-tx/src/main/java/org/springframework/transaction/support/DefaultTransactionDefinition.java
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ public final int getIsolationLevel() {
 	 */
 	public final void setTimeout(int timeout) {
 		if (timeout < TIMEOUT_DEFAULT) {
-			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Timeout must be a positive integer or TIMEOUT_DEFAULT");
+			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Timeout must be a non-negative integer or TIMEOUT_DEFAULT");
 		}
 		this.timeout = timeout;
 	}