diff --git a/cpp/src/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.cpp b/cpp/src/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.cpp
index 4cde22cc46b..d7494f0a93d 100644
--- a/cpp/src/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.cpp
+++ b/cpp/src/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.cpp
@@ -65,8 +65,23 @@ IceInternal::DefaultsAndOverrides::DefaultsAndOverrides(const PropertiesPtr& pro
 
     const_cast<chrono::milliseconds&>(defaultInvocationTimeout) =
         chrono::milliseconds(properties->getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout"));
+    if (defaultInvocationTimeout.count() < 1 && defaultInvocationTimeout.count() != -1)
+    {
+        throw InitializationException{
+            __FILE__,
+            __LINE__,
+            "invalid value for Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout: " + to_string(defaultInvocationTimeout.count())};
+    }
+
     const_cast<chrono::seconds&>(defaultLocatorCacheTimeout) =
         chrono::seconds(properties->getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout"));
+    if (defaultLocatorCacheTimeout.count() < -1)
+    {
+        throw InitializationException{
+            __FILE__,
+            __LINE__,
+            "invalid value for Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout: " + to_string(defaultLocatorCacheTimeout.count())};
+    }
 
     const_cast<bool&>(defaultPreferSecure) = properties->getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.PreferSecure") > 0;
 
diff --git a/csharp/src/Ice/Internal/DefaultsAndOverrides.cs b/csharp/src/Ice/Internal/DefaultsAndOverrides.cs
index 095d654f194..47eae4650e7 100644
--- a/csharp/src/Ice/Internal/DefaultsAndOverrides.cs
+++ b/csharp/src/Ice/Internal/DefaultsAndOverrides.cs
@@ -80,16 +80,27 @@ internal DefaultsAndOverrides(Ice.Properties properties, Ice.Logger logger)
             throw new ParseException($"illegal value '{val}' in property Ice.Default.EndpointSelection; expected 'Random' or 'Ordered'");
         }
 
-        defaultLocatorCacheTimeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(
-            properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout"));
-        defaultInvocationTimeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(
-            properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout"));
+        {
+            int value = properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout");
+            if (value < -1)
+            {
+                throw new InitializationException($"invalid value for Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout: {value}");
+            }
+            defaultLocatorCacheTimeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(value);
+        }
+
+        {
+            int value = properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout");
+            if (value < 1 && value != -1)
+            {
+                throw new InitializationException($"invalid value for Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout: {value}");
+            }
+            defaultInvocationTimeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(value);
+        }
 
         defaultPreferSecure = properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.PreferSecure") > 0;
 
-        val = properties.getPropertyWithDefault(
-            "Ice.Default.EncodingVersion",
-            Ice.Util.encodingVersionToString(Ice.Util.currentEncoding));
+        val = properties.getIceProperty("Ice.Default.EncodingVersion");
         defaultEncoding = Ice.Util.stringToEncodingVersion(val);
         Protocol.checkSupportedEncoding(defaultEncoding);
 
diff --git a/java/src/Ice/src/main/java/com/zeroc/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.java b/java/src/Ice/src/main/java/com/zeroc/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.java
index a835051b0a5..b9258709ff8 100644
--- a/java/src/Ice/src/main/java/com/zeroc/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.java
+++ b/java/src/Ice/src/main/java/com/zeroc/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.java
@@ -67,12 +67,19 @@ final class DefaultsAndOverrides {
                             + "' in property Ice.Default.EndpointSelection; expected 'Random' or 'Ordered'");
         }
 
-        defaultLocatorCacheTimeout =
-                Duration.ofSeconds(
-                        properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout"));
+        intValue = properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout");
+        if (intValue < -1) {
+            throw new InitializationException(
+                    "invalid value for Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout: " + intValue);
+        }
+        defaultLocatorCacheTimeout = Duration.ofSeconds(intValue);
 
-        defaultInvocationTimeout =
-                Duration.ofMillis(properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout"));
+        intValue = properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout");
+        if (intValue < 1 && intValue != -1) {
+            throw new InitializationException(
+                    "invalid value for Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout: " + intValue);
+        }
+        defaultInvocationTimeout = Duration.ofMillis(intValue);
 
         defaultPreferSecure = properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.PreferSecure") > 0;
 
diff --git a/js/src/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.js b/js/src/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.js
index 191f67d1721..34170aa4d9d 100644
--- a/js/src/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.js
+++ b/js/src/Ice/DefaultsAndOverrides.js
@@ -37,14 +37,14 @@ export class DefaultsAndOverrides {
         this.defaultLocatorCacheTimeout = properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout");
         if (this.defaultLocatorCacheTimeout < -1) {
             throw new InitializationException(
-                `invalid value for Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout '${this.defaultLocatorCacheTimeout}'`,
+                `invalid value for Ice.Default.LocatorCacheTimeout: ${this.defaultLocatorCacheTimeout}`,
             );
         }
 
         this.defaultInvocationTimeout = properties.getIcePropertyAsInt("Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout");
         if (this.defaultInvocationTimeout < 1 && this.defaultInvocationTimeout !== -1) {
             throw new InitializationException(
-                `invalid value for Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout '${this.defaultInvocationTimeout}'`,
+                `invalid value for Ice.Default.InvocationTimeout: ${this.defaultInvocationTimeout}`,
             );
         }