diff --git a/src/service.c b/src/service.c
index fc2ea3cc..576fce67 100644
--- a/src/service.c
+++ b/src/service.c
@@ -1203,8 +1203,10 @@ int service_register(int type, char *cfg, struct rlimit rlimit[], char *file)
 			manual = 1;
 		else if (!strncasecmp(cmd, "restart:", 8))
 			restart_max = atoi(&cmd[8]);
-		else if (!strncasecmp(cmd, "restarttmo:", 11))
+		else if (!strncasecmp(cmd, "restarttmo:", 11)) /* compat alias */
 			restart_tmo = atoi(&cmd[11]) * 1000;
+		else if (!strncasecmp(cmd, "restart_sec:", 12))
+			restart_tmo = atoi(&cmd[12]) * 1000;
 		else if (!strncasecmp(cmd, "norestart", 9))
 			restart_max = 0;
 		else if (!strncasecmp(cmd, "oncrash:", 8)) {