diff --git a/swift/common/container_sync_realms.py b/swift/common/container_sync_realms.py
index fc0bee8f1c..ce50a6c04e 100644
--- a/swift/common/container_sync_realms.py
+++ b/swift/common/container_sync_realms.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class ContainerSyncRealms(object):
                             % {'conf': self.conf_path, 'error': err})
                     else:
                         try:
-                            self.mtime_check_interval = conf.getint(
+                            self.mtime_check_interval = conf.getfloat(
                                 'DEFAULT', 'mtime_check_interval')
                             self.next_mtime_check = \
                                 now + self.mtime_check_interval
diff --git a/swift/proxy/server.py b/swift/proxy/server.py
index 6bd7fbe918..515b87b52f 100644
--- a/swift/proxy/server.py
+++ b/swift/proxy/server.py
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class Application(object):
         self.trans_id_suffix = conf.get('trans_id_suffix', '')
         self.post_quorum_timeout = float(conf.get('post_quorum_timeout', 0.5))
         self.error_suppression_interval = \
-            int(conf.get('error_suppression_interval', 60))
+            float(conf.get('error_suppression_interval', 60))
         self.error_suppression_limit = \
             int(conf.get('error_suppression_limit', 10))
         self.recheck_container_existence = \
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_container_sync_realms.py b/test/unit/common/test_container_sync_realms.py
index 77b3ebdc15..b883b66fe6 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_container_sync_realms.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_container_sync_realms.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import uuid
 
 import six
 
-from mock import patch
+from mock import ANY, patch
 from swift.common.container_sync_realms import ContainerSyncRealms
 from test.debug_logger import debug_logger
 from test.unit import temptree
@@ -177,11 +177,13 @@ mtime_check_interval = invalid
             logger = debug_logger()
             fpath = os.path.join(tempdir, fname)
             csr = ContainerSyncRealms(fpath, logger)
-            self.assertEqual(
-                logger.all_log_lines(),
-                {'error': [
-                    "Error in '%s' with mtime_check_interval: invalid literal "
-                    "for int() with base 10: 'invalid'" % fpath]})
+            logs = logger.all_log_lines()
+            self.assertEqual(logs, {'error': [ANY]})
+            line = logs['error'][0]
+            self.assertIn(
+                "Error in '%s' with mtime_check_interval: "
+                "could not convert string to float:" % fpath, line)
+
             self.assertEqual(csr.mtime_check_interval, 300)
 
     def test_get_sig(self):