diff --git a/org.springframework.integration.samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/samples/oddeven/intervalOddEvenDemo.xml b/org.springframework.integration.samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/samples/oddeven/intervalOddEvenDemo.xml
index 4e8c9adf01..7f7d04b0c8 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration.samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/samples/oddeven/intervalOddEvenDemo.xml
+++ b/org.springframework.integration.samples/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/samples/oddeven/intervalOddEvenDemo.xml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 	<inbound-channel-adapter id="numbers" ref="counter" method="next">
 		<poller max-messages-per-poll="1">
-			<interval-trigger interval="3000"/>
+			<interval-trigger interval="3" time-unit="SECONDS"/>
 		</poller>
 	</inbound-channel-adapter>
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/IntegrationNamespaceUtils.java b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/IntegrationNamespaceUtils.java
index f28335ad8c..61f66d1172 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/IntegrationNamespaceUtils.java
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/IntegrationNamespaceUtils.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 package org.springframework.integration.config.xml;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
 import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionHolder;
@@ -158,11 +160,11 @@ public abstract class IntegrationNamespaceUtils {
 	private static Trigger createIntervalTrigger(Element element) {
 		String interval = element.getAttribute("interval");
 		Assert.hasText(interval, "the 'interval' attribute is required for an <interval-trigger/>");
-		Long period = Long.valueOf(interval);
-		IntervalTrigger trigger = new IntervalTrigger(period);
+		TimeUnit timeUnit = TimeUnit.valueOf(element.getAttribute("time-unit"));
+		IntervalTrigger trigger = new IntervalTrigger(Long.valueOf(interval), timeUnit);
 		String initialDelay = element.getAttribute("initial-delay");
 		if (StringUtils.hasText(initialDelay)) {
-			trigger.setInitialDelay(Long.valueOf(initialDelay));
+			trigger.setInitialDelay(Long.valueOf(initialDelay), timeUnit);
 		}
 		trigger.setFixedRate("true".equals(element.getAttribute("fixed-rate").toLowerCase()));
 		return trigger;
diff --git a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-1.0.xsd b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
index 2688900c51..6e4a854aa8 100644
--- a/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
+++ b/org.springframework.integration/src/main/java/org/springframework/integration/config/xml/spring-integration-1.0.xsd
@@ -254,7 +254,21 @@
 			<xsd:attribute name="interval" type="xsd:string"/>
 			<xsd:attribute name="initial-delay" type="xsd:string"/>
 			<xsd:attribute name="fixed-rate" type="xsd:boolean"/>
-			<!-- TODO: add time-unit -->
+			<xsd:attribute name="time-unit" default="MILLISECONDS">
+				<xsd:annotation>
+					<xsd:documentation><![CDATA[
+	The java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit enum value. The interval trigger resolution
+	only has millisecond granularity, so we only provide MILLISECONDS and SECONDS.
+	For hourly, daily, and monthly settings, consider using a cron-trigger instead.
+					]]></xsd:documentation>
+				</xsd:annotation>
+				<xsd:simpleType>
+					<xsd:restriction base="xsd:string">
+						<xsd:enumeration value="MILLISECONDS"/>
+						<xsd:enumeration value="SECONDS"/>
+					</xsd:restriction>
+				</xsd:simpleType>
+			</xsd:attribute>
 		</xsd:complexType>
 	</xsd:element>