diff --git a/include/haproxy/task.h b/include/haproxy/task.h
index 2fe5f74af..360fd8778 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/task.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/task.h
@@ -553,6 +553,10 @@ static inline void tasklet_set_tid(struct tasklet *tl, int tid)
 /* Ensure <task> will be woken up at most at <when>. If the task is already in
  * the run queue (but not running), nothing is done. It may be used that way
  * with a delay :  task_schedule(task, tick_add(now_ms, delay));
+ * It MUST NOT be used with a timer in the past, and even less with
+ * TICK_ETERNITY (which would block all timers). Note that passing it directly
+ * now_ms without using tick_add() will definitely make this happen once every
+ * 49.7 days.
  */
 static inline void task_schedule(struct task *task, int when)
 {
diff --git a/src/task.c b/src/task.c
index 7dc0cd41c..7ce07dadc 100644
--- a/src/task.c
+++ b/src/task.c
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ void __task_wakeup(struct task *t)
  *
  * Inserts a task into wait queue <wq> at the position given by its expiration
  * date. It does not matter if the task was already in the wait queue or not,
- * as it will be unlinked. The task must not have an infinite expiration timer.
+ * as it will be unlinked. The task MUST NOT have an infinite expiration timer.
  * Last, tasks must not be queued further than the end of the tree, which is
  * between <now_ms> and <now_ms> + 2^31 ms (now+24days in 32bit).
  *
@@ -268,6 +268,10 @@ void __task_queue(struct task *task, struct eb_root *wq)
 	       (wq == &sched->timers && (task->state & TASK_SHARED_WQ)) ||
 	       (wq != &timers && wq != &sched->timers));
 #endif
+	/* if this happens the process is doomed anyway, so better catch it now
+	 * so that we have the caller in the stack.
+	 */
+	BUG_ON(task->expire == TICK_ETERNITY);
 
 	if (likely(task_in_wq(task)))
 		__task_unlink_wq(task);
@@ -341,7 +345,8 @@ void wake_expired_tasks()
 				__task_queue(task, &tt->timers);
 		}
 		else {
-			/* task not expired and correctly placed */
+			/* task not expired and correctly placed. It may not be eternal. */
+			BUG_ON(task->expire == TICK_ETERNITY);
 			break;
 		}
 	}
@@ -411,7 +416,8 @@ void wake_expired_tasks()
 			goto lookup_next;
 		}
 		else {
-			/* task not expired and correctly placed */
+			/* task not expired and correctly placed. It may not be eternal. */
+			BUG_ON(task->expire == TICK_ETERNITY);
 			break;
 		}
 	}