diff --git a/pkg/sip/media_port.go b/pkg/sip/media_port.go
index 8b8aec4b..f0ac1deb 100644
--- a/pkg/sip/media_port.go
+++ b/pkg/sip/media_port.go
@@ -229,6 +229,15 @@ func (p *MediaPort) disableTimeout() {
 }
 
 func (p *MediaPort) enableTimeout(initial, general time.Duration) {
+	if initial <= 0 || general <= 0 {
+		p.log.Warnw("attempting to set zero media timeout", nil, "initial", initial, "timeout", general)
+		if initial <= 0 {
+			initial = defaultMediaTimeoutInitial
+		}
+		if general <= 0 {
+			general = defaultMediaTimeout
+		}
+	}
 	p.timeoutInitial.Store(&initial)
 	p.timeoutGeneral.Store(&general)
 	select {
@@ -253,10 +262,6 @@ func (p *MediaPort) EnableTimeout(enabled bool) {
 }
 
 func (p *MediaPort) SetTimeout(initial, general time.Duration) {
-	if initial <= 0 {
-		p.disableTimeout()
-		return
-	}
 	p.enableTimeout(initial, general)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/sip/service.go b/pkg/sip/service.go
index 9f981035..09ff5575 100644
--- a/pkg/sip/service.go
+++ b/pkg/sip/service.go
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ func NewService(region string, conf *config.Config, mon *stats.Monitor, log logg
 	if log == nil {
 		log = logger.GetLogger()
 	}
+	if conf.MediaTimeout <= 0 {
+		conf.MediaTimeout = defaultMediaTimeout
+	}
+	if conf.MediaTimeoutInitial <= 0 {
+		conf.MediaTimeoutInitial = defaultMediaTimeoutInitial
+	}
 	s := &Service{
 		conf:             conf,
 		log:              log,