diff --git a/app/models/ci/runner.rb b/app/models/ci/runner.rb
index 260348c97b2..2693386443a 100644
--- a/app/models/ci/runner.rb
+++ b/app/models/ci/runner.rb
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ module Ci
 
     cached_attr_reader :version, :revision, :platform, :architecture, :ip_address, :contacted_at
 
-    chronic_duration_attr :maximum_timeout_human_readable, :maximum_timeout
+    chronic_duration_attr :maximum_timeout_human_readable, :maximum_timeout,
+        error_message: 'Maximum job timeout has a value which could not be accepted'
 
     validates :maximum_timeout, allow_nil: true,
                                 numericality: { greater_than_or_equal_to: 600,
diff --git a/app/models/concerns/chronic_duration_attribute.rb b/app/models/concerns/chronic_duration_attribute.rb
index edf6ac96730..af4905115b1 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/chronic_duration_attribute.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/chronic_duration_attribute.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module ChronicDurationAttribute
         end
       end
 
-      validates virtual_attribute, allow_nil: true, duration: true
+      validates virtual_attribute, allow_nil: true, duration: { message: parameters[:error_message] }
     end
 
     alias_method :chronic_duration_attr, :chronic_duration_attr_writer
diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index 6ec323b58c2..d8ce8038e92 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -384,7 +384,8 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   enum auto_cancel_pending_pipelines: { disabled: 0, enabled: 1 }
 
-  chronic_duration_attr :build_timeout_human_readable, :build_timeout, default: 3600
+  chronic_duration_attr :build_timeout_human_readable, :build_timeout,
+    default: 3600, error_message: 'Maximum job timeout has a value which could not be accepted'
 
   validates :build_timeout, allow_nil: true,
                             numericality: { greater_than_or_equal_to: 10.minutes,
diff --git a/app/validators/duration_validator.rb b/app/validators/duration_validator.rb
index 811828169ca..defd28d7d3b 100644
--- a/app/validators/duration_validator.rb
+++ b/app/validators/duration_validator.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ class DurationValidator < ActiveModel::EachValidator
   def validate_each(record, attribute, value)
     ChronicDuration.parse(value)
   rescue ChronicDuration::DurationParseError
-    record.errors.add(attribute, "is not a correct duration")
+    if options[:message]
+      record.errors.add(:base, options[:message])
+    else
+      record.errors.add(attribute, "is not a correct duration")
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/concerns/chronic_duration_attribute_spec.rb b/spec/models/concerns/chronic_duration_attribute_spec.rb
index 8847623f705..b14b773b653 100644
--- a/spec/models/concerns/chronic_duration_attribute_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/concerns/chronic_duration_attribute_spec.rb
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ shared_examples 'ChronicDurationAttribute writer' do
       subject.send("#{virtual_field}=", '-10m')
 
       expect(subject.valid?).to be_falsey
-      expect(subject.errors&.messages).to include(virtual_field => ['is not a correct duration'])
+      expect(subject.errors&.messages)
+        .to include(base: ['Maximum job timeout has a value which could not be accepted'])
     end
   end