diff --git a/pytest_timeout.py b/pytest_timeout.py
index 192a16c..3ea64da 100644
--- a/pytest_timeout.py
+++ b/pytest_timeout.py
@@ -57,6 +57,20 @@
 )
 
 
+def _get_ini_value(config, name):
+    """Read an ini option, falling back to the raw config for non-string TOML values.
+
+    On pytest 9+ the ``"string"`` ini-type rejects non-string TOML values
+    (e.g. ``timeout = 1``), but ``"float"`` rejects quoted strings such as
+    ``timeout = "1"``.  We register the option with the default string type
+    and catch the ``TypeError`` here so both representations work.
+    """
+    try:
+        return config.getini(name)
+    except TypeError:
+        return config.inicfg.get(name)
+
+
 @pytest.hookimpl
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     """Add options to control the timeout plugin."""
@@ -94,7 +108,7 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
         metavar="SECONDS",
         help=SESSION_TIMEOUT_DESC,
     )
-    parser.addini("timeout", TIMEOUT_DESC, type="float")
+    parser.addini("timeout", TIMEOUT_DESC)
     parser.addini("timeout_method", METHOD_DESC)
     parser.addini("timeout_func_only", FUNC_ONLY_DESC, type="bool", default=False)
     parser.addini(
@@ -103,7 +117,7 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
         type="bool",
         default=False,
     )
-    parser.addini("session_timeout", SESSION_TIMEOUT_DESC, type="float")
+    parser.addini("session_timeout", SESSION_TIMEOUT_DESC)
 
 
 class TimeoutHooks:
@@ -161,9 +175,9 @@ def pytest_configure(config):
 
     timeout = config.getoption("session_timeout")
     if timeout is None:
-        ini = config.getini("session_timeout")
+        ini = _get_ini_value(config, "session_timeout")
         if ini:
-            timeout = _validate_timeout(config.getini("session_timeout"), "config file")
+            timeout = _validate_timeout(ini, "config file")
     if timeout is not None:
         expire_time = time.time() + timeout
     else:
@@ -350,7 +364,7 @@ def get_env_settings(config):
             os.environ.get("PYTEST_TIMEOUT"), "PYTEST_TIMEOUT environment variable"
         )
     if timeout is None:
-        ini = config.getini("timeout")
+        ini = _get_ini_value(config, "timeout")
         if ini:
             timeout = _validate_timeout(ini, "config file")
 
diff --git a/test_pytest_timeout.py b/test_pytest_timeout.py
index ff36c40..865f12c 100644
--- a/test_pytest_timeout.py
+++ b/test_pytest_timeout.py
@@ -372,6 +372,43 @@ def test_foo():
     assert result.ret
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    pytest.version_tuple < (9, 0),
+    reason="native [tool.pytest] table requires pytest 9",
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("toml_timeout", "toml_session_timeout"),
+    [
+        pytest.param('"1"', '"60"', id="quoted-string"),
+        pytest.param("1", "60", id="unquoted-int"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_pyproject_toml_timeout(pytester, toml_timeout, toml_session_timeout):
+    """Regression test for #203: accept timeout values in pyproject.toml.
+
+    Both quoted (string) and unquoted (int) forms should work in the
+    ``[tool.pytest]`` table (``timeout = "1"`` and ``timeout = 1``).
+    """
+    pytester.makepyfile(
+        """
+        import time
+
+        def test_foo():
+            time.sleep(2)
+    """
+    )
+    pytester.makepyprojecttoml(
+        f"""
+        [tool.pytest]
+        timeout = {toml_timeout}
+        session_timeout = {toml_session_timeout}
+    """
+    )
+    result = pytester.runpytest_subprocess()
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([MATCH_FAILURE_MESSAGE % "1.0"])
+    result.assert_outcomes(failed=1)
+
+
 def test_ini_timeout_func_only(pytester):
     pytester.makepyfile(
         """