diff --git a/jina/checker.py b/jina/checker.py
index 55f7f1da7da6a..c56bc862c52f9 100644
--- a/jina/checker.py
+++ b/jina/checker.py
@@ -25,21 +25,26 @@ def __init__(self, args: 'argparse.Namespace'):
         try:
             total_time = 0
             total_success = 0
+            timeout = args.timeout / 1000 if args.timeout != -1 else None
             for j in range(args.attempts):
                 with TimeContext(
                     f'ping {args.target} on {args.host} at {j} round', default_logger
                 ) as tc:
                     if args.target == 'executor':
                         hostname, port, protocol, _ = parse_host_scheme(args.host)
-                        r = WorkerRuntime.is_ready(ctrl_address=f'{hostname}:{port}')
+                        r = WorkerRuntime.is_ready(
+                            ctrl_address=f'{hostname}:{port}',
+                            timeout=timeout,
+                        )
                     elif args.target == 'gateway':
                         hostname, port, protocol, _ = parse_host_scheme(args.host)
                         r = GatewayRuntime.is_ready(
                             f'{hostname}:{port}',
-                            protocol=GatewayProtocolType.from_string(protocol)
+                            protocol=GatewayProtocolType.from_string(protocol),
+                            timeout=timeout,
                         )
                     elif args.target == 'flow':
-                        r = Client(host=args.host).is_flow_ready(timeout=args.timeout / 1000)
+                        r = Client(host=args.host).is_flow_ready(timeout=timeout)
                     if not r:
                         default_logger.warning(
                             'not responding, attempt (%d/%d) in 1s'
diff --git a/jina/parsers/ping.py b/jina/parsers/ping.py
index b31acb5962e29..398128763e748 100644
--- a/jina/parsers/ping.py
+++ b/jina/parsers/ping.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def set_ping_parser(parser=None):
         default=3000,
         help='''
 Timeout in millisecond of one check
--1 for waiting forever
+Use -1 for waiting forever
 ''',
     )
     parser.add_argument(