diff --git a/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/BlockTimer.java b/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/BlockTimer.java
index 66cae85bee..636116061f 100644
--- a/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/BlockTimer.java
+++ b/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/BlockTimer.java
@@ -33,19 +33,19 @@ public class BlockTimer {
    * Construct a BlockTimer with primed executor service ready to start timers
    *
    * @param queue The queue in which to put block expiry events
-   * @param minimumTimeBetweenBlocksMillis Minimum timestamp difference between blocks
+   * @param minimumTimeBetweenBlocksSeconds Minimum timestamp difference between blocks
    * @param timerExecutor Executor service that timers can be scheduled with
    * @param clock System clock
    */
   public BlockTimer(
       final IbftEventQueue queue,
-      final long minimumTimeBetweenBlocksMillis,
+      final long minimumTimeBetweenBlocksSeconds,
       final ScheduledExecutorService timerExecutor,
       final Clock clock) {
     this.queue = queue;
     this.timerExecutor = timerExecutor;
     this.currentTimerTask = Optional.empty();
-    this.minimumTimeBetweenBlocksMillis = minimumTimeBetweenBlocksMillis;
+    this.minimumTimeBetweenBlocksMillis = minimumTimeBetweenBlocksSeconds * 1000;
     this.clock = clock;
   }
 
diff --git a/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/IbftProcessor.java b/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/IbftProcessor.java
index 4c752a3b74..26579c8878 100644
--- a/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/IbftProcessor.java
+++ b/consensus/ibft/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/IbftProcessor.java
@@ -62,9 +62,7 @@ public IbftProcessor(
       final ScheduledExecutorService roundTimerExecutor) {
     this.incomingQueue = incomingQueue;
     this.roundTimerExecutor = roundTimerExecutor;
-
-    this.roundTimer =
-        new RoundTimer(incomingQueue, baseRoundExpirySeconds * 1000, roundTimerExecutor);
+    this.roundTimer = new RoundTimer(incomingQueue, baseRoundExpirySeconds, roundTimerExecutor);
     this.stateMachine = stateMachine;
   }
 
diff --git a/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/BlockTimerTest.java b/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/BlockTimerTest.java
index 08f9a4a1d3..fd4b561f80 100644
--- a/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/BlockTimerTest.java
+++ b/consensus/ibft/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/consensus/ibft/BlockTimerTest.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public void initialise() {
 
   @Test
   public void cancelTimerCancelsWhenNoTimer() {
-    final BlockTimer timer = new BlockTimer(mockQueue, 15_000, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
+    final BlockTimer timer = new BlockTimer(mockQueue, 15, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
     // Starts with nothing running
     assertThat(timer.isRunning()).isFalse();
     // cancel shouldn't die if there's nothing running
@@ -68,14 +68,14 @@ public void cancelTimerCancelsWhenNoTimer() {
 
   @Test
   public void startTimerSchedulesCorrectlyWhenExpiryIsInTheFuture() {
-    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS = 15_000;
+    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS = 15;
     final long NOW_MILLIS = 505_000L;
     final long BLOCK_TIME_STAMP = 500L;
     final long EXPECTED_DELAY = 10_000L;
 
     final BlockTimer timer =
         new BlockTimer(
-            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
+            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
 
     when(mockClock.millis()).thenReturn(NOW_MILLIS);
 
@@ -96,8 +96,7 @@ public void startTimerSchedulesCorrectlyWhenExpiryIsInTheFuture() {
 
   @Test
   public void aBlockTimerExpiryEventIsAddedToTheQueueOnExpiry() {
-
-    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS = 1_000;
+    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS = 1;
     final long NOW_MILLIS = 300_500L;
     final long BLOCK_TIME_STAMP = 300;
     final long EXPECTED_DELAY = 500;
@@ -112,7 +111,7 @@ public void aBlockTimerExpiryEventIsAddedToTheQueueOnExpiry() {
     final BlockTimer timer =
         new BlockTimer(
             mockQueue,
-            MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS,
+            MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS,
             Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(),
             mockClock);
     timer.startTimer(round, header);
@@ -135,13 +134,13 @@ public void aBlockTimerExpiryEventIsAddedToTheQueueOnExpiry() {
 
   @Test
   public void eventIsImmediatelyAddedToTheQueueIfAbsoluteExpiryIsEqualToNow() {
-    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS = 15_000;
+    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS = 15;
     final long NOW_MILLIS = 515_000L;
     final long BLOCK_TIME_STAMP = 500;
 
     final BlockTimer timer =
         new BlockTimer(
-            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
+            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
 
     when(mockClock.millis()).thenReturn(NOW_MILLIS);
 
@@ -163,13 +162,13 @@ public void eventIsImmediatelyAddedToTheQueueIfAbsoluteExpiryIsEqualToNow() {
 
   @Test
   public void eventIsImmediatelyAddedToTheQueueIfAbsoluteExpiryIsInThePast() {
-    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS = 15_000;
+    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS = 15;
     final long NOW_MILLIS = 520_000L;
     final long BLOCK_TIME_STAMP = 500L;
 
     final BlockTimer timer =
         new BlockTimer(
-            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
+            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
 
     when(mockClock.millis()).thenReturn(NOW_MILLIS);
 
@@ -191,13 +190,13 @@ public void eventIsImmediatelyAddedToTheQueueIfAbsoluteExpiryIsInThePast() {
 
   @Test
   public void startTimerCancelsExistingTimer() {
-    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS = 15_0000;
+    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS = 15;
     final long NOW_MILLIS = 500_000L;
     final long BLOCK_TIME_STAMP = 500L;
 
     final BlockTimer timer =
         new BlockTimer(
-            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
+            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
 
     when(mockClock.millis()).thenReturn(NOW_MILLIS);
 
@@ -218,13 +217,13 @@ public void startTimerCancelsExistingTimer() {
 
   @Test
   public void runningFollowsTheStateOfTheTimer() {
-    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS = 15_0000;
+    final long MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS = 15;
     final long NOW_MILLIS = 500_000L;
     final long BLOCK_TIME_STAMP = 500L;
 
     final BlockTimer timer =
         new BlockTimer(
-            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_MILLIS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
+            mockQueue, MINIMAL_TIME_BETWEEN_BLOCKS_SECONDS, mockExecutorService, mockClock);
 
     when(mockClock.millis()).thenReturn(NOW_MILLIS);