diff --git a/doc/dbus.md b/doc/dbus.md
index 6c1e52d7..49afcc6b 100644
--- a/doc/dbus.md
+++ b/doc/dbus.md
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ and the service registry.
 | `SetDebug`                   | —      | —       | yes   | Toggle Finit's runtime debug flag                         |
 | `Signal`                     | `su`   | —       | yes   | Send signal `u` (1–31) to services matching identity `s`  |
 | `Suspend`                    | —      | —       | yes   | `sync()` + suspend-to-RAM                                 |
-| `Reboot`, `Halt`, `Poweroff` | —      | —       | yes   | Trigger the corresponding shutdown sequence               |
+| `Reboot`, `Halt`, `Poweroff` | `u`    | —       | yes   | Trigger the corresponding shutdown sequence; the argument arms the emergency fallback timer (seconds, 0 = none) |
 
 ### Properties
 
@@ -250,9 +250,9 @@ the following subcommands use the bus first:
 | `initctl restart`          | `Manager1.Restart(svc)`                          |
 | `initctl reload`           | `Manager1.Reload()`                              |
 | `initctl reload S`         | `Service1.Reload()` (per-svc)                    |
-| `initctl reboot`           | `Manager1.Reboot()`                              |
-| `initctl halt`             | `Manager1.Halt()`                                |
-| `initctl poweroff`         | `Manager1.Poweroff()`                            |
+| `initctl reboot`           | `Manager1.Reboot(timeout)`                       |
+| `initctl halt`             | `Manager1.Halt(timeout)`                         |
+| `initctl poweroff`         | `Manager1.Poweroff(timeout)`                     |
 | `initctl suspend`          | `Manager1.Suspend()`                             |
 | `initctl debug`            | `Manager1.SetDebug()`                            |
 | `initctl signal`           | `Manager1.Signal(svc, signo)`                    |
diff --git a/src/api.c b/src/api.c
index a7f3f4d8..e82510a5 100644
--- a/src/api.c
+++ b/src/api.c
@@ -222,16 +222,6 @@ static svc_t *do_find_byc(char *buf, size_t len)
 	return svc_find_by_cond(input);
 }
 
-static void bypass_shutdown(void *);
-struct wq emergency = { .cb = bypass_shutdown };
-
-static void bypass_shutdown(void *unused)
-{
-	(void)unused;
-
-	cprintf("TIMEOUT TIMEOUT SHUTTING DOWN NOW!!\n");
-	do_shutdown(halt);
-}
 
 
 /*
@@ -298,10 +288,7 @@ static int do_reboot(int cmd, int timeout, char *buf, size_t len)
 		return 255;
 	}
 
-	if (timeout > 0) {
-		emergency.delay = timeout * 1000;
-		schedule_work(&emergency);
-	}
+	shutdown_bypass(timeout);
 
 	switch (cmd) {
 	case INIT_CMD_REBOOT:
diff --git a/src/dbus.c b/src/dbus.c
index 6aa0c44e..389f0d14 100644
--- a/src/dbus.c
+++ b/src/dbus.c
@@ -462,11 +462,18 @@ static int manager_set_runlevel(link_call_t *call, void *userdata)
 
 static int dbus_shutdown(link_call_t *call, shutop_t target, int level)
 {
+	uint32_t timeout;
+
+	if (link_call_read_u32(call, &timeout) < 0)
+		return link_call_reply_error(call,
+			"org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.InvalidArgs",
+			"expected (u)");
 	if (IS_RESERVED_RUNLEVEL(runlevel))
 		return link_call_reply_error(call,
 			"org.finit.Error.WrongRunlevel",
 			"Already in shutdown");
 	halt = target;
+	shutdown_bypass((int)timeout);
 	sm_runlevel(level);
 	(void)link_call_reply(call);
 	return 0;
@@ -623,11 +630,11 @@ static const link_method_t manager_methods[] = {
 	  .flags = LINK_METHOD_PRIVILEGED, .handler = manager_reload },
 	{ .name = "SetRunlevel",  .in_sig = "u", .out_sig = "",
 	  .flags = LINK_METHOD_PRIVILEGED, .handler = manager_set_runlevel },
-	{ .name = "Reboot",       .in_sig = "",  .out_sig = "",
+	{ .name = "Reboot",       .in_sig = "u", .out_sig = "",
 	  .flags = LINK_METHOD_PRIVILEGED, .handler = manager_reboot },
-	{ .name = "Poweroff",     .in_sig = "",  .out_sig = "",
+	{ .name = "Poweroff",     .in_sig = "u", .out_sig = "",
 	  .flags = LINK_METHOD_PRIVILEGED, .handler = manager_poweroff },
-	{ .name = "Halt",         .in_sig = "",  .out_sig = "",
+	{ .name = "Halt",         .in_sig = "u", .out_sig = "",
 	  .flags = LINK_METHOD_PRIVILEGED, .handler = manager_halt },
 	{ .name = "Suspend",      .in_sig = "",  .out_sig = "",
 	  .flags = LINK_METHOD_PRIVILEGED, .handler = manager_suspend },
diff --git a/src/initctl.c b/src/initctl.c
index 646cd092..dbda3e7e 100644
--- a/src/initctl.c
+++ b/src/initctl.c
@@ -1067,13 +1067,26 @@ static int do_cmd(int cmd)
 #ifdef HAVE_DBUS
 static int do_reboot_dbus(const char *method)
 {
-	int rc = try_dbus_manager(method, "", NULL);
+	link_client_t *c;
+	int rc;
 
-	if (rc == 0) {
+	c = link_client_open(FINIT_BUS_SOCKET);
+	if (!c)
+		return -1;	/* fall back to legacy transport */
+
+	/* Timeout in seconds arms the emergency shutdown bypass, 0 = none */
+	rc = link_client_call_v(c, "/org/finit/manager",
+				"org.finit.Manager1", method,
+				"u", (uint32_t)timeout);
+	if (rc == LINK_CALL_ERROR)
+		map_dbus_err(c, method, NULL);	/* exits */
+	link_client_close(c);
+
+	if (rc == LINK_CALL_OK) {
 		sleep(5);	/* match legacy: wait for finit to shut down */
 		return 0;
 	}
-	return rc;	/* 1 = error, -1 = fall back */
+	return -1;	/* fall back */
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/sm.c b/src/sm.c
index 35a46e3e..4776b648 100644
--- a/src/sm.c
+++ b/src/sm.c
@@ -94,6 +94,29 @@ static void shutdown_wdt_cb(uev_t *w, void *arg, int events)
 	do_shutdown(halt);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Emergency shutdown bypass, same job as the shutdown watchdog above
+ * but armed by the user: `initctl -t SEC reboot`, on either transport.
+ */
+static void bypass_shutdown(void *unused)
+{
+	(void)unused;
+
+	cprintf("TIMEOUT TIMEOUT SHUTTING DOWN NOW!!\n");
+	do_shutdown(halt);
+}
+
+static struct wq emergency = { .cb = bypass_shutdown };
+
+void shutdown_bypass(int timeout)
+{
+	if (timeout <= 0)
+		return;
+
+	emergency.delay = timeout * 1000;
+	schedule_work(&emergency);
+}
+
 /*
  * User-requested runlevel change, shared by the legacy API and the
  * D-Bus SetRunlevel method.  Refused in runlevel 0/6, deferred via
diff --git a/src/sm.h b/src/sm.h
index f2873861..659ca34f 100644
--- a/src/sm.h
+++ b/src/sm.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ int  sm_in_reload (void);
 void sm_reload    (void);
 void sm_runlevel  (int newlevel);
 void sm_request_runlevel(int lvl);
+void shutdown_bypass(int timeout);
 
 #endif	/* FINIT_SM_H_ */