diff --git a/manifests/object/notification.pp b/manifests/object/notification.pp
index 9742f64cb..7eac520c2 100644
--- a/manifests/object/notification.pp
+++ b/manifests/object/notification.pp
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
   if !is_string($user_groups) { validate_array($user_groups) }
   if $times { validate_hash ($times )}
   if $command { validate_string ($command )}
-  if $interval { validate_integer ($interval )}
+  if $interval { validate_re($interval, '^\d+(\.\d+)?[dhms]?$')}
   if $period { validate_string ($period )}
   if $zone { validate_string ($zone) }
   if !is_array($types) { validate_string($types) }
diff --git a/manifests/object/scheduleddowntime.pp b/manifests/object/scheduleddowntime.pp
index 506c68861..daacd3a85 100644
--- a/manifests/object/scheduleddowntime.pp
+++ b/manifests/object/scheduleddowntime.pp
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
   if $author { validate_string($author) }
   if $comment { validate_string($comment) }
   if $fixed { validate_bool($fixed) }
-  if $duration { validate_integer($duration) }
+  if $duration { validate_re($duration, '^\d+(\.\d+)?[dhms]?$') }
   if $ranges { validate_hash($ranges) }
 
   # compose attributes