diff --git a/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarAnnotationDrivenConfiguration.java b/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarAnnotationDrivenConfiguration.java
index c4abe67f..e8a0cac5 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarAnnotationDrivenConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarAnnotationDrivenConfiguration.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class PulsarAnnotationDrivenConfiguration {
 
 		map.from(properties::getSchemaType).to(containerProperties::setSchemaType);
 		map.from(properties::getAckMode).to(containerProperties::setAckMode);
-		map.from(properties::getBatchTimeout).to(containerProperties::setBatchTimeout);
+		map.from(properties::getBatchTimeoutMillis).to(containerProperties::setBatchTimeout);
 		map.from(properties::getMaxNumBytes).to(containerProperties::setMaxNumBytes);
 		map.from(properties::getMaxNumMessages).to(containerProperties::setMaxNumMessages);
 
diff --git a/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarProperties.java b/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarProperties.java
index 3ab6ef5c..a712b937 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarProperties.java
+++ b/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarProperties.java
@@ -1324,19 +1324,20 @@ public class PulsarProperties {
 		private SchemaType schemaType;
 
 		/**
-		 * Max number of messages for batch.
+		 * Max number of messages in a single batch request.
 		 */
 		private int maxNumMessages = -1;
 
 		/**
-		 * Max number of bytes for batch.
+		 * Max number of bytes in a single batch request.
 		 */
 		private int maxNumBytes = 10 * 1024 * 1024;
 
 		/**
-		 * Timeout for batch.
+		 * Number of milliseconds to wait for enough message to fill a batch request
+		 * before timing out.
 		 */
-		private int batchTimeout = 100;
+		private int batchTimeoutMillis = 100;
 
 		public AckMode getAckMode() {
 			return this.ackMode;
@@ -1370,12 +1371,12 @@ public class PulsarProperties {
 			this.maxNumBytes = maxNumBytes;
 		}
 
-		public int getBatchTimeout() {
-			return this.batchTimeout;
+		public int getBatchTimeoutMillis() {
+			return this.batchTimeoutMillis;
 		}
 
-		public void setBatchTimeout(int batchTimeout) {
-			this.batchTimeout = batchTimeout;
+		public void setBatchTimeoutMillis(int batchTimeoutMillis) {
+			this.batchTimeoutMillis = batchTimeoutMillis;
 		}
 
 	}
diff --git a/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarAutoConfigurationTests.java
index 43b1758a..8e275d98 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-pulsar-spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/pulsar/autoconfigure/PulsarAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -204,8 +204,8 @@ class PulsarAutoConfigurationTests {
 	@Test
 	void consumerBatchPropertiesAreHonored() {
 		contextRunner
-				.withPropertyValues("spring.pulsar.listener.maxNumMessages=10",
-						"spring.pulsar.listener.maxNumBytes=101", "spring.pulsar.listener.batchTimeout=50")
+				.withPropertyValues("spring.pulsar.listener.max-num-messages=10",
+						"spring.pulsar.listener.max-num-bytes=101", "spring.pulsar.listener.batch-timeout-millis=50")
 				.run((context -> assertThat(context).hasNotFailed()
 						.getBean(ConcurrentPulsarListenerContainerFactory.class).extracting("containerProperties")
 						.hasFieldOrPropertyWithValue("maxNumMessages", 10)
diff --git a/spring-pulsar/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/listener/DefaultPulsarMessageListenerContainer.java b/spring-pulsar/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/listener/DefaultPulsarMessageListenerContainer.java
index 0a22a9ea..c2f1a4a9 100644
--- a/spring-pulsar/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/listener/DefaultPulsarMessageListenerContainer.java
+++ b/spring-pulsar/src/main/java/org/springframework/pulsar/listener/DefaultPulsarMessageListenerContainer.java
@@ -361,9 +361,9 @@ public class DefaultPulsarMessageListenerContainer<T> extends AbstractPulsarMess
 										this.nackableMessages.add(message.getMessageId());
 									}
 									else {
-										throw new IllegalStateException(
-												"Exception occurred and not negatively acknowledged or handled properly",
-												e);
+										throw new IllegalStateException(String.format(
+												"Exception occurred and message %s was not auto-nacked; switch to AckMode BATCH or RECORD to enable auto-nacks",
+												message.getMessageId()), e);
 									}
 								}
 							}