diff --git a/src/core/parseopt.c b/src/core/parseopt.c
index 38b1f29f9e..514508357c 100644
--- a/src/core/parseopt.c
+++ b/src/core/parseopt.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 #include <ipxe/menu.h>
 #include <ipxe/settings.h>
 #include <ipxe/params.h>
+#include <ipxe/timer.h>
 #include <ipxe/parseopt.h>
 
 /** @file
@@ -95,6 +96,27 @@ int parse_integer ( char *text, unsigned int *value ) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Parse timeout value (in ms)
+ *
+ * @v text		Text
+ * @ret value		Integer value
+ * @ret rc		Return status code
+ */
+int parse_timeout ( char *text, unsigned long *value ) {
+	unsigned int value_ms;
+	int rc;
+
+	/* Parse raw integer value */
+	if ( ( rc = parse_integer ( text, &value_ms ) ) != 0 )
+		return rc;
+
+	/* Convert to a number of timer ticks */
+	*value = ( ( value_ms * TICKS_PER_SEC ) / 1000 );
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * Parse network device name
  *
diff --git a/src/hci/commands/menu_cmd.c b/src/hci/commands/menu_cmd.c
index 0ad53dbd4c..6ff30083bc 100644
--- a/src/hci/commands/menu_cmd.c
+++ b/src/hci/commands/menu_cmd.c
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ struct choose_options {
 	/** Menu name */
 	char *menu;
 	/** Timeout */
-	unsigned int timeout;
+	unsigned long timeout;
 	/** Default selection */
 	char *select;
 	/** Keep menu */
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ static struct option_descriptor choose_opts[] = {
 	OPTION_DESC ( "default", 'd', required_argument,
 		      struct choose_options, select, parse_string ),
 	OPTION_DESC ( "timeout", 't', required_argument,
-		      struct choose_options, timeout, parse_integer ),
+		      struct choose_options, timeout, parse_timeout ),
 	OPTION_DESC ( "keep", 'k', no_argument,
 		      struct choose_options, keep, parse_flag ),
 };
diff --git a/src/hci/commands/ping_cmd.c b/src/hci/commands/ping_cmd.c
index a042b8faa7..4959f6a002 100644
--- a/src/hci/commands/ping_cmd.c
+++ b/src/hci/commands/ping_cmd.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <ipxe/command.h>
 #include <ipxe/parseopt.h>
+#include <ipxe/timer.h>
 #include <usr/pingmgmt.h>
 
 /** @file
@@ -39,14 +40,14 @@ FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 #define PING_DEFAULT_SIZE 64
 
 /** Default timeout */
-#define PING_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT 1000
+#define PING_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT TICKS_PER_SEC
 
 /** "ping" options */
 struct ping_options {
 	/** Payload length */
 	unsigned int size;
 	/** Timeout (in ms) */
-	unsigned int timeout;
+	unsigned long timeout;
 };
 
 /** "ping" option list */
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ static struct option_descriptor ping_opts[] = {
 	OPTION_DESC ( "size", 's', required_argument,
 		      struct ping_options, size, parse_integer ),
 	OPTION_DESC ( "timeout", 't', required_argument,
-		      struct ping_options, timeout, parse_integer ),
+		      struct ping_options, timeout, parse_timeout ),
 };
 
 /** "ping" command descriptor */
diff --git a/src/hci/commands/sync_cmd.c b/src/hci/commands/sync_cmd.c
index 221e873952..ee932939cc 100644
--- a/src/hci/commands/sync_cmd.c
+++ b/src/hci/commands/sync_cmd.c
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <ipxe/command.h>
 #include <ipxe/parseopt.h>
-#include <ipxe/timer.h>
 #include <ipxe/pending.h>
 
 /** @file
@@ -36,13 +35,13 @@ FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 /** "sync" options */
 struct sync_options {
 	/** Timeout */
-	unsigned int timeout;
+	unsigned long timeout;
 };
 
 /** "sync" option list */
 static struct option_descriptor sync_opts[] = {
 	OPTION_DESC ( "timeout", 't', required_argument,
-		      struct sync_options, timeout, parse_integer ),
+		      struct sync_options, timeout, parse_timeout ),
 };
 
 /** "sync" command descriptor */
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@ static struct command_descriptor sync_cmd =
  */
 static int sync_exec ( int argc, char **argv ) {
 	struct sync_options opts;
-	unsigned long timeout;
 	int rc;
 
 	/* Parse options */
@@ -67,8 +65,7 @@ static int sync_exec ( int argc, char **argv ) {
 		return rc;
 
 	/* Wait for pending operations to complete */
-	timeout = ( ( opts.timeout * TICKS_PER_SEC ) / 1000 );
-	if ( ( rc = pending_wait ( timeout ) ) != 0 ) {
+	if ( ( rc = pending_wait ( opts.timeout ) ) != 0 ) {
 		printf ( "Operations did not complete: %s\n", strerror ( rc ) );
 		return rc;
 	}
diff --git a/src/hci/tui/menu_ui.c b/src/hci/tui/menu_ui.c
index d5636f8b01..42f7463fa8 100644
--- a/src/hci/tui/menu_ui.c
+++ b/src/hci/tui/menu_ui.c
@@ -303,11 +303,11 @@ static int menu_loop ( struct menu_ui *ui, struct menu_item **selected ) {
  * Show menu
  *
  * @v menu		Menu
- * @v wait_ms		Time to wait, in milliseconds (0=indefinite)
+ * @v timeout		Timeout period, in ticks (0=indefinite)
  * @ret selected	Selected item
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
-int show_menu ( struct menu *menu, unsigned int timeout_ms,
+int show_menu ( struct menu *menu, unsigned long timeout,
 		const char *select, struct menu_item **selected ) {
 	struct menu_item *item;
 	struct menu_ui ui;
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ int show_menu ( struct menu *menu, unsigned int timeout_ms,
 	/* Initialise UI */
 	memset ( &ui, 0, sizeof ( ui ) );
 	ui.menu = menu;
-	ui.timeout = ( ( timeout_ms * TICKS_PER_SEC ) / 1000 );
+	ui.timeout = timeout;
 	list_for_each_entry ( item, &menu->items, list ) {
 		if ( item->label ) {
 			if ( ! labelled_count )
diff --git a/src/image/script.c b/src/image/script.c
index 881d51f3d6..8d80241dcc 100644
--- a/src/image/script.c
+++ b/src/image/script.c
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ struct prompt_options {
 	/** Key to wait for */
 	unsigned int key;
 	/** Timeout */
-	unsigned int timeout;
+	unsigned long timeout;
 };
 
 /** "prompt" option list */
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ static struct option_descriptor prompt_opts[] = {
 	OPTION_DESC ( "key", 'k', required_argument,
 		      struct prompt_options, key, parse_key ),
 	OPTION_DESC ( "timeout", 't', required_argument,
-		      struct prompt_options, timeout, parse_integer ),
+		      struct prompt_options, timeout, parse_timeout ),
 };
 
 /** "prompt" command descriptor */
diff --git a/src/include/ipxe/menu.h b/src/include/ipxe/menu.h
index 993b027ea9..f2b3caccc1 100644
--- a/src/include/ipxe/menu.h
+++ b/src/include/ipxe/menu.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ extern struct menu_item * add_menu_item ( struct menu *menu, const char *label,
 					  int is_default );
 extern void destroy_menu ( struct menu *menu );
 extern struct menu * find_menu ( const char *name );
-extern int show_menu ( struct menu *menu, unsigned int timeout_ms,
+extern int show_menu ( struct menu *menu, unsigned long timeout,
 		       const char *select, struct menu_item **selected );
 
 #endif /* _IPXE_MENU_H */
diff --git a/src/include/ipxe/parseopt.h b/src/include/ipxe/parseopt.h
index 108ce04ce5..e3b54c8e5e 100644
--- a/src/include/ipxe/parseopt.h
+++ b/src/include/ipxe/parseopt.h
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ struct named_setting {
 
 extern int parse_string ( char *text, char **value );
 extern int parse_integer ( char *text, unsigned int *value );
+extern int parse_timeout ( char *text, unsigned long *value );
 extern int parse_netdev ( char *text, struct net_device **netdev );
 extern int parse_menu ( char *text, struct menu **menu );
 extern int parse_flag ( char *text __unused, int *flag );
diff --git a/src/include/usr/pingmgmt.h b/src/include/usr/pingmgmt.h
index 4a2efc3bd0..45ad5d3947 100644
--- a/src/include/usr/pingmgmt.h
+++ b/src/include/usr/pingmgmt.h
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@ FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 
-extern int ping ( const char *hostname, unsigned long timeout_ms, size_t len );
+extern int ping ( const char *hostname, unsigned long timeout, size_t len );
 
 #endif /* _USR_PINGMGMT_H */
diff --git a/src/include/usr/prompt.h b/src/include/usr/prompt.h
index fc1946c7a5..57e43d2dc5 100644
--- a/src/include/usr/prompt.h
+++ b/src/include/usr/prompt.h
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@
 
 FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 
-extern int prompt ( const char *text, unsigned int wait_ms, int key );
+extern int prompt ( const char *text, unsigned long timeout, int key );
 
 #endif /* _USR_PROMPT_H */
diff --git a/src/usr/pingmgmt.c b/src/usr/pingmgmt.c
index e455938281..0db10c2193 100644
--- a/src/usr/pingmgmt.c
+++ b/src/usr/pingmgmt.c
@@ -56,16 +56,15 @@ static void ping_callback ( struct sockaddr *peer, unsigned int sequence,
  * Ping a host
  *
  * @v hostname		Hostname
- * @v timeout_ms	Timeout between pings, in ms
+ * @v timeout		Timeout between pings, in ticks
  * @v len		Payload length
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
-int ping ( const char *hostname, unsigned long timeout_ms, size_t len ) {
+int ping ( const char *hostname, unsigned long timeout, size_t len ) {
 	int rc;
 
 	/* Create pinger */
-	if ( ( rc = create_pinger ( &monojob, hostname,
-				    ( ( timeout_ms * TICKS_PER_SEC ) / 1000 ),
+	if ( ( rc = create_pinger ( &monojob, hostname, timeout,
 				    len, ping_callback ) ) != 0 ) {
 		printf ( "Could not start ping: %s\n", strerror ( rc ) );
 		return rc;
diff --git a/src/usr/prompt.c b/src/usr/prompt.c
index ede0374571..957b4ab3df 100644
--- a/src/usr/prompt.c
+++ b/src/usr/prompt.c
@@ -28,28 +28,27 @@ FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <ipxe/console.h>
-#include <ipxe/timer.h>
 #include <usr/prompt.h>
 
 /**
  * Prompt for keypress
  *
  * @v text		Prompt string
- * @v wait_ms		Time to wait, in milliseconds (0=indefinite)
+ * @v timeout		Timeout period, in ticks (0=indefinite)
  * @v key		Key to wait for (0=any key)
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  *
  * Returns success if the specified key was pressed within the
  * specified timeout period.
  */
-int prompt ( const char *text, unsigned int wait_ms, int key ) {
+int prompt ( const char *text, unsigned long timeout, int key ) {
 	int key_pressed;
 
 	/* Display prompt */
 	printf ( "%s", text );
 
 	/* Wait for key */
-	key_pressed = getkey ( ( wait_ms * TICKS_PER_SEC ) / 1000 );
+	key_pressed = getkey ( timeout );
 
 	/* Clear the prompt line */
 	while ( *(text++) )