diff --git a/plugins/in_dummy/in_dummy.c b/plugins/in_dummy/in_dummy.c
index 193cec4165f..3894a410773 100644
--- a/plugins/in_dummy/in_dummy.c
+++ b/plugins/in_dummy/in_dummy.c
@@ -201,8 +201,6 @@ static int configure(struct flb_dummy *ctx,
                      struct timespec *tm)
 {
     const char *msg;
-    double tm_interval_fractional;
-    int tm_interval_seconds;
     int root_type;
     int ret = -1;
 
@@ -216,14 +214,26 @@ static int configure(struct flb_dummy *ctx,
     }
 
     /* interval settings */
-    tm->tv_sec  = ctx->time_interval;
+    if (ctx->interval_sec < 0 || ctx->interval_nsec < 0) {
+        /* Illegal settings. Override them. */
+        ctx->interval_sec = atoi(DEFAULT_INTERVAL_SEC);
+        ctx->interval_nsec = atoi(DEFAULT_INTERVAL_NSEC);
+    }
+
+    /* default settings */
+    tm->tv_sec  = 1;
     tm->tv_nsec = 0;
 
-    if (ctx->rate > 1) {
-        tm_interval_fractional = (double) ctx->time_interval / ctx->rate;
-        tm_interval_seconds = (int) tm_interval_fractional;
-        tm->tv_sec = tm_interval_seconds;
-        tm->tv_nsec = (tm_interval_fractional - tm_interval_seconds) * 1000000000;
+    if (ctx->interval_sec > 0 || ctx->interval_nsec > 0) {
+        /* Set using interval settings. */
+        tm->tv_sec  = ctx->interval_sec;
+        tm->tv_nsec = ctx->interval_nsec;
+    } else {
+        if (ctx->rate > 1) {
+            /* Set using rate settings. */
+            tm->tv_sec = 0;
+            tm->tv_nsec = 1000000000 / ctx->rate;
+        }
     }
 
     /* dummy timestamp */
@@ -400,14 +410,19 @@ static struct flb_config_map config_map[] = {
     "set the sample metadata to be generated. It should be a JSON object."
    },
    {
-    FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "rate", "1",
+    FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "rate", DEFAULT_RATE,
     0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_dummy, rate),
-    "set a number of events per time interval."
+    "set a number of events per second."
+   },
+   {
+    FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "interval_sec", DEFAULT_INTERVAL_SEC,
+    0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_dummy, interval_sec),
+    "set seconds of interval to generate events. overrides rate setting."
    },
    {
-    FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "time_interval", "1",
-    0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_dummy, time_interval),
-    "set time interval to generate logs at the set rate."
+    FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "interval_nsec", DEFAULT_INTERVAL_NSEC,
+    0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_dummy, interval_nsec),
+    "set nanoseconds of interval to generate events. overrides rate setting."
    },
    {
     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_INT, "copies", "1",
diff --git a/plugins/in_dummy/in_dummy.h b/plugins/in_dummy/in_dummy.h
index fdf3b2de871..da6c578e743 100644
--- a/plugins/in_dummy/in_dummy.h
+++ b/plugins/in_dummy/in_dummy.h
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
 
 #define DEFAULT_DUMMY_MESSAGE  "{\"message\":\"dummy\"}"
 #define DEFAULT_DUMMY_METADATA "{}"
+#define DEFAULT_RATE  "1"
+#define DEFAULT_INTERVAL_SEC "0"
+#define DEFAULT_INTERVAL_NSEC "0"
 
 struct flb_dummy {
     int  coll_fd;
@@ -34,7 +37,8 @@ struct flb_dummy {
     int  copies;
     int  samples;
     int  samples_count;
-    int  time_interval;
+    int  interval_sec;
+    int  interval_nsec;
 
     int dummy_timestamp_set;
     struct flb_time base_timestamp;
diff --git a/tests/runtime/in_simple_systems.c b/tests/runtime/in_simple_systems.c
index 32099a6e15a..9f1a9d2e49f 100644
--- a/tests/runtime/in_simple_systems.c
+++ b/tests/runtime/in_simple_systems.c
@@ -533,14 +533,19 @@ void flb_test_dummy_records_message_copies_100(struct callback_records *records)
     TEST_CHECK(records->num_records >= 100);
 }
 
-void flb_test_dummy_records_message_time_interval_2_rate_5(struct callback_records *records)
+void flb_test_dummy_records_message_rate(struct callback_records *records)
 {
-    TEST_CHECK(records->num_records >= 5);
+    TEST_CHECK(records->num_records >= 20);
 }
 
-void flb_test_dummy_records_message_time_interval_3_rate_100(struct callback_records *records)
+void flb_test_dummy_records_message_interval_sec(struct callback_records *records)
 {
-    TEST_CHECK(records->num_records >= 100);
+    TEST_CHECK(records->num_records >= 1);
+}
+
+void flb_test_dummy_records_message_interval_nsec(struct callback_records *records)
+{
+    TEST_CHECK(records->num_records >= 1);
 }
 
 void flb_test_in_dummy_flush()
@@ -573,13 +578,16 @@ void flb_test_in_dummy_flush()
     do_test_records_single("dummy", flb_test_dummy_records_message_copies_100,
                     "copies", "100",
                     NULL);
-    do_test_records_wait_time("dummy", 2, flb_test_dummy_records_message_time_interval_2_rate_5,
-                    "time_interval", "2",
-                    "rate", "5",
+    do_test_records_wait_time("dummy", 1, flb_test_dummy_records_message_rate,
+                    "rate", "20",
+                    NULL);
+    do_test_records_wait_time("dummy", 2, flb_test_dummy_records_message_interval_sec,
+                    "interval_sec", "2",
+                    "interval_nsec", "0",
                     NULL);
-    do_test_records_wait_time("dummy", 3, flb_test_dummy_records_message_time_interval_3_rate_100,
-                    "time_interval", "3",
-                    "rate", "100",
+    do_test_records_wait_time("dummy", 1, flb_test_dummy_records_message_interval_nsec,
+                    "interval_sec", "0",
+                    "interval_nsec", "700000000",
                     NULL);
 }