diff --git a/src/http.cpp b/src/http.cpp
index fc7c244e..e8882ded 100644
--- a/src/http.cpp
+++ b/src/http.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 #include <array>
 #include <chrono>
+#include <cinttypes>
 #include <thread>
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -65,8 +66,8 @@ static constexpr std::array<const char*, 2> blankLines{
     "\n\n",      // this is commonly sent by CGI scripts
 };
 
-static constexpr int snooze = 0;
-static int sleep_ = 1000;
+static constexpr auto snooze = std::chrono::milliseconds::zero();
+static auto sleep_ = std::chrono::milliseconds(1000);
 
 static int forgive(int n, int& err) {
   err = WSAGetLastError();
@@ -240,12 +241,13 @@ int Exiv2::http(Exiv2::Dictionary& request, Exiv2::Dictionary& response, std::st
 
   ////////////////////////////////////
   // send the header (we'll have to wait for the connection by the non-blocking socket)
-  while (sleep_ >= 0 && send(sockfd, buffer, n, 0) == SOCKET_ERROR /* && WSAGetLastError() == WSAENOTCONN */) {
-    std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(snooze));
+  while (sleep_ >= std::chrono::milliseconds::zero() &&
+         send(sockfd, buffer, n, 0) == SOCKET_ERROR /* && WSAGetLastError() == WSAENOTCONN */) {
+    std::this_thread::sleep_for(snooze);
     sleep_ -= snooze;
   }
 
-  if (sleep_ < 0)
+  if (sleep_ < std::chrono::milliseconds::zero())
     return error(errors, "error - timeout connecting to server = %s port = %s wsa_error = %d", servername, port,
                  WSAGetLastError());
 
@@ -325,16 +327,16 @@ int Exiv2::http(Exiv2::Dictionary& request, Exiv2::Dictionary& response, std::st
     }
     n = forgive(recv(sockfd, buffer + end, static_cast<int>(buff_l - end), 0), err);
     if (!n) {
-      std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(snooze));
+      std::this_thread::sleep_for(snooze);
       sleep_ -= snooze;
-      if (sleep_ < 0)
+      if (sleep_ < std::chrono::milliseconds::zero())
         n = FINISH;
     }
   }
 
   if (n != FINISH || !OK(status)) {
-    snprintf(buffer, sizeof buffer, "wsa_error = %d,n = %d,sleep_ = %d status = %d", WSAGetLastError(), n, sleep_,
-             status);
+    snprintf(buffer, sizeof buffer, "wsa_error = %d,n = %d,sleep_ = %d status = %d", WSAGetLastError(), n,
+             int(sleep_.count()), status);
     error(errors, buffer, nullptr, nullptr, 0);
   } else if (bSearching && OK(status)) {
     if (end) {