diff --git a/plugins/outputs/sql/sql.go b/plugins/outputs/sql/sql.go
index 4d42f8600..982f1f065 100644
--- a/plugins/outputs/sql/sql.go
+++ b/plugins/outputs/sql/sql.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/snowflakedb/gosnowflake"  // snowflake
 
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf"
+	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/config"
 	"github.com/influxdata/telegraf/plugins/outputs"
 )
 
@@ -41,8 +42,8 @@ type SQL struct {
 	TableExistsTemplate   string
 	InitSQL               string `toml:"init_sql"`
 	Convert               ConvertStruct
-	ConnectionMaxIdleTime time.Duration
-	ConnectionMaxLifetime time.Duration
+	ConnectionMaxIdleTime config.Duration
+	ConnectionMaxLifetime config.Duration
 	ConnectionMaxIdle     int
 	ConnectionMaxOpen     int
 
@@ -66,8 +67,8 @@ func (p *SQL) Connect() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	db.SetConnMaxIdleTime(p.ConnectionMaxIdleTime)
-	db.SetConnMaxLifetime(p.ConnectionMaxLifetime)
+	db.SetConnMaxIdleTime(time.Duration(p.ConnectionMaxIdleTime))
+	db.SetConnMaxLifetime(time.Duration(p.ConnectionMaxLifetime))
 	db.SetMaxIdleConns(p.ConnectionMaxIdle)
 	db.SetMaxOpenConns(p.ConnectionMaxOpen)