diff --git a/src/libstd/net/tcp.rs b/src/libstd/net/tcp.rs
index 78235ea1b4b5f..ee63e185ddb23 100644
--- a/src/libstd/net/tcp.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/net/tcp.rs
@@ -1545,6 +1545,26 @@ mod tests {
         drop(listener);
     }
 
+    // Ensure the `set_read_timeout` and `set_write_timeout` calls return errors
+    // when passed zero Durations
+    #[test]
+    fn test_timeout_zero_duration() {
+        let addr = next_test_ip4();
+
+        let listener = t!(TcpListener::bind(&addr));
+        let stream = t!(TcpStream::connect(&addr));
+
+        let result = stream.set_write_timeout(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), ErrorKind::InvalidInput);
+
+        let result = stream.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), ErrorKind::InvalidInput);
+
+        drop(listener);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn nodelay() {
         let addr = next_test_ip4();
diff --git a/src/libstd/net/udp.rs b/src/libstd/net/udp.rs
index fc7f9205d06ff..4163bec000bb5 100644
--- a/src/libstd/net/udp.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/net/udp.rs
@@ -1024,6 +1024,23 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(start.elapsed() > Duration::from_millis(400));
     }
 
+    // Ensure the `set_read_timeout` and `set_write_timeout` calls return errors
+    // when passed zero Durations
+    #[test]
+    fn test_timeout_zero_duration() {
+        let addr = next_test_ip4();
+
+        let socket = t!(UdpSocket::bind(&addr));
+
+        let result = socket.set_write_timeout(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), ErrorKind::InvalidInput);
+
+        let result = socket.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), ErrorKind::InvalidInput);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn connect_send_recv() {
         let addr = next_test_ip4();
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/redox/net/tcp.rs b/src/libstd/sys/redox/net/tcp.rs
index 319965ab3965e..b5664908479cf 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/redox/net/tcp.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/redox/net/tcp.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 // except according to those terms.
 
 use cmp;
-use io::{Error, ErrorKind, Result};
+use io::{self, Error, ErrorKind, Result};
 use mem;
 use net::{SocketAddr, Shutdown};
 use path::Path;
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@ impl TcpStream {
     pub fn set_read_timeout(&self, duration_option: Option<Duration>) -> Result<()> {
         let file = self.0.dup(b"read_timeout")?;
         if let Some(duration) = duration_option {
+            if duration.as_secs() == 0 && duration.subsec_nanos() == 0 {
+                return Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                                          "cannot set a 0 duration timeout"));
+            }
             file.write(&TimeSpec {
                 tv_sec: duration.as_secs() as i64,
                 tv_nsec: duration.subsec_nanos() as i32
@@ -143,6 +147,10 @@ impl TcpStream {
     pub fn set_write_timeout(&self, duration_option: Option<Duration>) -> Result<()> {
         let file = self.0.dup(b"write_timeout")?;
         if let Some(duration) = duration_option {
+            if duration.as_secs() == 0 && duration.subsec_nanos() == 0 {
+                return Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                                          "cannot set a 0 duration timeout"));
+            }
             file.write(&TimeSpec {
                 tv_sec: duration.as_secs() as i64,
                 tv_nsec: duration.subsec_nanos() as i32
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/redox/net/udp.rs b/src/libstd/sys/redox/net/udp.rs
index 7e7666e7ef364..2ed67bd2836f2 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/redox/net/udp.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/redox/net/udp.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 use cell::UnsafeCell;
 use cmp;
-use io::{Error, ErrorKind, Result};
+use io::{self, Error, ErrorKind, Result};
 use mem;
 use net::{SocketAddr, Ipv4Addr, Ipv6Addr};
 use path::Path;
@@ -179,6 +179,10 @@ impl UdpSocket {
     pub fn set_read_timeout(&self, duration_option: Option<Duration>) -> Result<()> {
         let file = self.0.dup(b"read_timeout")?;
         if let Some(duration) = duration_option {
+            if duration.as_secs() == 0 && duration.subsec_nanos() == 0 {
+                return Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                                          "cannot set a 0 duration timeout"));
+            }
             file.write(&TimeSpec {
                 tv_sec: duration.as_secs() as i64,
                 tv_nsec: duration.subsec_nanos() as i32
@@ -192,6 +196,10 @@ impl UdpSocket {
     pub fn set_write_timeout(&self, duration_option: Option<Duration>) -> Result<()> {
         let file = self.0.dup(b"write_timeout")?;
         if let Some(duration) = duration_option {
+            if duration.as_secs() == 0 && duration.subsec_nanos() == 0 {
+                return Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+                                          "cannot set a 0 duration timeout"));
+            }
             file.write(&TimeSpec {
                 tv_sec: duration.as_secs() as i64,
                 tv_nsec: duration.subsec_nanos() as i32
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/unix/ext/net.rs b/src/libstd/sys/unix/ext/net.rs
index 86b0f35be924d..f1bf8f240d3fb 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/unix/ext/net.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/unix/ext/net.rs
@@ -1410,7 +1410,7 @@ impl IntoRawFd for UnixDatagram {
 #[cfg(all(test, not(target_os = "emscripten")))]
 mod test {
     use thread;
-    use io;
+    use io::{self, ErrorKind};
     use io::prelude::*;
     use time::Duration;
     use sys_common::io::test::tmpdir;
@@ -1613,6 +1613,27 @@ mod test {
         assert!(kind == io::ErrorKind::WouldBlock || kind == io::ErrorKind::TimedOut);
     }
 
+    // Ensure the `set_read_timeout` and `set_write_timeout` calls return errors
+    // when passed zero Durations
+    #[test]
+    fn test_unix_stream_timeout_zero_duration() {
+        let dir = tmpdir();
+        let socket_path = dir.path().join("sock");
+
+        let listener = or_panic!(UnixListener::bind(&socket_path));
+        let stream = or_panic!(UnixStream::connect(&socket_path));
+
+        let result = stream.set_write_timeout(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), ErrorKind::InvalidInput);
+
+        let result = stream.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), ErrorKind::InvalidInput);
+
+        drop(listener);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_unix_datagram() {
         let dir = tmpdir();
@@ -1712,6 +1733,24 @@ mod test {
         thread.join().unwrap();
     }
 
+    // Ensure the `set_read_timeout` and `set_write_timeout` calls return errors
+    // when passed zero Durations
+    #[test]
+    fn test_unix_datagram_timeout_zero_duration() {
+        let dir = tmpdir();
+        let path = dir.path().join("sock");
+
+        let datagram = or_panic!(UnixDatagram::bind(&path));
+
+        let result = datagram.set_write_timeout(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), ErrorKind::InvalidInput);
+
+        let result = datagram.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::new(0, 0)));
+        let err = result.unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(err.kind(), ErrorKind::InvalidInput);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn abstract_namespace_not_allowed() {
         assert!(UnixStream::connect("\0asdf").is_err());