diff --git a/lib/_http_server.js b/lib/_http_server.js
index 48f825f15cb51d..c6a335185291a6 100644
--- a/lib/_http_server.js
+++ b/lib/_http_server.js
@@ -391,8 +391,8 @@ function storeHTTPOptions(options) {
     this.headersTimeout = 60_000; // 60 seconds
   }
 
-  if (this.requestTimeout > 0 && this.headersTimeout > 0 && this.headersTimeout >= this.requestTimeout) {
-    throw new codes.ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE('headersTimeout', '>= requestTimeout', headersTimeout);
+  if (this.requestTimeout > 0 && this.headersTimeout > 0 && this.headersTimeout > this.requestTimeout) {
+    throw new codes.ERR_OUT_OF_RANGE('headersTimeout', '<= requestTimeout', headersTimeout);
   }
 
   const keepAliveTimeout = options.keepAliveTimeout;