diff --git a/django/db/migrations/writer.py b/django/db/migrations/writer.py
index 999f5c8646..c91ee6870f 100644
--- a/django/db/migrations/writer.py
+++ b/django/db/migrations/writer.py
@@ -323,6 +323,9 @@ class MigrationWriter(object):
             if isinstance(value, datetime_safe.time):
                 value_repr = "datetime.%s" % value_repr
             return value_repr, {"import datetime"}
+        # Timedeltas
+        elif isinstance(value, datetime.timedelta):
+            return repr(value), {"import datetime"}
         # Settings references
         elif isinstance(value, SettingsReference):
             return "settings.%s" % value.setting_name, {"from django.conf import settings"}
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.8.1.txt b/docs/releases/1.8.1.txt
index c449eab27e..1dff617063 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.8.1.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.8.1.txt
@@ -9,4 +9,5 @@ Django 1.8.1 fixes several bugs in 1.8.
 Bugfixes
 ========
 
-* ...
+* Added support for serializing :class:`~datetime.timedelta` objects in
+  migrations (:ticket:`24566`).
diff --git a/tests/migrations/test_writer.py b/tests/migrations/test_writer.py
index 79a374b567..4573bda3f0 100644
--- a/tests/migrations/test_writer.py
+++ b/tests/migrations/test_writer.py
@@ -339,6 +339,11 @@ class WriterTests(TestCase):
         self.assertSerializedEqual(FoodManager('a', 'b'))
         self.assertSerializedEqual(FoodManager('x', 'y', c=3, d=4))
 
+
+    def test_serialize_timedelta(self):
+        self.assertSerializedEqual(datetime.timedelta())
+        self.assertSerializedEqual(datetime.timedelta(minutes=42))
+
     def test_simple_migration(self):
         """
         Tests serializing a simple migration.