diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/Scheduled.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/Scheduled.java
index 045dcd8a95..c2aa1df37b 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/Scheduled.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/Scheduled.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ public @interface Scheduled {
 	 * Execute the annotated method with a fixed period in milliseconds between the
 	 * end of the last invocation and the start of the next.
 	 * @return the delay in milliseconds as a String value, e.g. a placeholder
+	 * or a {@link java.time.Duration#parse java.time.Duration} compliant value
 	 * @since 3.2.2
 	 */
 	String fixedDelayString() default "";
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ public @interface Scheduled {
 	 * Execute the annotated method with a fixed period in milliseconds between
 	 * invocations.
 	 * @return the period in milliseconds as a String value, e.g. a placeholder
+	 * or a {@link java.time.Duration#parse java.time.Duration} compliant value
 	 * @since 3.2.2
 	 */
 	String fixedRateString() default "";
@@ -117,6 +119,7 @@ public @interface Scheduled {
 	 * Number of milliseconds to delay before the first execution of a
 	 * {@link #fixedRate()} or {@link #fixedDelay()} task.
 	 * @return the initial delay in milliseconds as a String value, e.g. a placeholder
+	 * or a {@link java.time.Duration#parse java.time.Duration} compliant value
 	 * @since 3.2.2
 	 */
 	String initialDelayString() default "";
diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
index c8a0ad1357..56f7c2d7a1 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.scheduling.annotation;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
@@ -362,9 +363,9 @@ public class ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor
 				}
 				if (StringUtils.hasLength(initialDelayString)) {
 					try {
-						initialDelay = Long.parseLong(initialDelayString);
+						initialDelay = parseDelayAsLong(initialDelayString);
 					}
-					catch (NumberFormatException ex) {
+					catch (RuntimeException ex) {
 						throw new IllegalArgumentException(
 								"Invalid initialDelayString value \"" + initialDelayString + "\" - cannot parse into long");
 					}
@@ -414,9 +415,9 @@ public class ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor
 					Assert.isTrue(!processedSchedule, errorMessage);
 					processedSchedule = true;
 					try {
-						fixedDelay = Long.parseLong(fixedDelayString);
+						fixedDelay = parseDelayAsLong(fixedDelayString);
 					}
-					catch (NumberFormatException ex) {
+					catch (RuntimeException ex) {
 						throw new IllegalArgumentException(
 								"Invalid fixedDelayString value \"" + fixedDelayString + "\" - cannot parse into long");
 					}
@@ -440,9 +441,9 @@ public class ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor
 					Assert.isTrue(!processedSchedule, errorMessage);
 					processedSchedule = true;
 					try {
-						fixedRate = Long.parseLong(fixedRateString);
+						fixedRate = parseDelayAsLong(fixedRateString);
 					}
-					catch (NumberFormatException ex) {
+					catch (RuntimeException ex) {
 						throw new IllegalArgumentException(
 								"Invalid fixedRateString value \"" + fixedRateString + "\" - cannot parse into long");
 					}
@@ -469,6 +470,17 @@ public class ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor
 		}
 	}
 
+	private static long parseDelayAsLong(String value) throws RuntimeException {
+		if (value.length() > 1 && (isP(value.charAt(0)) || isP(value.charAt(1)))) {
+			return Duration.parse(value).toMillis();
+		}
+		return Long.parseLong(value);
+	}
+
+	private static boolean isP(char ch) {
+		return (ch == 'P' || ch == 'p');
+	}
+
 
 	/**
 	 * Return all currently scheduled tasks, from {@link Scheduled} methods
diff --git a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests.java b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests.java
index 9b262718b6..75693b23ed 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/scheduling/annotation/ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests.java
@@ -425,12 +425,21 @@ public class ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void propertyPlaceholderWithFixedDelay() {
+	public void propertyPlaceholderWithFixedDelayInMillis() {
+		propertyPlaceholderWithFixedDelay(false);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void propertyPlaceholderWithFixedDelayInDuration() {
+		propertyPlaceholderWithFixedDelay(true);
+	}
+
+	private void propertyPlaceholderWithFixedDelay(boolean durationFormat) {
 		BeanDefinition processorDefinition = new RootBeanDefinition(ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.class);
 		BeanDefinition placeholderDefinition = new RootBeanDefinition(PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer.class);
 		Properties properties = new Properties();
-		properties.setProperty("fixedDelay", "5000");
-		properties.setProperty("initialDelay", "1000");
+		properties.setProperty("fixedDelay", (durationFormat ? "PT5S" : "5000"));
+		properties.setProperty("initialDelay", (durationFormat ? "PT1S" : "1000"));
 		placeholderDefinition.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue("properties", properties);
 		BeanDefinition targetDefinition = new RootBeanDefinition(PropertyPlaceholderWithFixedDelayTestBean.class);
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("postProcessor", processorDefinition);
@@ -457,12 +466,21 @@ public class ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessorTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void propertyPlaceholderWithFixedRate() {
+	public void propertyPlaceholderWithFixedRateInMillis() {
+		propertyPlaceholderWithFixedRate(false);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void propertyPlaceholderWithFixedRateInDuration() {
+		propertyPlaceholderWithFixedRate(true);
+	}
+
+	private void propertyPlaceholderWithFixedRate(boolean durationFormat) {
 		BeanDefinition processorDefinition = new RootBeanDefinition(ScheduledAnnotationBeanPostProcessor.class);
 		BeanDefinition placeholderDefinition = new RootBeanDefinition(PropertyPlaceholderConfigurer.class);
 		Properties properties = new Properties();
-		properties.setProperty("fixedRate", "3000");
-		properties.setProperty("initialDelay", "1000");
+		properties.setProperty("fixedRate", (durationFormat ? "PT3S" : "3000"));
+		properties.setProperty("initialDelay", (durationFormat ? "PT1S" : "1000"));
 		placeholderDefinition.getPropertyValues().addPropertyValue("properties", properties);
 		BeanDefinition targetDefinition = new RootBeanDefinition(PropertyPlaceholderWithFixedRateTestBean.class);
 		context.registerBeanDefinition("postProcessor", processorDefinition);