diff --git a/doc/zmq_setsockopt.txt b/doc/zmq_setsockopt.txt
index a7ab3ab60b..ea5bb7bd38 100644
--- a/doc/zmq_setsockopt.txt
+++ b/doc/zmq_setsockopt.txt
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ no effect.
 Option value type:: int
 Option value unit:: milliseconds
 Default value:: 0
+Maximum value:: 6553599 (which is 2^16-1 deciseconds)
 Applicable socket types:: all, when using connection-oriented transports
 
 
diff --git a/src/options.cpp b/src/options.cpp
index 036b382dcf..d1dfbf84af 100644
--- a/src/options.cpp
+++ b/src/options.cpp
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ int zmq::options_t::set_curve_key (uint8_t *destination,
     return -1;
 }
 
+const int deciseconds_per_millisecond = 100;
+
 int zmq::options_t::setsockopt (int option_,
                                 const void *optval_,
                                 size_t optvallen_)
@@ -665,8 +667,8 @@ int zmq::options_t::setsockopt (int option_,
 
         case ZMQ_HEARTBEAT_TTL:
             // Convert this to deciseconds from milliseconds
-            value = value / 100;
-            if (is_int && value >= 0 && value <= 6553) {
+            value = value / deciseconds_per_millisecond;
+            if (is_int && value >= 0 && value <= UINT16_MAX) {
                 heartbeat_ttl = static_cast<uint16_t> (value);
                 return 0;
             }
diff --git a/src/stdint.hpp b/src/stdint.hpp
index 4efc86f1a2..dc4d5df1f7 100644
--- a/src/stdint.hpp
+++ b/src/stdint.hpp
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ typedef unsigned __int32 uint32_t;
 #ifndef uint64_t
 typedef unsigned __int64 uint64_t;
 #endif
+#ifndef UINT16_MAX
+#define UINT16_MAX _UI16_MAX
+#endif
 #ifndef UINT32_MAX
 #define UINT32_MAX _UI32_MAX
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/test_heartbeats.cpp b/tests/test_heartbeats.cpp
index 041f1909ee..a9a66e7e81 100644
--- a/tests/test_heartbeats.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_heartbeats.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ typedef SOCKET raw_socket;
 typedef int raw_socket;
 #endif
 
+#include <limits.h>
+
+// TODO remove this here, either ensure that UINT16_MAX is always properly
+// defined or handle this at a more central location
+#ifndef UINT16_MAX
+#define UINT16_MAX 65535
+#endif
+
 #include "testutil_unity.hpp"
 
 void setUp ()
@@ -366,6 +374,48 @@ DEFINE_TESTS (pull, push, ZMQ_PULL, ZMQ_PUSH)
 DEFINE_TESTS (sub, pub, ZMQ_SUB, ZMQ_PUB)
 DEFINE_TESTS (pair, pair, ZMQ_PAIR, ZMQ_PAIR)
 
+const int deciseconds_per_millisecond = 100;
+const int heartbeat_ttl_max =
+  (UINT16_MAX + 1) * deciseconds_per_millisecond - 1;
+
+void test_setsockopt_heartbeat_success (const int value)
+{
+    void *const socket = test_context_socket (ZMQ_PAIR);
+    TEST_ASSERT_SUCCESS_ERRNO (
+      zmq_setsockopt (socket, ZMQ_HEARTBEAT_TTL, &value, sizeof (value)));
+
+    int value_read;
+    size_t value_read_size = sizeof (value_read);
+    TEST_ASSERT_SUCCESS_ERRNO (zmq_getsockopt (socket, ZMQ_HEARTBEAT_TTL,
+                                               &value_read, &value_read_size));
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT (value - value % deciseconds_per_millisecond,
+                           value_read);
+
+    test_context_socket_close (socket);
+}
+
+void test_setsockopt_heartbeat_ttl_max ()
+{
+    test_setsockopt_heartbeat_success (heartbeat_ttl_max);
+}
+
+void test_setsockopt_heartbeat_ttl_more_than_max_fails ()
+{
+    void *const socket = test_context_socket (ZMQ_PAIR);
+    const int value = heartbeat_ttl_max + 1;
+    TEST_ASSERT_FAILURE_ERRNO (
+      EINVAL,
+      zmq_setsockopt (socket, ZMQ_HEARTBEAT_TTL, &value, sizeof (value)));
+
+    test_context_socket_close (socket);
+}
+
+void test_setsockopt_heartbeat_ttl_near_zero ()
+{
+    test_setsockopt_heartbeat_success (deciseconds_per_millisecond - 1);
+}
+
 int main (void)
 {
     setup_test_environment ();
@@ -381,6 +431,10 @@ int main (void)
     RUN_TEST (test_heartbeat_ttl_sub_pub);
     RUN_TEST (test_heartbeat_ttl_pair_pair);
 
+    RUN_TEST (test_setsockopt_heartbeat_ttl_max);
+    RUN_TEST (test_setsockopt_heartbeat_ttl_more_than_max_fails);
+    RUN_TEST (test_setsockopt_heartbeat_ttl_near_zero);
+
     RUN_TEST (test_heartbeat_notimeout_dealer_router);
     RUN_TEST (test_heartbeat_notimeout_req_rep);
     RUN_TEST (test_heartbeat_notimeout_pull_push);