diff --git a/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/timer.cpp b/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/timer.cpp
index 9ece178..50df28b 100644
--- a/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/timer.cpp
+++ b/rclcpp/src/rclcpp/timer.cpp
@@ -61,15 +61,11 @@ TimerBase::TimerBase(
   rcl_clock_t * clock_handle = clock_->get_clock_handle();
   {
     std::lock_guard<std::mutex> clock_guard(clock_->get_clock_mutex());
-    if (
-      rcl_timer_init(
-        timer_handle_.get(), clock_handle, rcl_context.get(), period.count(), nullptr,
-        rcl_get_default_allocator()) != RCL_RET_OK)
-    {
-      RCUTILS_LOG_ERROR_NAMED(
-        "rclcpp",
-        "Couldn't initialize rcl timer handle: %s\n", rcl_get_error_string().str);
-      rcl_reset_error();
+    rcl_ret_t ret = rcl_timer_init(
+      timer_handle_.get(), clock_handle, rcl_context.get(), period.count(), nullptr,
+      rcl_get_default_allocator());
+    if (ret != RCL_RET_OK) {
+      rclcpp::exceptions::throw_from_rcl_error(ret, "Couldn't initialize rcl timer handle");
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_timer.cpp b/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_timer.cpp
index 2d9022e..7f85a1c 100644
--- a/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_timer.cpp
+++ b/rclcpp/test/rclcpp/test_timer.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <chrono>
 #include <exception>
 #include <memory>
+#include <utility>
 
 #include "rcl/timer.h"
 
@@ -151,3 +152,42 @@ TEST_F(TestTimer, test_run_cancel_timer)
   EXPECT_TRUE(has_timer_run.load());
   EXPECT_TRUE(timer->is_canceled());
 }
+
+TEST_F(TestTimer, test_bad_arguments) {
+  auto node_base = rclcpp::node_interfaces::get_node_base_interface(test_node);
+  auto context = node_base->get_context();
+
+  auto steady_clock = std::make_shared<rclcpp::Clock>(RCL_STEADY_TIME);
+
+  // Negative period
+  EXPECT_THROW(
+    rclcpp::GenericTimer<void (*)()>(steady_clock, -1ms, []() {}, context),
+    rclcpp::exceptions::RCLInvalidArgument);
+
+  // Very negative period
+  constexpr auto nanoseconds_min = std::chrono::nanoseconds::min();
+  EXPECT_THROW(
+    rclcpp::GenericTimer<void (*)()>(
+      steady_clock, nanoseconds_min, []() {}, context),
+    rclcpp::exceptions::RCLInvalidArgument);
+
+  // nanoseconds max, should be ok
+  constexpr auto nanoseconds_max = std::chrono::nanoseconds::max();
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(
+    rclcpp::GenericTimer<void (*)()>(
+      steady_clock, nanoseconds_max, []() {}, context));
+
+  // 0 duration period, should be ok
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(
+    rclcpp::GenericTimer<void (*)()>(steady_clock, 0ms, []() {}, context));
+
+  // context is null, which resorts to default
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(
+    rclcpp::GenericTimer<void (*)()>(steady_clock, 1ms, []() {}, nullptr));
+
+  // Clock is unitialized
+  auto unitialized_clock = std::make_shared<rclcpp::Clock>(RCL_CLOCK_UNINITIALIZED);
+  EXPECT_THROW(
+    rclcpp::GenericTimer<void (*)()>(unitialized_clock, 1us, []() {}, context),
+    rclcpp::exceptions::RCLError);
+}