diff --git a/lib/extension/homeassistant.ts b/lib/extension/homeassistant.ts
index 401bf4001..8c5332f6b 100644
--- a/lib/extension/homeassistant.ts
+++ b/lib/extension/homeassistant.ts
@@ -1878,8 +1878,8 @@ export default class HomeAssistant extends Extension {
                     entity_category: 'diagnostic',
                     state_topic: true,
                     state_topic_postfix: 'info',
-                    value_template: '{{ int(value_json.permit_join_timeout, default="unknown") }}',
-                    expire_after: 2,
+                    value_template:
+                        '{{ iif(value_json.permit_join_timeout is defined, value_json.permit_join_timeout, None) }}',
                 },
             },
 
diff --git a/test/homeassistant.test.js b/test/homeassistant.test.js
index 61d4ee97e..a76d5e2d4 100644
--- a/test/homeassistant.test.js
+++ b/test/homeassistant.test.js
@@ -2410,8 +2410,7 @@ describe('HomeAssistant extension', () => {
             'unit_of_measurement': 's',
             'unique_id': 'bridge_0x00124b00120144ae_permit_join_timeout_zigbee2mqtt',
             'state_topic': 'zigbee2mqtt/bridge/info',
-            'value_template': '{{ int(value_json.permit_join_timeout, default="unknown") }}',
-            'expire_after': 2,
+            'value_template': '{{ iif(value_json.permit_join_timeout is defined, value_json.permit_join_timeout, None) }}',
             'origin': origin,
             'device': devicePayload,
             'availability': [{'topic': 'zigbee2mqtt/bridge/state'}],