diff --git a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/FlowRecoverWithSpec.scala b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/FlowRecoverWithSpec.scala
index 942333be7a..ccdd739a8a 100644
--- a/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/FlowRecoverWithSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-stream-tests/src/test/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/FlowRecoverWithSpec.scala
@@ -130,5 +130,11 @@ class FlowRecoverWithSpec extends AkkaSpec {
         .request(1)
         .expectError(ex)
     }
+
+    "throw IllegalArgumentException if number of retries is less than -1" in assertAllStagesStopped {
+      intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
+        Flow[Int].recoverWithRetries(-2, { case t: Throwable ⇒ Source.empty[Int] })
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/fusing/Ops.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/fusing/Ops.scala
index 3a9db78910..017a1d3da6 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/fusing/Ops.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/impl/fusing/Ops.scala
@@ -1259,6 +1259,7 @@ private[stream] object RecoverWith {
 }
 
 private[stream] final class RecoverWith[T, M](maximumRetries: Int, pf: PartialFunction[Throwable, Graph[SourceShape[T], M]]) extends SimpleLinearGraphStage[T] {
+  require(maximumRetries >= -1, "number of retries must be non-negative or equal to -1")
   override def initialAttributes = DefaultAttributes.recoverWith
 
   override def createLogic(attr: Attributes) = new GraphStageLogic(shape) {
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/javadsl/Flow.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/javadsl/Flow.scala
index 32524be0f5..bf896f55e6 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/javadsl/Flow.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/javadsl/Flow.scala
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ final class Flow[-In, +Out, +Mat](delegate: scaladsl.Flow[In, Out, Mat]) extends
     * RecoverWithRetries allows to switch to alternative Source on flow failure. It will stay in effect after
     * a failure has been recovered up to `attempts` number of times so that each time there is a failure
     * it is fed into the `pf` and a new Source may be materialized. Note that if you pass in 0, this won't
-    * attempt to recover at all. Passing in a negative number will behave exactly the same as  `recoverWith`.
+    * attempt to recover at all. Passing in -1 will behave exactly the same as  `recoverWith`.
     *
     * Since the underlying failure signal onError arrives out-of-band, it might jump over existing elements.
     * This stage can recover the failure signal, but not the skipped elements, which will be dropped.
@@ -817,6 +817,9 @@ final class Flow[-In, +Out, +Mat](delegate: scaladsl.Flow[In, Out, Mat]) extends
     *
     * '''Cancels when''' downstream cancels
     *
+    * @param attempts Maximum number of retries or -1 to retry indefinitely
+    * @param pf Receives the failure cause and returns the new Source to be materialized if any
+    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if `attempts` is a negative number other than -1
     */
   def recoverWithRetries[T >: Out](attempts: Int, pf: PartialFunction[Throwable, _ <: Graph[SourceShape[T], NotUsed]]): javadsl.Flow[In, T, Mat @uncheckedVariance] =
     new Flow(delegate.recoverWithRetries(attempts, pf))
diff --git a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/Flow.scala b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/Flow.scala
index 5d034e905d..2551439d63 100644
--- a/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/Flow.scala
+++ b/akka-stream/src/main/scala/akka/stream/scaladsl/Flow.scala
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ trait FlowOps[+Out, +Mat] {
     * RecoverWithRetries allows to switch to alternative Source on flow failure. It will stay in effect after
     * a failure has been recovered up to `attempts` number of times so that each time there is a failure
     * it is fed into the `pf` and a new Source may be materialized. Note that if you pass in 0, this won't
-    * attempt to recover at all. Passing in a negative number will behave exactly the same as  `recoverWith`.
+    * attempt to recover at all. Passing -1 will behave exactly the same as  `recoverWith`.
     *
     * Since the underlying failure signal onError arrives out-of-band, it might jump over existing elements.
     * This stage can recover the failure signal, but not the skipped elements, which will be dropped.
@@ -467,6 +467,10 @@ trait FlowOps[+Out, +Mat] {
     *
     * '''Cancels when''' downstream cancels
     *
+    * @param attempts Maximum number of retries or -1 to retry indefinitely
+    * @param pf Receives the failure cause and returns the new Source to be materialized if any
+    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if `attempts` is a negative number other than -1
+    *
     */
   def recoverWithRetries[T >: Out](attempts: Int, pf: PartialFunction[Throwable, Graph[SourceShape[T], NotUsed]]): Repr[T] =
     via(new RecoverWith(attempts, pf))