diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index 59b2c10784..53eebed2e8 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -1826,8 +1826,12 @@ networkStartNetworkVirtual(struct network_driver *driver,
     }
 
     /* Set bridge options */
+
+    /* delay is configured in seconds, but virNetDevBridgeSetSTPDelay
+     * expects milliseconds
+     */
     if (virNetDevBridgeSetSTPDelay(network->def->bridge,
-                          network->def->delay) < 0)
+                                   network->def->delay * 1000) < 0)
         goto err1;
 
     if (virNetDevBridgeSetSTP(network->def->bridge,
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevbridge.c b/src/util/virnetdevbridge.c
index a616d8e3b2..7b11beecf3 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevbridge.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevbridge.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2007-2011 Red Hat, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 2007-2012 Red Hat, Inc.
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ int virNetDevBridgeRemovePort(const char *brname,
 /**
  * virNetDevBridgeSetSTPDelay:
  * @brname: the bridge name
- * @delay: delay in seconds
+ * @delay: delay in milliseconds
  *
  * Set the bridge forward delay
  *