diff --git a/.changelog/5656.fixed b/.changelog/5656.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..70b570c6563
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/5656.fixed
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+`opentelemetry-sdk`: add validation for export_timeout_millis <= 0 in PeriodicExportingMetricReader
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py
index cb1040537d3..19013d7acbe 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py
@@ -460,7 +460,16 @@ def __init__(
         self._shutdown_event = Event()
         self._shutdown_once = Once()
         self._daemon_thread = None
-        if self._export_interval_millis > 0 and self._export_interval_millis < math.inf:
+        if self._export_interval_millis <= 0:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"interval value {self._export_interval_millis} is invalid and needs to be larger than zero."
+            )
+        if self._export_timeout_millis <= 0:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"timeout value {self._export_timeout_millis} is invalid and needs to be larger than zero."
+            )
+
+        if self._export_interval_millis < math.inf:
             self._daemon_thread = Thread(
                 name="OtelPeriodicExportingMetricReader",
                 target=self._ticker,
@@ -475,11 +484,6 @@ def _after_in_child() -> None:
                         at_fork()
 
                 os.register_at_fork(after_in_child=_after_in_child)
-        elif self._export_interval_millis <= 0:
-            raise ValueError(
-                f"interval value {self._export_interval_millis} is invalid \
-                and needs to be larger than zero."
-            )
 
     def _at_fork_reinit(self):
         self._daemon_thread = Thread(
diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_periodic_exporting_metric_reader.py b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_periodic_exporting_metric_reader.py
index 76ad37b8dbc..00ec640f635 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_periodic_exporting_metric_reader.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_periodic_exporting_metric_reader.py
@@ -195,22 +195,38 @@ def test_ticker_not_called_on_infinity(self):
     def test_ticker_value_exception_on_zero(self):
         exporter = FakeMetricsExporter()
         exporter.export = Mock()
-        self.assertRaises(
-            ValueError,
-            PeriodicExportingMetricReader,
-            exporter,
-            export_interval_millis=0,
-        )
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, r"interval value 0.* is invalid and needs to be larger than zero\."):
+            PeriodicExportingMetricReader(
+                exporter,
+                export_interval_millis=0,
+            )
 
     def test_ticker_value_exception_on_negative(self):
         exporter = FakeMetricsExporter()
         exporter.export = Mock()
-        self.assertRaises(
-            ValueError,
-            PeriodicExportingMetricReader,
-            exporter,
-            export_interval_millis=-100,
-        )
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, r"interval value -100.* is invalid and needs to be larger than zero\."):
+            PeriodicExportingMetricReader(
+                exporter,
+                export_interval_millis=-100,
+            )
+
+    def test_timeout_value_exception_on_zero(self):
+        exporter = FakeMetricsExporter()
+        exporter.export = Mock()
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, r"timeout value 0.* is invalid and needs to be larger than zero\."):
+            PeriodicExportingMetricReader(
+                exporter,
+                export_timeout_millis=0,
+            )
+
+    def test_timeout_value_exception_on_negative(self):
+        exporter = FakeMetricsExporter()
+        exporter.export = Mock()
+        with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, r"timeout value -100.* is invalid and needs to be larger than zero\."):
+            PeriodicExportingMetricReader(
+                exporter,
+                export_timeout_millis=-100,
+            )
 
     @pytest.mark.flaky(max_runs=3, min_passes=1)
     def test_ticker_collects_metrics(self):