diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplate.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplate.java
index d410cd7207..e042b70e4c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplate.java
@@ -715,11 +715,14 @@ public Long getExpire(K key, final TimeUnit timeUnit) {
 		return execute(new RedisCallback<Long>() {
 
 			public Long doInRedis(RedisConnection connection) {
+				Long expire;
 				try {
-					return timeUnit.convert(connection.pTtl(rawKey), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+					expire = connection.pTtl(rawKey);
+					return expire < 0 ? expire : timeUnit.convert(expire, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
 				} catch (Exception e) {
 					// Driver may not support pTtl or we may be running on Redis 2.4
-					return timeUnit.convert(connection.ttl(rawKey), TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+					expire = connection.ttl(rawKey);
+					return expire < 0 ? expire : timeUnit.convert(expire, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
 				}
 			}
 		}, true);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplateTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplateTests.java
index b35a202d5e..2cdca1155c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplateTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/core/RedisTemplateTests.java
@@ -530,6 +530,39 @@ public void testGetExpireSeconds() {
 		assertEquals(Long.valueOf(1), redisTemplate.getExpire(key1, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testGetExpireSecondsForKeyDoesNotExist() {
+		final K key1 = keyFactory.instance();
+		Long expire = redisTemplate.getExpire(key1, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+		assertTrue(expire < 0l);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetExpireSecondsForKeyExistButHasNoAssociatedExpire() {
+		final K key1 = keyFactory.instance();
+		V value1 = valueFactory.instance();
+		redisTemplate.boundValueOps(key1).set(value1);
+		Long expire = redisTemplate.getExpire(key1, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+		assertTrue(expire < 0l);
+	}
+
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetExpireMillisForKeyDoesNotExist() {
+		final K key1 = keyFactory.instance();
+		Long expire = redisTemplate.getExpire(key1, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+		assertTrue(expire < 0l);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetExpireMillisForKeyExistButHasNoAssociatedExpire() {
+		final K key1 = keyFactory.instance();
+		V value1 = valueFactory.instance();
+		redisTemplate.boundValueOps(key1).set(value1);
+		Long expire = redisTemplate.getExpire(key1, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+		assertTrue(expire < 0l);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testGetExpireMillisNotSupported() {