diff --git a/python/ovs/reconnect.py b/python/ovs/reconnect.py
index 39dd556da..d4f59518f 100644
--- a/python/ovs/reconnect.py
+++ b/python/ovs/reconnect.py
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ class Reconnect(object):
         """Causes the next call to poller.block() to wake up when self.run()
         should be called."""
         timeout = self.timeout(now)
-        if timeout >= 0:
+        if timeout is not None and timeout >= 0:
             poller.timer_wait(timeout)
 
     def timeout(self, now):
diff --git a/tests/test-reconnect.py b/tests/test-reconnect.py
index e291e3435..8132fd925 100644
--- a/tests/test-reconnect.py
+++ b/tests/test-reconnect.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def do_advance(arg):
 def do_timeout(_):
     global now
     timeout = r.timeout(now)
-    if timeout >= 0:
+    if timeout is not None and timeout >= 0:
         print("  advance %d ms" % timeout)
         now += timeout
     else: