diff --git a/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/QueryOptions.java b/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/QueryOptions.java
index db955ebdc..7982c91b9 100644
--- a/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/QueryOptions.java
+++ b/spring-data-cassandra/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/QueryOptions.java
@@ -219,12 +219,10 @@ public boolean equals(@Nullable Object o) {
 			return true;
 		}
 
-		if (!(o instanceof QueryOptions)) {
+		if (!(o instanceof QueryOptions options)) {
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		QueryOptions options = (QueryOptions) o;
-
 		if (!ObjectUtils.nullSafeEquals(consistencyLevel, options.consistencyLevel)) {
 			return false;
 		}
@@ -482,12 +480,7 @@ public QueryOptionsBuilder readTimeout(long readTimeout, TimeUnit timeUnit) {
 		 */
 		@Deprecated
 		public QueryOptionsBuilder readTimeout(Duration readTimeout) {
-
-			Assert.isTrue(!readTimeout.isNegative(), "ReadTimeout must be greater than equal to zero");
-
-			this.timeout = readTimeout;
-
-			return this;
+			return timeout(readTimeout);
 		}
 
 		/**
diff --git a/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/QueryOptionsUnitTests.java b/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/QueryOptionsUnitTests.java
index 35cdba1b1..928f90a7b 100644
--- a/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/QueryOptionsUnitTests.java
+++ b/spring-data-cassandra/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/cassandra/core/cql/QueryOptionsUnitTests.java
@@ -99,22 +99,7 @@ void buildZeroDurationTimeoutQueryOptions() {
 	@Test // GH-1494
 	void shouldRejectNegativeDurationTimeoutQueryOptions() {
 
-		assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(
-				() -> QueryOptions.builder().timeout(Duration.ofSeconds(-1)).build());
-	}
-
-	@Test // GH-1494
-	void buildZeroDurationReadTimeoutQueryOptions() {
-
-		QueryOptions queryOptions = QueryOptions.builder().readTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(0)).build();
-
-		assertThat(queryOptions.getReadTimeout()).isEqualTo(Duration.ZERO);
-	}
-
-	@Test // GH-1494
-	void shouldRejectNegativeDurationReadTimeoutQueryOptions() {
-
-		assertThatIllegalArgumentException().isThrownBy(
-				() -> QueryOptions.builder().readTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(-1)).build());
+		assertThatIllegalArgumentException()
+				.isThrownBy(() -> QueryOptions.builder().timeout(Duration.ofSeconds(-1)).build());
 	}
 }