diff --git a/heat/engine/manager.py b/heat/engine/manager.py
index e839b9e16c..41728c10c0 100644
--- a/heat/engine/manager.py
+++ b/heat/engine/manager.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def _extract_args(params):
     kwargs = {}
     try:
         timeout_mins = int(params.get('TimeoutInMinutes', 0))
-    except ValueError:
+    except (ValueError, TypeError):
         logger.exception('create timeout conversion')
     else:
         if timeout_mins > 0:
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_manager.py b/heat/tests/test_manager.py
index a9943c186a..9df0880be8 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_manager.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_manager.py
@@ -53,3 +53,27 @@ class managerTest(unittest.TestCase):
              'Parameters.member.Foo.Bar.ParameterValue': 'bar'}
         params = manager._extract_user_params(p)
         self.assertFalse(params)
+
+    def test_timeout_extract(self):
+        p = {'TimeoutInMinutes': '5'}
+        args = manager._extract_args(p)
+        self.assertEqual(args['timeout_in_minutes'], 5)
+
+    def test_timeout_extract_zero(self):
+        p = {'TimeoutInMinutes': '0'}
+        args = manager._extract_args(p)
+        self.assertTrue('timeout_in_minutes' not in args)
+
+    def test_timeout_extract_garbage(self):
+        p = {'TimeoutInMinutes': 'wibble'}
+        args = manager._extract_args(p)
+        self.assertTrue('timeout_in_minutes' not in args)
+
+    def test_timeout_extract_none(self):
+        p = {'TimeoutInMinutes': None}
+        args = manager._extract_args(p)
+        self.assertTrue('timeout_in_minutes' not in args)
+
+    def test_timeout_extract_not_present(self):
+        args = manager._extract_args({})
+        self.assertTrue('timeout_in_minutes' not in args)