diff --git a/watchdog/config_test.go b/watchdog/config_test.go
index 74f2b025c58828becbb45a3f127fd436166081d2..7291a9ac498010b44eba93a53360b307018bcb05 100644
--- a/watchdog/config_test.go
+++ b/watchdog/config_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package main
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
 
 type EnvBucket struct {
 	Items map[string]string
@@ -62,11 +65,11 @@ func TestRead_EmptyTimeoutConfig(t *testing.T) {
 
 	config := readConfig.Read(defaults)
 
-	if (config.readTimeout) != 5 {
+	if (config.readTimeout) != time.Duration(5)*time.Second {
 		t.Log("readTimeout incorrect")
 		t.Fail()
 	}
-	if (config.writeTimeout) != 5 {
+	if (config.writeTimeout) != time.Duration(5)*time.Second {
 		t.Log("writeTimeout incorrect")
 		t.Fail()
 	}
@@ -80,11 +83,11 @@ func TestRead_ReadAndWriteTimeoutConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	readConfig := ReadConfig{}
 	config := readConfig.Read(defaults)
 
-	if (config.readTimeout) != 10 {
+	if (config.readTimeout) != time.Duration(10)*time.Second {
 		t.Logf("readTimeout incorrect, got: %d\n", config.readTimeout)
 		t.Fail()
 	}
-	if (config.writeTimeout) != 60 {
+	if (config.writeTimeout) != time.Duration(60)*time.Second {
 		t.Logf("writeTimeout incorrect, got: %d\n", config.writeTimeout)
 		t.Fail()
 	}
diff --git a/watchdog/readconfig.go b/watchdog/readconfig.go
index 56e83bd737a209ddde43994d8fd19a853f73cd83..102a6e20e559f0ecb8b649b2a00cbcc46d59e1e1 100644
--- a/watchdog/readconfig.go
+++ b/watchdog/readconfig.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package main
 
-import "strconv"
+import (
+	"strconv"
+	"time"
+)
 
 // HasEnv provides interface for os.Getenv
 type HasEnv interface {
@@ -42,16 +45,16 @@ func (ReadConfig) Read(hasEnv HasEnv) WatchdogConfig {
 	writeTimeout := parseIntValue(hasEnv.Getenv("write_timeout"))
 
 	if readTimeout == 0 {
-		cfg.readTimeout = 5
-	} else {
-		cfg.readTimeout = readTimeout
+		readTimeout = 5
 	}
+
 	if writeTimeout == 0 {
-		cfg.writeTimeout = 5
-	} else {
-		cfg.writeTimeout = writeTimeout
+		writeTimeout = 5
 	}
 
+	cfg.readTimeout = time.Duration(readTimeout) * time.Second
+	cfg.writeTimeout = time.Duration(writeTimeout) * time.Second
+
 	cfg.writeDebug = parseBoolValue(hasEnv.Getenv("write_debug"))
 
 	return cfg
@@ -59,8 +62,8 @@ func (ReadConfig) Read(hasEnv HasEnv) WatchdogConfig {
 
 // WatchdogConfig for the process.
 type WatchdogConfig struct {
-	readTimeout  int
-	writeTimeout int
+	readTimeout  time.Duration
+	writeTimeout time.Duration
 	// faasProcess is the process to exec
 	faasProcess string