diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index c2be4cef1d..fe2c04733b 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -281,18 +281,13 @@ declare namespace execa {
 
 	interface KillOptions {
 		/**
-		If the first signal does not terminate the child process after a specified timeout, a `SIGKILL` signal will be sent to the process.
+		How many milliseconds to wait for the child process to terminate before sending `SIGKILL`.
 
-		@default true
-		*/
-		forceKill?: boolean;
-
-		/**
-		Milliseconds to wait for the child process to terminate before sending a `SIGKILL` signal.
+		Can be disabled with `false`.
 
 		@default 5000
 		*/
-		forceKillAfter?: number;
+		forceKillAfterTimeout?: boolean | number;
 	}
 
 	interface ExecaChildPromise<StdoutErrorType> {
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index fe0d0a2148..9d55dbc464 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -231,8 +231,8 @@ function setKillTimeout(kill, signal, options, killResult) {
 	}, timeout).unref();
 }
 
-function shouldForceKill(signal, {forceKill}, killResult) {
-	return isSigterm(signal) && forceKill !== false && killResult;
+function shouldForceKill(signal, {forceKillAfterTimeout}, killResult) {
+	return isSigterm(signal) && forceKillAfterTimeout !== false && killResult;
 }
 
 function isSigterm(signal) {
@@ -240,12 +240,16 @@ function isSigterm(signal) {
 		(typeof signal === 'string' && signal.toUpperCase() === 'SIGTERM');
 }
 
-function getForceKillAfterTimeout({forceKillAfter = DEFAULT_FORCE_KILL_TIMEOUT}) {
-	if (!Number.isInteger(forceKillAfter) || forceKillAfter < 0) {
-		throw new TypeError(`Expected the \`forceKillAfter\` option to be a non-negative integer, got \`${forceKillAfter}\` (${typeof forceKillAfter})`);
+function getForceKillAfterTimeout({forceKillAfterTimeout = true}) {
+	if (forceKillAfterTimeout === true) {
+		return DEFAULT_FORCE_KILL_TIMEOUT;
 	}
 
-	return forceKillAfter;
+	if (!Number.isInteger(forceKillAfterTimeout) || forceKillAfterTimeout < 0) {
+		throw new TypeError(`Expected the \`forceKillAfterTimeout\` option to be a non-negative integer, got \`${forceKillAfterTimeout}\` (${typeof forceKillAfterTimeout})`);
+	}
+
+	return forceKillAfterTimeout;
 }
 
 const execa = (file, args, options) => {
diff --git a/index.test-d.ts b/index.test-d.ts
index 653e97b251..5af9918243 100644
--- a/index.test-d.ts
+++ b/index.test-d.ts
@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ execa('unicorns').kill();
 execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL');
 execa('unicorns').kill(undefined);
 execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {});
-execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {forceKill: true});
-execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {forceKill: false});
-execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {forceKillAfter: 42});
-execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {forceKillAfter: undefined});
+execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {forceKillAfterTimeout: true});
+execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {forceKillAfterTimeout: false});
+execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {forceKillAfterTimeout: 42});
+execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {forceKillAfterTimeout: undefined});
 
 expectType<ExecaChildProcess<string>>(execa('unicorns'));
 expectType<ExecaReturnValue<string>>(await execa('unicorns'));
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 79573154e8..5f523167e1 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ try {
 const subprocess = execa('node');
 setTimeout(() => {
 	subprocess.kill('SIGTERM', {
-		forceKillAfter: 2000
+		forceKillAfterTimeout: 2000
 	});
 }, 1000);
 ```
@@ -140,19 +140,14 @@ Returns a [`child_process` instance](https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#c
 
 Same as the original [`child_process#kill()`](https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_subprocess_kill_signal) except: if `signal` is `SIGTERM` (the default value) and the child process is not terminated after 5 seconds, force it by sending `SIGKILL`.
 
-##### options.forceKill
+##### options.forceKillAfterTimeout
 
-Type: `boolean`<br>
-Default: `true`
-
-If the first signal does not terminate the child process after a specified timeout, a `SIGKILL` signal will be sent to the process.
-
-##### options.forceKillAfter
-
-Type: `string`<br>
+Type: `boolean | number`<br>
 Default: `5000`
 
-Milliseconds to wait for the child process to terminate before sending `SIGKILL`.
+How many milliseconds to wait for the child process to terminate before sending `SIGKILL`.
+
+Can be disabled with `false`.
 
 #### cancel()
 
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 718e32a0fb..ae20966f0e 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -140,8 +140,7 @@ if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
 		await pEvent(subprocess, 'message');
 
 		subprocess.kill('SIGTERM', {
-			forceKill: false,
-			forceKillAfter: 50
+			forceKillAfterTimeout: false
 		});
 
 		t.true(isRunning(subprocess.pid));
@@ -156,13 +155,26 @@ if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
 		await pEvent(subprocess, 'message');
 
 		subprocess.kill('SIGTERM', {
-			forceKillAfter: 50
+			forceKillAfterTimeout: 50
 		});
 
 		const {signal} = await t.throwsAsync(subprocess);
 		t.is(signal, 'SIGKILL');
 	});
 
+	test('.kill() `forceKillAfterTimeout` can be `true`', async t => {
+		const subprocess = execa('node', ['fixtures/no-killable'], {
+			stdio: ['ipc']
+		});
+
+		await pEvent(subprocess, 'message');
+
+		subprocess.kill('SIGTERM', {forceKillAfterTimeout: true});
+
+		const {signal} = await t.throwsAsync(subprocess);
+		t.is(signal, 'SIGKILL');
+	});
+
 	test('execa() with .kill() after it with nothing (undefined) should kill after 50 ms with SIGKILL', async t => {
 		const subprocess = execa('node', ['fixtures/no-killable'], {
 			stdio: ['ipc']
@@ -176,15 +188,15 @@ if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
 		t.is(signal, 'SIGKILL');
 	});
 
-	test('.kill() `forceKillAfter` should not be a float', t => {
+	test('.kill() `forceKillAfterTimeout` should not be a float', t => {
 		t.throws(() => {
-			execa('noop').kill('SIGTERM', {forceKillAfter: 0.5});
+			execa('noop').kill('SIGTERM', {forceKillAfterTimeout: 0.5});
 		}, {instanceOf: TypeError, message: /non-negative integer/});
 	});
 
-	test('.kill() `forceKillAfter` should not be negative', t => {
+	test('.kill() `forceKillAfterTimeout` should not be negative', t => {
 		t.throws(() => {
-			execa('noop').kill('SIGTERM', {forceKillAfter: -1});
+			execa('noop').kill('SIGTERM', {forceKillAfterTimeout: -1});
 		}, {instanceOf: TypeError, message: /non-negative integer/});
 	});
 }