diff --git a/lib/async.ts b/lib/async.ts
index e1f2eaf14d3bd48d4e8e7fff2cef01b74b750da8..dd7d69fb8b6a9ad612b131bda75045ffa35f3ceb 100644
--- a/lib/async.ts
+++ b/lib/async.ts
@@ -238,9 +238,17 @@ export function makeCancelable<T>(
 /** wait `ms` milliseconds, then resolve. can be cancelled. */
 export function delay(ms: number): Cancelable<void> {
   let t: ts.Timer | null = null;
+  const maxTimer = 0x7FFFFFFF;
   return makeCancelable(
-    new Promise((resolve) => {
-      t = globalThis.setTimeout(() => (t = null, resolve()), ms);
+    new Promise(function tick(resolve) {
+      if (ms <= maxTimer) {
+        t = setTimeout(() => (t = null, resolve()), ms);
+      } else {
+        t = setTimeout(() => {
+          ms -= maxTimer;
+          tick(resolve);
+        }, maxTimer);
+      }
     }),
     () => {
       if (t != null) clearTimeout(t);