diff --git a/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/watcher/actions/throttler/PeriodThrottler.java b/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/watcher/actions/throttler/PeriodThrottler.java
index 3985d7da59c..34f4af70b83 100644
--- a/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/watcher/actions/throttler/PeriodThrottler.java
+++ b/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/watcher/actions/throttler/PeriodThrottler.java
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.actions.ActionStatus;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.execution.WatchExecutionContext;
-import org.joda.time.PeriodType;
 
 import java.time.Clock;
 
@@ -22,16 +21,10 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.actions.throttler.Throttler.T
 public class PeriodThrottler implements Throttler {
 
     @Nullable private final TimeValue period;
-    private final PeriodType periodType;
     private final Clock clock;
 
     public PeriodThrottler(Clock clock, TimeValue period) {
-        this(clock, period, PeriodType.minutes());
-    }
-
-    public PeriodThrottler(Clock clock, TimeValue period, PeriodType periodType) {
         this.period = period;
-        this.periodType = periodType;
         this.clock = clock;
     }
 
@@ -57,7 +50,7 @@ public class PeriodThrottler implements Throttler {
         TimeValue timeElapsed = TimeValue.timeValueMillis(clock.millis() - status.lastSuccessfulExecution().timestamp().getMillis());
         if (timeElapsed.getMillis() <= period.getMillis()) {
             return Result.throttle(PERIOD, "throttling interval is set to [{}] but time elapsed since last execution is [{}]",
-                    period.format(periodType), timeElapsed.format(periodType));
+                    period, timeElapsed);
         }
         return Result.NO;
     }
diff --git a/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/actions/throttler/PeriodThrottlerTests.java b/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/actions/throttler/PeriodThrottlerTests.java
index c9663694879..89ef2e23ccc 100644
--- a/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/actions/throttler/PeriodThrottlerTests.java
+++ b/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/actions/throttler/PeriodThrottlerTests.java
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.execution.WatchExecutionContext;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.watch.Payload;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.watch.WatchStatus;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
-import org.joda.time.PeriodType;
 
 import java.time.Clock;
 
@@ -28,9 +27,8 @@ import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 public class PeriodThrottlerTests extends ESTestCase {
     public void testBelowPeriodSuccessful() throws Exception {
-        PeriodType periodType = randomFrom(PeriodType.millis(), PeriodType.seconds(), PeriodType.minutes());
         TimeValue period = TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(randomIntBetween(2, 5));
-        PeriodThrottler throttler = new PeriodThrottler(Clock.systemUTC(), period, periodType);
+        PeriodThrottler throttler = new PeriodThrottler(Clock.systemUTC(), period);
 
         WatchExecutionContext ctx = mockExecutionContext("_name", Payload.EMPTY);
         ActionStatus actionStatus = mock(ActionStatus.class);
@@ -45,14 +43,13 @@ public class PeriodThrottlerTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertThat(result, notNullValue());
         assertThat(result.throttle(), is(true));
         assertThat(result.reason(), notNullValue());
-        assertThat(result.reason(), startsWith("throttling interval is set to [" + period.format(periodType) + "]"));
+        assertThat(result.reason(), startsWith("throttling interval is set to [" + period + "]"));
         assertThat(result.type(), is(Throttler.Type.PERIOD));
     }
 
     public void testAbovePeriod() throws Exception {
-        PeriodType periodType = randomFrom(PeriodType.millis(), PeriodType.seconds(), PeriodType.minutes());
         TimeValue period = TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(randomIntBetween(2, 5));
-        PeriodThrottler throttler = new PeriodThrottler(Clock.systemUTC(), period, periodType);
+        PeriodThrottler throttler = new PeriodThrottler(Clock.systemUTC(), period);
 
         WatchExecutionContext ctx = mockExecutionContext("_name", Payload.EMPTY);
         ActionStatus actionStatus = mock(ActionStatus.class);
diff --git a/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/common/http/HttpConnectionTimeoutTests.java b/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/common/http/HttpConnectionTimeoutTests.java
index 1b66d48ff06..8ac2bef16e8 100644
--- a/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/common/http/HttpConnectionTimeoutTests.java
+++ b/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/common/http/HttpConnectionTimeoutTests.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public class HttpConnectionTimeoutTests extends ESTestCase {
             fail("expected timeout exception");
         } catch (ConnectTimeoutException ete) {
             TimeValue timeout = TimeValue.timeValueNanos(System.nanoTime() - start);
-            logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout.format());
+            logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout);
             // it's supposed to be 10, but we'll give it an error margin of 2 seconds
             assertThat(timeout.seconds(), greaterThan(8L));
             assertThat(timeout.seconds(), lessThan(12L));
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class HttpConnectionTimeoutTests extends ESTestCase {
             fail("expected timeout exception");
         } catch (ConnectTimeoutException ete) {
             TimeValue timeout = TimeValue.timeValueNanos(System.nanoTime() - start);
-            logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout.format());
+            logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout);
             // it's supposed to be 7, but we'll give it an error margin of 2 seconds
             assertThat(timeout.seconds(), greaterThan(3L));
             assertThat(timeout.seconds(), lessThan(7L));
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public class HttpConnectionTimeoutTests extends ESTestCase {
             fail("expected timeout exception");
         } catch (ConnectTimeoutException ete) {
             TimeValue timeout = TimeValue.timeValueNanos(System.nanoTime() - start);
-            logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout.format());
+            logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout);
             // it's supposed to be 7, but we'll give it an error margin of 2 seconds
             assertThat(timeout.seconds(), greaterThan(3L));
             assertThat(timeout.seconds(), lessThan(7L));
diff --git a/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/common/http/HttpReadTimeoutTests.java b/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/common/http/HttpReadTimeoutTests.java
index 5f344931e1f..2d134681e8b 100644
--- a/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/common/http/HttpReadTimeoutTests.java
+++ b/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/common/http/HttpReadTimeoutTests.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class HttpReadTimeoutTests extends ESTestCase {
         long start = System.nanoTime();
         expectThrows(SocketTimeoutException.class, () ->  httpClient.execute(request));
         TimeValue timeout = TimeValue.timeValueNanos(System.nanoTime() - start);
-        logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout.format());
+        logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout);
 
         // it's supposed to be 10, but we'll give it an error margin of 2 seconds
         assertThat(timeout.seconds(), greaterThan(8L));
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class HttpReadTimeoutTests extends ESTestCase {
         long start = System.nanoTime();
         expectThrows(SocketTimeoutException.class, () ->  httpClient.execute(request));
         TimeValue timeout = TimeValue.timeValueNanos(System.nanoTime() - start);
-        logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout.format());
+        logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout);
 
         // it's supposed to be 3, but we'll give it an error margin of 2 seconds
         assertThat(timeout.seconds(), greaterThan(1L));
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public class HttpReadTimeoutTests extends ESTestCase {
         long start = System.nanoTime();
         expectThrows(SocketTimeoutException.class, () ->  httpClient.execute(request));
         TimeValue timeout = TimeValue.timeValueNanos(System.nanoTime() - start);
-        logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout.format());
+        logger.info("http connection timed out after {}", timeout);
 
         // it's supposed to be 3, but we'll give it an error margin of 2 seconds
         assertThat(timeout.seconds(), greaterThan(1L));