diff --git a/api_guard/dist/types/index.d.ts b/api_guard/dist/types/index.d.ts
index 1a14efdf38..19f835196d 100644
--- a/api_guard/dist/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/api_guard/dist/types/index.d.ts
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ export declare function defer<R extends ObservableInput<any>>(observableFactory:
 
 export declare function delay<T>(due: number | Date, scheduler?: SchedulerLike): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
 
-export declare function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => Observable<any>, subscriptionDelay: Observable<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
-export declare function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => Observable<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
+export declare function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => ObservableInput<any>, subscriptionDelay: Observable<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
+export declare function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => ObservableInput<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
 
 export declare function dematerialize<N extends ObservableNotification<any>>(): OperatorFunction<N, ValueFromNotification<N>>;
 
diff --git a/api_guard/dist/types/operators/index.d.ts b/api_guard/dist/types/operators/index.d.ts
index 4d673c5b08..c007526198 100644
--- a/api_guard/dist/types/operators/index.d.ts
+++ b/api_guard/dist/types/operators/index.d.ts
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ export declare function defaultIfEmpty<T, R>(defaultValue: R): OperatorFunction<
 
 export declare function delay<T>(due: number | Date, scheduler?: SchedulerLike): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
 
-export declare function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => Observable<any>, subscriptionDelay: Observable<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
-export declare function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => Observable<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
+export declare function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => ObservableInput<any>, subscriptionDelay: Observable<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
+export declare function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => ObservableInput<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
 
 export declare function dematerialize<N extends ObservableNotification<any>>(): OperatorFunction<N, ValueFromNotification<N>>;
 
diff --git a/src/internal/operators/delayWhen.ts b/src/internal/operators/delayWhen.ts
index bbd1019561..0755507bee 100644
--- a/src/internal/operators/delayWhen.ts
+++ b/src/internal/operators/delayWhen.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 import { Observable } from '../Observable';
-import { MonoTypeOperatorFunction } from '../types';
+import { MonoTypeOperatorFunction, ObservableInput } from '../types';
 import { concat } from '../observable/concat';
 import { take } from './take';
 import { ignoreElements } from './ignoreElements';
 import { mapTo } from './mapTo';
 import { mergeMap } from './mergeMap';
+import { innerFrom } from '../observable/innerFrom';
 
 /** @deprecated The `subscriptionDelay` parameter will be removed in v8. */
 export function delayWhen<T>(
-  delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => Observable<any>,
+  delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => ObservableInput<any>,
   subscriptionDelay: Observable<any>
 ): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
-export function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => Observable<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
+export function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => ObservableInput<any>): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T>;
 
 /**
  * Delays the emission of items from the source Observable by a given time span
@@ -26,8 +27,9 @@ export function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) =>
  * a time span determined by another Observable. When the source emits a value,
  * the `delayDurationSelector` function is called with the value emitted from
  * the source Observable as the first argument to the `delayDurationSelector`.
- * The `delayDurationSelector` function should return an Observable, called
- * the "duration" Observable.
+ * The `delayDurationSelector` function should return an {@link ObservableInput},
+ * that is internally converted to an Observable that is called the "duration"
+ * Observable.
  *
  * The source value is emitted on the output Observable only when the "duration"
  * Observable emits ({@link guide/glossary-and-semantics#next next}s) any value.
@@ -76,18 +78,19 @@ export function delayWhen<T>(delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) =>
  * @see {@link audit}
  * @see {@link auditTime}
  *
- * @param {function(value: T, index: number): Observable} delayDurationSelector A function that
- * returns an Observable for each value emitted by the source Observable, which
- * is then used to delay the emission of that item on the output Observable
- * until the Observable returned from this function emits a value.
- * @param {Observable} subscriptionDelay An Observable that triggers the
- * subscription to the source Observable once it emits any value.
+ * @param delayDurationSelector A function that returns an `ObservableInput` for
+ * each `value` emitted by the source Observable, which is then used to delay the
+ * emission of that `value` on the output Observable until the `ObservableInput`
+ * returned from this function emits a next value. When called, beside `value`,
+ * this function receives a zero-based `index` of the emission order.
+ * @param subscriptionDelay An Observable that triggers the subscription to the
+ * source Observable once it emits any value.
  * @return A function that returns an Observable that delays the emissions of
  * the source Observable by an amount of time specified by the Observable
  * returned by `delayDurationSelector`.
  */
 export function delayWhen<T>(
-  delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => Observable<any>,
+  delayDurationSelector: (value: T, index: number) => ObservableInput<any>,
   subscriptionDelay?: Observable<any>
 ): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T> {
   if (subscriptionDelay) {
@@ -96,5 +99,5 @@ export function delayWhen<T>(
       concat(subscriptionDelay.pipe(take(1), ignoreElements()), source.pipe(delayWhen(delayDurationSelector)));
   }
 
-  return mergeMap((value, index) => delayDurationSelector(value, index).pipe(take(1), mapTo(value)));
+  return mergeMap((value, index) => innerFrom(delayDurationSelector(value, index)).pipe(take(1), mapTo(value)));
 }