diff --git a/lib/timers.js b/lib/timers.js
index ad00ede974895f..7d3e7b5030956e 100644
--- a/lib/timers.js
+++ b/lib/timers.js
@@ -353,13 +353,14 @@ exports.unenroll = util.deprecate(unenroll,
 // This function does not start the timer, see `active()`.
 // Using existing objects as timers slightly reduces object overhead.
 function enroll(item, msecs) {
-  item._idleTimeout = validateTimerDuration(msecs);
+  msecs = validateTimerDuration(msecs);
 
   // if this item was already in a list somewhere
   // then we should unenroll it from that
   if (item._idleNext) unenroll(item);
 
   L.init(item);
+  item._idleTimeout = msecs;
 }
 
 exports.enroll = util.deprecate(enroll,
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-timers-enroll-second-time.js b/test/parallel/test-timers-enroll-second-time.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..a914e6c4a18a98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-timers-enroll-second-time.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const timers = require('timers');
+
+const enrollObj = {
+  _onTimeout: common.mustCall(),
+};
+
+timers.enroll(enrollObj, 1);
+assert.strictEqual(enrollObj._idleTimeout, 1);
+timers.enroll(enrollObj, 10);
+assert.strictEqual(enrollObj._idleTimeout, 10);
+timers.active(enrollObj);