diff --git a/daemon/call.c b/daemon/call.c
index 8da4940b5..023961a10 100644
--- a/daemon/call.c
+++ b/daemon/call.c
@@ -4884,7 +4884,7 @@ static void __tags_unassociate(struct call_monologue *a, struct call_monologue *
  *
  * Returns `true`, if we need to update Redis.
  */
-static bool monologue_delete_iter(struct call_monologue *a, int delete_delay) {
+static bool monologue_delete_iter(struct call_monologue *a, int64_t delete_delay_us) {
 	call_t *call = a->call;
 	if (!call)
 		return 0;
@@ -4892,11 +4892,11 @@ static bool monologue_delete_iter(struct call_monologue *a, int delete_delay) {
 	GList *associated = g_hash_table_get_values(a->associated_tags);
 	bool update_redis = false;
 
-	if (delete_delay > 0) {
+	if (delete_delay_us > 0) {
 		ilog(LOG_INFO, "Scheduling deletion of call branch '" STR_FORMAT_M "' "
-				"(via-branch '" STR_FORMAT_M "') in %d seconds",
-				STR_FMT_M(&a->tag), STR_FMT0_M(&a->viabranch), delete_delay);
-		a->deleted_us = rtpe_now + delete_delay * 1000000LL; // XXX scale to micro
+				"(via-branch '" STR_FORMAT_M "') in %" PRId64 " seconds",
+				STR_FMT_M(&a->tag), STR_FMT0_M(&a->viabranch), delete_delay_us / 1000000L);
+		a->deleted_us = rtpe_now + delete_delay_us;
 		if (!call->ml_deleted_us || call->ml_deleted_us > a->deleted_us)
 			call->ml_deleted_us = a->deleted_us;
 	}
@@ -4915,7 +4915,7 @@ static bool monologue_delete_iter(struct call_monologue *a, int delete_delay) {
 		__tags_unassociate(a, b);
 
 		if (g_hash_table_size(b->associated_tags) == 0)
-			monologue_delete_iter(b, delete_delay);	/* schedule deletion of B */
+			monologue_delete_iter(b, delete_delay_us);	/* schedule deletion of B */
 	}
 
 	g_list_free(associated);
@@ -5257,7 +5257,7 @@ static void monologue_stop(struct call_monologue *ml, bool stop_media_subsribers
 // call must be locked in W.
 // unlocks the call and releases the reference prior to returning, even on error.
 int call_delete_branch(call_t *c, const str *branch,
-	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, ng_command_ctx_t *ctx, int delete_delay)
+	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, ng_command_ctx_t *ctx, int64_t delete_delay)
 {
 	struct call_monologue *ml;
 	int ret;
@@ -5265,7 +5265,9 @@ int call_delete_branch(call_t *c, const str *branch,
 	bool update = false;
 
 	if (delete_delay < 0)
-		delete_delay = rtpe_config.delete_delay;
+		delete_delay = rtpe_config.delete_delay_us;
+	else
+		delete_delay *= 1000000L;
 
 	for (__auto_type i = c->monologues.head; i; i = i->next) {
 		ml = i->data;
@@ -5355,8 +5357,8 @@ del_all:
 	c->destroyed = rtpe_now;
 
 	if (delete_delay > 0) {
-		ilog(LOG_INFO, "Scheduling deletion of entire call in %d seconds", delete_delay);
-		c->deleted_us = rtpe_now + delete_delay * 1000000LL; // XXX scale to micro
+		ilog(LOG_INFO, "Scheduling deletion of entire call in %" PRId64 " seconds", delete_delay / 1000000L);
+		c->deleted_us = rtpe_now + delete_delay;
 		rwlock_unlock_w(&c->master_lock);
 	}
 	else {
@@ -5388,7 +5390,7 @@ out:
 
 
 int call_delete_branch_by_id(const str *callid, const str *branch,
-	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, ng_command_ctx_t *ctx, int delete_delay)
+	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, ng_command_ctx_t *ctx, int64_t delete_delay)
 {
 	call_t *c = call_get(callid);
 	if (!c) {
diff --git a/daemon/cli.c b/daemon/cli.c
index a59a3be6b..f8b371373 100644
--- a/daemon/cli.c
+++ b/daemon/cli.c
@@ -1538,7 +1538,7 @@ static void cli_incoming_set_redisconnecttimeout(str *instr, struct cli_writer *
 }
 
 static void cli_incoming_list_deletedelay(str *instr, struct cli_writer *cw, const cli_handler_t *handler) {
-	cw->cw_printf(cw, "%d\n", atomic_get_na(&rtpe_config.delete_delay));
+	cw->cw_printf(cw, "%" PRId64 "\n", atomic_get_na(&rtpe_config.delete_delay_us) / 1000000L);
 }
 
 static void cli_incoming_set_deletedelay(str *instr, struct cli_writer *cw, const cli_handler_t *handler) {
@@ -1552,7 +1552,7 @@ static void cli_incoming_set_deletedelay(str *instr, struct cli_writer *cw, cons
 		cw->cw_printf(cw, "Invalid delete-delay value\n");
 		return;
 	}
-	atomic_set_na(&rtpe_config.delete_delay, seconds);
+	atomic_set_na(&rtpe_config.delete_delay_us, seconds * 1000000LL);
 	cw->cw_printf(cw, "Success setting delete-delay to %d\n", seconds);
 }
 
diff --git a/daemon/main.c b/daemon/main.c
index d587375b0..c6a3701a6 100644
--- a/daemon/main.c
+++ b/daemon/main.c
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ struct rtpengine_config rtpe_config = {
 	// non-zero defaults
 	.kernel_table = -1,
 	.max_sessions = -1,
-	.delete_delay = 30,
 	.redis_subscribed_keyspaces = G_QUEUE_INIT,
 	.redis_expires_secs = 86400,
 	.interfaces = TYPED_GQUEUE_INIT,
@@ -676,6 +675,7 @@ static void options(int *argc, char ***argv, charp_ht templates) {
 	int timeout = 0;
 	int final_timeout = 0;
 	int offer_timeout = 0;
+	int delete_delay = 30;
 
 	GOptionEntry e[] = {
 		{ "table",	't', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,	&rtpe_config.kernel_table,		"Kernel table to use",		"INT"		},
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ static void options(int *argc, char ***argv, charp_ht templates) {
 #ifdef WITH_TRANSCODING
 		{ "codec-num-threads",  0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,	&rtpe_config.codec_num_threads,	"Number of transcoding threads for asynchronous operation",	"INT"	},
 #endif
-		{ "delete-delay",  'd', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,    &rtpe_config.delete_delay,  "Delay for deleting a session from memory.",    "INT"   },
+		{ "delete-delay",  'd', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,    &delete_delay,  "Delay for deleting a session from memory.",    "INT"   },
 		{ "sip-source",  0,  0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE,	&sip_source,	"Use SIP source address by default",	NULL	},
 		{ "dtls-passive", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE,	&dtls_passive_def,"Always prefer DTLS passive role",	NULL	},
 		{ "max-sessions", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,	&rtpe_config.max_sessions,	"Limit of maximum number of sessions",	"INT"	},
@@ -1091,6 +1091,10 @@ static void options(int *argc, char ***argv, charp_ht templates) {
 	if (rtpe_config.final_timeout_us <= 0)
 		rtpe_config.final_timeout_us = 0;
 
+	rtpe_config.delete_delay_us = delete_delay * 1000000LL;
+	if (rtpe_config.delete_delay_us < 0)
+		die("Invalid negative delete-delay");
+
 	if (rtpe_config.rtcp_interval <= 0)
 		rtpe_config.rtcp_interval = 5000;
 
diff --git a/include/call.h b/include/call.h
index 13d38a856..0cbb0ba27 100644
--- a/include/call.h
+++ b/include/call.h
@@ -874,9 +874,9 @@ void dialogue_connect(struct call_monologue *, struct call_monologue *, sdp_ng_f
 bool monologue_transform(struct call_monologue *, sdp_ng_flags *, medias_q *);
 void monologue_destroy(struct call_monologue *ml);
 int call_delete_branch_by_id(const str *callid, const str *branch,
-	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, ng_command_ctx_t *, int delete_delay);
+	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, ng_command_ctx_t *, int64_t delete_delay);
 int call_delete_branch(call_t *, const str *branch,
-	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, ng_command_ctx_t *, int delete_delay);
+	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, ng_command_ctx_t *, int64_t delete_delay);
 void call_destroy(call_t *);
 struct call_media *call_media_new(call_t *call);
 void call_media_free(struct call_media **mdp);
diff --git a/include/main.h b/include/main.h
index 9fd247794..04cdaaa64 100644
--- a/include/main.h
+++ b/include/main.h
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ enum endpoint_learning {
 	X(max_sessions) \
 	X(moh_max_duration) \
 	X(moh_max_repeats) \
-	X(delete_delay) \
 	X(redis_expires_secs) \
 	X(default_tos) \
 	X(control_tos) \
@@ -106,6 +105,7 @@ enum endpoint_learning {
 	X(timeout_us) \
 	X(final_timeout_us) \
 	X(offer_timeout_us) \
+	X(delete_delay_us) \
 
 #define RTPE_CONFIG_BOOL_PARAMS \
 	X(homer_rtcp_off) \