diff --git a/hw/timer/hpet.c b/hw/timer/hpet.c
index 214d6a0501..6998094233 100644
--- a/hw/timer/hpet.c
+++ b/hw/timer/hpet.c
@@ -353,6 +353,16 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_hpet = {
     }
 };
 
+static void hpet_arm(HPETTimer *t, uint64_t ticks)
+{
+    if (ticks < ns_to_ticks(INT64_MAX / 2)) {
+        timer_mod(t->qemu_timer,
+                  qemu_clock_get_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL) + ticks_to_ns(ticks));
+    } else {
+        timer_del(t->qemu_timer);
+    }
+}
+
 /*
  * timer expiration callback
  */
@@ -375,13 +385,11 @@ static void hpet_timer(void *opaque)
             }
         }
         diff = hpet_calculate_diff(t, cur_tick);
-        timer_mod(t->qemu_timer,
-                       qemu_clock_get_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL) + (int64_t)ticks_to_ns(diff));
+        hpet_arm(t, diff);
     } else if (t->config & HPET_TN_32BIT && !timer_is_periodic(t)) {
         if (t->wrap_flag) {
             diff = hpet_calculate_diff(t, cur_tick);
-            timer_mod(t->qemu_timer, qemu_clock_get_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL) +
-                           (int64_t)ticks_to_ns(diff));
+            hpet_arm(t, diff);
             t->wrap_flag = 0;
         }
     }
@@ -408,8 +416,7 @@ static void hpet_set_timer(HPETTimer *t)
             t->wrap_flag = 1;
         }
     }
-    timer_mod(t->qemu_timer,
-                   qemu_clock_get_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL) + (int64_t)ticks_to_ns(diff));
+    hpet_arm(t, diff);
 }
 
 static void hpet_del_timer(HPETTimer *t)