diff --git a/base/include/android-base/properties.h b/base/include/android-base/properties.h
index 4de5e57..041586c 100644
--- a/base/include/android-base/properties.h
+++ b/base/include/android-base/properties.h
@@ -62,15 +62,14 @@
 // Waits for the system property `key` to have the value `expected_value`.
 // Times out after `relative_timeout`.
 // Returns true on success, false on timeout.
-bool WaitForProperty(const std::string& key,
-                     const std::string& expected_value,
-                     std::chrono::milliseconds relative_timeout);
+bool WaitForProperty(const std::string& key, const std::string& expected_value,
+                     std::chrono::milliseconds relative_timeout = std::chrono::milliseconds::max());
 
 // Waits for the system property `key` to be created.
 // Times out after `relative_timeout`.
 // Returns true on success, false on timeout.
-bool WaitForPropertyCreation(const std::string& key,
-                             std::chrono::milliseconds relative_timeout);
+bool WaitForPropertyCreation(const std::string& key, std::chrono::milliseconds relative_timeout =
+                                                         std::chrono::milliseconds::max());
 
 } // namespace base
 } // namespace android
diff --git a/base/properties.cpp b/base/properties.cpp
index 32c0128..816bca0 100644
--- a/base/properties.cpp
+++ b/base/properties.cpp
@@ -101,22 +101,24 @@
 }
 
 // TODO: chrono_utils?
-static void DurationToTimeSpec(timespec& ts, std::chrono::nanoseconds d) {
+static void DurationToTimeSpec(timespec& ts, const std::chrono::milliseconds d) {
   auto s = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>(d);
   auto ns = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::nanoseconds>(d - s);
   ts.tv_sec = s.count();
   ts.tv_nsec = ns.count();
 }
 
+// TODO: boot_clock?
 using AbsTime = std::chrono::time_point<std::chrono::steady_clock>;
 
-static void UpdateTimeSpec(timespec& ts,
-                           const AbsTime& timeout) {
+static void UpdateTimeSpec(timespec& ts, std::chrono::milliseconds relative_timeout,
+                           const AbsTime& start_time) {
   auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
-  auto remaining_timeout = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::nanoseconds>(timeout - now);
-  if (remaining_timeout < 0ns) {
+  auto time_elapsed = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(now - start_time);
+  if (time_elapsed >= relative_timeout) {
     ts = { 0, 0 };
   } else {
+    auto remaining_timeout = relative_timeout - time_elapsed;
     DurationToTimeSpec(ts, remaining_timeout);
   }
 }
@@ -127,11 +129,7 @@
 // Returns nullptr on timeout.
 static const prop_info* WaitForPropertyCreation(const std::string& key,
                                                 const std::chrono::milliseconds& relative_timeout,
-                                                AbsTime& absolute_timeout) {
-  // TODO: boot_clock?
-  auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
-  absolute_timeout = now + relative_timeout;
-
+                                                const AbsTime& start_time) {
   // Find the property's prop_info*.
   const prop_info* pi;
   unsigned global_serial = 0;
@@ -139,17 +137,16 @@
     // The property doesn't even exist yet.
     // Wait for a global change and then look again.
     timespec ts;
-    UpdateTimeSpec(ts, absolute_timeout);
+    UpdateTimeSpec(ts, relative_timeout, start_time);
     if (!__system_property_wait(nullptr, global_serial, &global_serial, &ts)) return nullptr;
   }
   return pi;
 }
 
-bool WaitForProperty(const std::string& key,
-                     const std::string& expected_value,
+bool WaitForProperty(const std::string& key, const std::string& expected_value,
                      std::chrono::milliseconds relative_timeout) {
-  AbsTime absolute_timeout;
-  const prop_info* pi = WaitForPropertyCreation(key, relative_timeout, absolute_timeout);
+  auto start_time = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+  const prop_info* pi = WaitForPropertyCreation(key, relative_timeout, start_time);
   if (pi == nullptr) return false;
 
   WaitForPropertyData data;
@@ -162,7 +159,7 @@
     if (data.done) return true;
 
     // It didn't, so wait for the property to change before checking again.
-    UpdateTimeSpec(ts, absolute_timeout);
+    UpdateTimeSpec(ts, relative_timeout, start_time);
     uint32_t unused;
     if (!__system_property_wait(pi, data.last_read_serial, &unused, &ts)) return false;
   }
@@ -170,8 +167,8 @@
 
 bool WaitForPropertyCreation(const std::string& key,
                              std::chrono::milliseconds relative_timeout) {
-  AbsTime absolute_timeout;
-  return (WaitForPropertyCreation(key, relative_timeout, absolute_timeout) != nullptr);
+  auto start_time = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+  return (WaitForPropertyCreation(key, relative_timeout, start_time) != nullptr);
 }
 
 }  // namespace base
diff --git a/base/properties_test.cpp b/base/properties_test.cpp
index 1bbe482..de5f3dc 100644
--- a/base/properties_test.cpp
+++ b/base/properties_test.cpp
@@ -151,6 +151,38 @@
   ASSERT_LT(std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(t1 - t0), 600ms);
 }
 
+TEST(properties, WaitForProperty_MaxTimeout) {
+  std::atomic<bool> flag{false};
+  std::thread thread([&]() {
+    android::base::SetProperty("debug.libbase.WaitForProperty_test", "a");
+    while (!flag) std::this_thread::yield();
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(500ms);
+    android::base::SetProperty("debug.libbase.WaitForProperty_test", "b");
+  });
+
+  ASSERT_TRUE(android::base::WaitForProperty("debug.libbase.WaitForProperty_test", "a", 1s));
+  flag = true;
+  // Test that this does not immediately return false due to overflow issues with the timeout.
+  ASSERT_TRUE(android::base::WaitForProperty("debug.libbase.WaitForProperty_test", "b"));
+  thread.join();
+}
+
+TEST(properties, WaitForProperty_NegativeTimeout) {
+  std::atomic<bool> flag{false};
+  std::thread thread([&]() {
+    android::base::SetProperty("debug.libbase.WaitForProperty_test", "a");
+    while (!flag) std::this_thread::yield();
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(500ms);
+    android::base::SetProperty("debug.libbase.WaitForProperty_test", "b");
+  });
+
+  ASSERT_TRUE(android::base::WaitForProperty("debug.libbase.WaitForProperty_test", "a", 1s));
+  flag = true;
+  // Assert that this immediately returns with a negative timeout
+  ASSERT_FALSE(android::base::WaitForProperty("debug.libbase.WaitForProperty_test", "b", -100ms));
+  thread.join();
+}
+
 TEST(properties, WaitForPropertyCreation) {
   std::thread thread([&]() {
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(100ms);