diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/progress.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/progress.ts
index b94ef285fdfb1..b9713428e58da 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/progress.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/progress.ts
@@ -98,16 +98,26 @@ export class ProgressController {
 
     if (deadline) {
       const timeoutError = new TimeoutError(`Timeout ${timeout}ms exceeded.`);
-      timer = setTimeout(() => {
-        // TODO: migrate this to "progress.disableTimeout()".
-        if (this.metadata.pauseStartTime && !this.metadata.pauseEndTime)
-          return;
+      const remaining = deadline - monotonicTime();
+      if (remaining <= 0) {
+        // Deadline already passed, fire immediately without scheduling a timer.
         if (this._state === 'running') {
           this._state = { error: timeoutError };
           this._forceAbortPromise.reject(timeoutError);
           this._controller.abort(timeoutError);
         }
-      }, deadline - monotonicTime());
+      } else {
+        timer = setTimeout(() => {
+          // TODO: migrate this to "progress.disableTimeout()".
+          if (this.metadata.pauseStartTime && !this.metadata.pauseEndTime)
+            return;
+          if (this._state === 'running') {
+            this._state = { error: timeoutError };
+            this._forceAbortPromise.reject(timeoutError);
+            this._controller.abort(timeoutError);
+          }
+        }, remaining);
+      }
     }
 
     try {
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/timeoutRunner.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/timeoutRunner.ts
index 9a01d0f0796cc..2aec3834e43ed 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/timeoutRunner.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/timeoutRunner.ts
@@ -29,9 +29,16 @@ export async function raceAgainstDeadline<T>(cb: () => Promise<T>, deadline: num
       return { result, timedOut: false };
     }),
     new Promise<{ timedOut: true }>(resolve => {
+      if (!deadline)
+        return;
       const kMaxDeadline = 2147483647; // 2^31-1
-      const timeout = (deadline || kMaxDeadline) - monotonicTime();
-      timer = setTimeout(() => resolve({ timedOut: true }), timeout);
+      const timeout = deadline - monotonicTime();
+      if (timeout <= 0) {
+        // Deadline already passed, resolve immediately without scheduling a timer.
+        resolve({ timedOut: true });
+        return;
+      }
+      timer = setTimeout(() => resolve({ timedOut: true }), Math.min(timeout, kMaxDeadline));
     }),
   ]).finally(() => {
     clearTimeout(timer);