diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/concurrent/ConcurrentUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/concurrent/ConcurrentUtils.java
index dc8581b53..8a98893f4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/concurrent/ConcurrentUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/concurrent/ConcurrentUtils.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.Validate;
+
 /**
  * <p>
  * An utility class providing functionality related to the {@code
@@ -141,12 +143,10 @@ public static void handleCauseUnchecked(final ExecutionException ex) {
      * checked exception
      */
     static Throwable checkedException(final Throwable ex) {
-        if (ex != null && !(ex instanceof RuntimeException)
-                && !(ex instanceof Error)) {
-            return ex;
-        } else {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Not a checked exception: " + ex);
-        }
+        Validate.isTrue(ex != null && !(ex instanceof RuntimeException)
+                && !(ex instanceof Error), "Not a checked exception: " + ex);
+        
+        return ex;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/concurrent/TimedSemaphore.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/concurrent/TimedSemaphore.java
index 5093896fa..a3c19b3ca 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/concurrent/TimedSemaphore.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/lang3/concurrent/TimedSemaphore.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.Validate;
+
 /**
  * <p>
  * A specialized <em>semaphore</em> implementation that provides a number of
@@ -201,9 +203,7 @@ public TimedSemaphore(final long timePeriod, final TimeUnit timeUnit, final int
      */
     public TimedSemaphore(final ScheduledExecutorService service, final long timePeriod,
             final TimeUnit timeUnit, final int limit) {
-        if (timePeriod <= 0) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Time period must be greater 0!");
-        }
+        Validate.inclusiveBetween(1, Long.MAX_VALUE, timePeriod, "Time period must be greater than 0!");
 
         period = timePeriod;
         unit = timeUnit;