diff --git a/src/runtime/export_test.go b/src/runtime/export_test.go
index 44551dcaf14..22fef3134f5 100644
--- a/src/runtime/export_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/export_test.go
@@ -1201,12 +1201,12 @@ type TimeHistogram timeHistogram
 
 // Counts returns the counts for the given bucket, subBucket indices.
 // Returns true if the bucket was valid, otherwise returns the counts
-// for the overflow bucket and false.
+// for the underflow bucket and false.
 func (th *TimeHistogram) Count(bucket, subBucket uint) (uint64, bool) {
 	t := (*timeHistogram)(th)
 	i := bucket*TimeHistNumSubBuckets + subBucket
 	if i >= uint(len(t.counts)) {
-		return t.overflow, false
+		return t.underflow, false
 	}
 	return t.counts[i], true
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/histogram.go b/src/runtime/histogram.go
index 4020969eb99..d48e856cd0d 100644
--- a/src/runtime/histogram.go
+++ b/src/runtime/histogram.go
@@ -69,17 +69,15 @@ const (
 // for concurrent use. It is also safe to read all the values
 // atomically.
 type timeHistogram struct {
-	counts   [timeHistNumSuperBuckets * timeHistNumSubBuckets]uint64
-	overflow uint64
+	counts    [timeHistNumSuperBuckets * timeHistNumSubBuckets]uint64
+	underflow uint64
 }
 
 // record adds the given duration to the distribution.
-//
-// Although the duration is an int64 to facilitate ease-of-use
-// with e.g. nanotime, the duration must be non-negative.
 func (h *timeHistogram) record(duration int64) {
 	if duration < 0 {
-		throw("timeHistogram encountered negative duration")
+		atomic.Xadd64(&h.underflow, 1)
+		return
 	}
 	// The index of the exponential bucket is just the index
 	// of the highest set bit adjusted for how many bits we
@@ -92,15 +90,17 @@ func (h *timeHistogram) record(duration int64) {
 		superBucket = uint(sys.Len64(uint64(duration))) - timeHistSubBucketBits
 		if superBucket*timeHistNumSubBuckets >= uint(len(h.counts)) {
 			// The bucket index we got is larger than what we support, so
-			// add into the special overflow bucket.
-			atomic.Xadd64(&h.overflow, 1)
-			return
+			// include this count in the highest bucket, which extends to
+			// infinity.
+			superBucket = timeHistNumSuperBuckets - 1
+			subBucket = timeHistNumSubBuckets - 1
+		} else {
+			// The linear subbucket index is just the timeHistSubBucketsBits
+			// bits after the top bit. To extract that value, shift down
+			// the duration such that we leave the top bit and the next bits
+			// intact, then extract the index.
+			subBucket = uint((duration >> (superBucket - 1)) % timeHistNumSubBuckets)
 		}
-		// The linear subbucket index is just the timeHistSubBucketsBits
-		// bits after the top bit. To extract that value, shift down
-		// the duration such that we leave the top bit and the next bits
-		// intact, then extract the index.
-		subBucket = uint((duration >> (superBucket - 1)) % timeHistNumSubBuckets)
 	} else {
 		subBucket = uint(duration)
 	}
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func timeHistogramMetricsBuckets() []float64 {
 		// index to combine it with the bucketMin.
 		subBucketShift := uint(0)
 		if i > 1 {
-			// The first two buckets are exact with respect to integers,
+			// The first two super buckets are exact with respect to integers,
 			// so we'll never have to shift the sub-bucket index. Thereafter,
 			// we shift up by 1 with each subsequent bucket.
 			subBucketShift = uint(i - 2)
diff --git a/src/runtime/histogram_test.go b/src/runtime/histogram_test.go
index 5f5b28f7848..dbc64fa5592 100644
--- a/src/runtime/histogram_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/histogram_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package runtime_test
 
 import (
+	"math"
 	. "runtime"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -32,8 +33,8 @@ func TestTimeHistogram(t *testing.T) {
 			h.Record(base + v)
 		}
 	}
-	// Hit the overflow bucket.
-	h.Record(int64(^uint64(0) >> 1))
+	// Hit the underflow bucket.
+	h.Record(int64(-1))
 
 	// Check to make sure there's exactly one count in each
 	// bucket.
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ func TestTimeHistogram(t *testing.T) {
 		for j := uint(0); j < TimeHistNumSubBuckets; j++ {
 			c, ok := h.Count(i, j)
 			if !ok {
-				t.Errorf("hit overflow bucket unexpectedly: (%d, %d)", i, j)
+				t.Errorf("hit underflow bucket unexpectedly: (%d, %d)", i, j)
 			} else if c != 1 {
 				t.Errorf("bucket (%d, %d) has count that is not 1: %d", i, j, c)
 			}
@@ -49,10 +50,21 @@ func TestTimeHistogram(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	c, ok := h.Count(TimeHistNumSuperBuckets, 0)
 	if ok {
-		t.Errorf("expected to hit overflow bucket: (%d, %d)", TimeHistNumSuperBuckets, 0)
+		t.Errorf("expected to hit underflow bucket: (%d, %d)", TimeHistNumSuperBuckets, 0)
 	}
 	if c != 1 {
-		t.Errorf("overflow bucket has count that is not 1: %d", c)
+		t.Errorf("underflow bucket has count that is not 1: %d", c)
 	}
+
+	// Check overflow behavior.
+	// By hitting a high value, we should just be adding into the highest bucket.
+	h.Record(math.MaxInt64)
+	c, ok = h.Count(TimeHistNumSuperBuckets-1, TimeHistNumSubBuckets-1)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Error("hit underflow bucket in highest bucket unexpectedly")
+	} else if c != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("highest has count that is not 2: %d", c)
+	}
+
 	dummyTimeHistogram = TimeHistogram{}
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/metrics.go b/src/runtime/metrics.go
index af86a0f03aa..1d191e62985 100644
--- a/src/runtime/metrics.go
+++ b/src/runtime/metrics.go
@@ -116,9 +116,9 @@ func initMetrics() {
 		"/gc/pauses:seconds": {
 			compute: func(_ *statAggregate, out *metricValue) {
 				hist := out.float64HistOrInit(timeHistBuckets)
-				hist.counts[len(hist.counts)-1] = atomic.Load64(&memstats.gcPauseDist.overflow)
+				hist.counts[0] = atomic.Load64(&memstats.gcPauseDist.underflow)
 				for i := range hist.buckets {
-					hist.counts[i] = atomic.Load64(&memstats.gcPauseDist.counts[i])
+					hist.counts[i+1] = atomic.Load64(&memstats.gcPauseDist.counts[i])
 				}
 			},
 		},