diff --git a/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/timer.cpp b/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/timer.cpp
index 50df28baaa..70414f38c6 100644
--- a/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/timer.cpp
+++ b/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/timer.cpp
@@ -76,8 +76,9 @@ TimerBase::~TimerBase()
 void
 TimerBase::cancel()
 {
-  if (rcl_timer_cancel(timer_handle_.get()) != RCL_RET_OK) {
-    throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Couldn't cancel timer: ") + rcl_get_error_string().str);
+  rcl_ret_t ret = rcl_timer_cancel(timer_handle_.get());
+  if (ret != RCL_RET_OK) {
+    rclcpp::exceptions::throw_from_rcl_error(ret, "Couldn't cancel timer");
   }
 }
 
@@ -95,8 +96,9 @@ TimerBase::is_canceled()
 void
 TimerBase::reset()
 {
-  if (rcl_timer_reset(timer_handle_.get()) != RCL_RET_OK) {
-    throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Couldn't reset timer: ") + rcl_get_error_string().str);
+  rcl_ret_t ret = rcl_timer_reset(timer_handle_.get());
+  if (ret != RCL_RET_OK) {
+    rclcpp::exceptions::throw_from_rcl_error(ret, "Couldn't reset timer");
   }
 }
 
@@ -104,8 +106,9 @@ bool
 TimerBase::is_ready()
 {
   bool ready = false;
-  if (rcl_timer_is_ready(timer_handle_.get(), &ready) != RCL_RET_OK) {
-    throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Failed to check timer: ") + rcl_get_error_string().str);
+  rcl_ret_t ret = rcl_timer_is_ready(timer_handle_.get(), &ready);
+  if (ret != RCL_RET_OK) {
+    rclcpp::exceptions::throw_from_rcl_error(ret, "Failed to check timer");
   }
   return ready;
 }
@@ -114,14 +117,10 @@ std::chrono::nanoseconds
 TimerBase::time_until_trigger()
 {
   int64_t time_until_next_call = 0;
-  if (
-    rcl_timer_get_time_until_next_call(
-      timer_handle_.get(),
-      &time_until_next_call) != RCL_RET_OK)
-  {
-    throw std::runtime_error(
-            std::string(
-              "Timer could not get time until next call: ") + rcl_get_error_string().str);
+  rcl_ret_t ret = rcl_timer_get_time_until_next_call(
+    timer_handle_.get(), &time_until_next_call);
+  if (ret != RCL_RET_OK) {
+    rclcpp::exceptions::throw_from_rcl_error(ret, "Timer could not get time until next call");
   }
   return std::chrono::nanoseconds(time_until_next_call);
 }
diff --git a/rclcpp/test/CMakeLists.txt b/rclcpp/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 46f2fd57ec..aef6530d7f 100644
--- a/rclcpp/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/rclcpp/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ ament_add_gtest(test_timer rclcpp/test_timer.cpp
 if(TARGET test_timer)
   ament_target_dependencies(test_timer
     "rcl")
-  target_link_libraries(test_timer ${PROJECT_NAME})
+  target_link_libraries(test_timer ${PROJECT_NAME} mimick)
 endif()
 
 ament_add_gtest(test_time_source rclcpp/test_time_source.cpp
diff --git a/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_timer.cpp b/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_timer.cpp
index cc568b06c5..0928fcaa5d 100644
--- a/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_timer.cpp
+++ b/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_timer.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 #include "rclcpp/executors/single_threaded_executor.hpp"
 #include "rclcpp/rclcpp.hpp"
 
+#include "../mocking_utils/patch.hpp"
+#include "../utils/rclcpp_gtest_macros.hpp"
+
 using namespace std::chrono_literals;
 
 /// Timer testing bring up and teardown
@@ -207,4 +210,74 @@ TEST_F(TestTimer, callback_with_timer) {
     executor->spin_once(std::chrono::milliseconds(10));
   }
   EXPECT_EQ(timer.get(), timer_ptr);
+  EXPECT_LE(std::chrono::nanoseconds(0).count(), timer_ptr->time_until_trigger().count());
+  EXPECT_FALSE(timer_ptr->is_ready());
+}
+
+TEST_F(TestTimer, callback_with_period_zero) {
+  rclcpp::TimerBase * timer_ptr = nullptr;
+  timer = test_node->create_wall_timer(
+    std::chrono::milliseconds(0),
+    [&timer_ptr](rclcpp::TimerBase & timer) {
+      timer_ptr = &timer;
+    });
+  auto start = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+  while (nullptr == timer_ptr &&
+    (std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - start) < std::chrono::milliseconds(100))
+  {
+    executor->spin_once(std::chrono::milliseconds(10));
+  }
+  ASSERT_EQ(timer.get(), timer_ptr);
+  EXPECT_GE(std::chrono::nanoseconds(0).count(), timer_ptr->time_until_trigger().count());
+  EXPECT_TRUE(timer_ptr->is_ready());
+}
+
+/// Test internal failures using mocks
+TEST_F(TestTimer, test_failures_with_exceptions)
+{
+  // expect clean state, don't run otherwise
+  test_initial_conditions(timer, has_timer_run);
+  {
+    std::shared_ptr<rclcpp::TimerBase> timer_to_test_destructor;
+    // Test destructor failure, just logs a msg
+    auto mock = mocking_utils::inject_on_return("lib:rclcpp", rcl_timer_fini, RCL_RET_ERROR);
+    EXPECT_NO_THROW(
+    {
+      timer_to_test_destructor =
+      test_node->create_wall_timer(std::chrono::milliseconds(0), [](void) {});
+      timer_to_test_destructor.reset();
+    });
+  }
+  {
+    auto mock = mocking_utils::patch_and_return(
+      "lib:rclcpp", rcl_timer_cancel, RCL_RET_ERROR);
+    RCLCPP_EXPECT_THROW_EQ(
+      timer->cancel(), std::runtime_error("Couldn't cancel timer: error not set"));
+  }
+  {
+    auto mock = mocking_utils::patch_and_return(
+      "lib:rclcpp", rcl_timer_is_canceled, RCL_RET_ERROR);
+    RCLCPP_EXPECT_THROW_EQ(
+      timer->is_canceled(),
+      std::runtime_error("Couldn't get timer cancelled state: error not set"));
+  }
+  {
+    auto mock = mocking_utils::patch_and_return(
+      "lib:rclcpp", rcl_timer_reset, RCL_RET_ERROR);
+    RCLCPP_EXPECT_THROW_EQ(
+      timer->reset(), std::runtime_error("Couldn't reset timer: error not set"));
+  }
+  {
+    auto mock = mocking_utils::patch_and_return(
+      "lib:rclcpp", rcl_timer_is_ready, RCL_RET_ERROR);
+    RCLCPP_EXPECT_THROW_EQ(
+      timer->is_ready(), std::runtime_error("Failed to check timer: error not set"));
+  }
+  {
+    auto mock = mocking_utils::patch_and_return(
+      "lib:rclcpp", rcl_timer_get_time_until_next_call, RCL_RET_ERROR);
+    RCLCPP_EXPECT_THROW_EQ(
+      timer->time_until_trigger(),
+      std::runtime_error("Timer could not get time until next call: error not set"));
+  }
 }