diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeValueSchedule.java b/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeValueSchedule.java
index 28be4efe39b..941e39ea348 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeValueSchedule.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeValueSchedule.java
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ public class TimeValueSchedule implements Schedule {
     private TimeValue interval;
 
     public TimeValueSchedule(TimeValue interval) {
+        if (interval.millis() <= 0) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("interval must be greater than 0 milliseconds");
+        }
         this.interval = interval;
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeValueScheduleTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeValueScheduleTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6994b87e5af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeValueScheduleTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+package org.elasticsearch.xpack.indexlifecycle;
+
+import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.EqualsHashCodeTestUtils;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+public class TimeValueScheduleTests extends ESTestCase {
+
+    public TimeValueSchedule createRandomInstance() {
+        return new TimeValueSchedule(createRandomTimeValue());
+    }
+
+    private TimeValue createRandomTimeValue() {
+        return new TimeValue(randomLongBetween(1, 10000), randomFrom(TimeUnit.SECONDS, TimeUnit.MINUTES, TimeUnit.HOURS, TimeUnit.DAYS));
+    }
+
+    public void testHascodeAndEquals() {
+        for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
+            EqualsHashCodeTestUtils.checkEqualsAndHashCode(createRandomInstance(),
+                    instance -> new TimeValueSchedule(instance.getInterval()),
+                    instance -> new TimeValueSchedule(randomValueOtherThan(instance.getInterval(), () -> createRandomTimeValue())));
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void testNextScheduledTimeFirstTriggerNotReached() {
+        long start = randomNonNegativeLong();
+        TimeValue interval = createRandomTimeValue();
+        System.out.println("interval: " + interval);
+        long triggerTime = start + interval.millis();
+        long now = start + randomLongBetween(0, interval.millis() - 1);
+        TimeValueSchedule schedule = new TimeValueSchedule(interval);
+        assertEquals(triggerTime, schedule.nextScheduledTimeAfter(start, now));
+    }
+
+    public void testNextScheduledTimeAtFirstInterval() {
+        long start = randomNonNegativeLong();
+        TimeValue interval = createRandomTimeValue();
+        System.out.println("interval: " + interval);
+        long triggerTime = start + 2 * interval.millis();
+        long now = start + interval.millis();
+        TimeValueSchedule schedule = new TimeValueSchedule(interval);
+        assertEquals(triggerTime, schedule.nextScheduledTimeAfter(start, now));
+    }
+
+    public void testNextScheduledTimeAtStartTime() {
+        long start = randomNonNegativeLong();
+        TimeValue interval = createRandomTimeValue();
+        System.out.println("interval: " + interval);
+        long triggerTime = start + interval.millis();
+        TimeValueSchedule schedule = new TimeValueSchedule(interval);
+        assertEquals(triggerTime, schedule.nextScheduledTimeAfter(start, start));
+    }
+
+    public void testNextScheduledTimeAfterFirstTrigger() {
+        long start = randomNonNegativeLong();
+        TimeValue interval = createRandomTimeValue();
+        System.out.println("interval: " + interval);
+        long numberIntervalsPassed = randomLongBetween(0, 10000);
+        long triggerTime = start + (numberIntervalsPassed + 1) * interval.millis();
+        long now = start
+                + randomLongBetween(numberIntervalsPassed * interval.millis(), (numberIntervalsPassed + 1) * interval.millis() - 1);
+        TimeValueSchedule schedule = new TimeValueSchedule(interval);
+        assertEquals(triggerTime, schedule.nextScheduledTimeAfter(start, now));
+    }
+
+    public void testInvalidInterval() {
+        IllegalArgumentException exception = expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> new TimeValueSchedule(new TimeValue(0)));
+        assertEquals("interval must be greater than 0 milliseconds", exception.getMessage());
+    }
+}