diff --git a/src/network/networkd-util.h b/src/network/networkd-util.h
index 84fdc99958..e8c390196e 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-util.h
+++ b/src/network/networkd-util.h
@@ -36,12 +36,15 @@ typedef enum NetworkConfigState {
         NETWORK_CONFIG_STATE_REMOVING    = 1 << 4, /* e.g. address_remove() is called, but no response is received yet */
 } NetworkConfigState;
 
-static inline usec_t sec16_to_usec(uint16_t sec, usec_t timestamp_usec) {
-        return sec == UINT16_MAX ? USEC_INFINITY : usec_add(timestamp_usec, sec * USEC_PER_SEC);
+static inline usec_t sec_to_usec(uint32_t sec, usec_t timestamp_usec) {
+        return
+                sec == 0 ? 0 :
+                sec == UINT32_MAX ? USEC_INFINITY :
+                usec_add(timestamp_usec, sec * USEC_PER_SEC);
 }
 
-static inline usec_t sec_to_usec(uint32_t sec, usec_t timestamp_usec) {
-        return sec == UINT32_MAX ? USEC_INFINITY : usec_add(timestamp_usec, sec * USEC_PER_SEC);
+static inline usec_t sec16_to_usec(uint16_t sec, usec_t timestamp_usec) {
+        return sec_to_usec(sec == UINT16_MAX ? UINT32_MAX : (uint32_t) sec, timestamp_usec);
 }
 
 static inline uint32_t usec_to_sec(usec_t usec, usec_t now_usec) {