diff --git a/assemblyai/__version__.py b/assemblyai/__version__.py
index 51bbb3f..31e744e 100644
--- a/assemblyai/__version__.py
+++ b/assemblyai/__version__.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "1.6.2"
+__version__ = "1.6.3"
diff --git a/assemblyai/streaming/v3/models.py b/assemblyai/streaming/v3/models.py
index b278dee..3acc663 100644
--- a/assemblyai/streaming/v3/models.py
+++ b/assemblyai/streaming/v3/models.py
@@ -402,17 +402,17 @@ class RealTimeTranscriberOptions(BaseModel):
     api_key: Optional[str] = None
     token: Optional[str] = None
     # Seconds to wait for the WebSocket handshake to complete before treating
-    # the attempt as failed.
-    connect_timeout: float = 1.0
+    # the attempt as failed. Must be positive.
+    connect_timeout: float = Field(default=1.0, gt=0)
     # Additional handshake attempts after the first one fails on a transient
     # error (timeout, network drop). 0 disables retries. HTTP-level rejections
-    # (auth, quota, bad request) are never retried.
-    max_connection_retries: int = 2
-    # Seconds to wait between handshake attempts.
-    connection_retry_delay: float = 0.5
+    # (auth, quota, bad request) are never retried. Must be non-negative.
+    max_connection_retries: int = Field(default=2, ge=0)
+    # Seconds to wait between handshake attempts. Must be non-negative.
+    connection_retry_delay: float = Field(default=0.5, ge=0)
     # Seconds disconnect(terminate=True) waits for the server's
-    # TerminationEvent (and any final Turn) before tearing down.
-    terminate_timeout: float = 5.0
+    # TerminationEvent (and any final Turn) before tearing down. Must be non-negative.
+    terminate_timeout: float = Field(default=5.0, ge=0)
 
 
 # Alias: the former name for `RealTimeTranscriberOptions`, bound to the same object.
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_streaming.py b/tests/unit/test_streaming.py
index 70049a4..fe5de94 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_streaming.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_streaming.py
@@ -2487,3 +2487,49 @@ def test_silence_event_dispatched_to_handler(mocker: MockFixture):
     assert isinstance(received[0], SilenceEvent)
     assert received[0].start_ms == 12000
     assert received[0].end_ms == 13000
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Boundary validation tests for RealTimeTranscriberOptions
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_connect_timeout_rejects_non_positive():
+    """Negative or zero connect_timeout must raise a validation error."""
+    with pytest.raises(Exception):  # pydantic ValidationError (v1 or v2)
+        StreamingClientOptions(api_key="test", connect_timeout=-1.0)
+    with pytest.raises(Exception):
+        StreamingClientOptions(api_key="test", connect_timeout=0)
+
+
+def test_max_connection_retries_rejects_negative():
+    """Negative max_connection_retries must raise a validation error."""
+    with pytest.raises(Exception):
+        StreamingClientOptions(api_key="test", max_connection_retries=-1)
+
+
+def test_connection_retry_delay_rejects_negative():
+    """Negative connection_retry_delay must raise a validation error."""
+    with pytest.raises(Exception):
+        StreamingClientOptions(api_key="test", connection_retry_delay=-0.5)
+
+
+def test_terminate_timeout_rejects_negative():
+    """Negative terminate_timeout must raise a validation error."""
+    with pytest.raises(Exception):
+        StreamingClientOptions(api_key="test", terminate_timeout=-5.0)
+
+
+def test_options_zero_values_are_accepted():
+    """Zero values must be accepted for non-negative option fields (retries, delays, timeouts)."""
+    opts = StreamingClientOptions(
+        api_key="test",
+        connect_timeout=0.1,
+        max_connection_retries=0,
+        connection_retry_delay=0,
+        terminate_timeout=0,
+    )
+    assert opts.connect_timeout == 0.1
+    assert opts.max_connection_retries == 0
+    assert opts.connection_retry_delay == 0
+    assert opts.terminate_timeout == 0