diff --git a/.changelog/5655.fixed b/.changelog/5655.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..70b570c6563
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/5655.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..7559689c1e3 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/_internal/export/__init__.py
@@ -480,6 +480,11 @@ def _after_in_child() -> None:
                 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."
+            )
 
     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..746ad841358 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_periodic_exporting_metric_reader.py
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/tests/metrics/test_periodic_exporting_metric_reader.py
@@ -212,6 +212,26 @@ def test_ticker_value_exception_on_negative(self):
             export_interval_millis=-100,
         )
 
+    def test_timeout_value_exception_on_zero(self):
+        exporter = FakeMetricsExporter()
+        exporter.export = Mock()
+        self.assertRaises(
+            ValueError,
+            PeriodicExportingMetricReader,
+            exporter,
+            export_timeout_millis=0,
+        )
+
+    def test_timeout_value_exception_on_negative(self):
+        exporter = FakeMetricsExporter()
+        exporter.export = Mock()
+        self.assertRaises(
+            ValueError,
+            PeriodicExportingMetricReader,
+            exporter,
+            export_timeout_millis=-100,
+        )
+
     @pytest.mark.flaky(max_runs=3, min_passes=1)
     def test_ticker_collects_metrics(self):
         exporter = FakeMetricsExporter()