diff --git a/examples/systemd/fips/teleport.service b/examples/systemd/fips/teleport.service
index 7a0cb36770421..acf39091e687f 100644
--- a/examples/systemd/fips/teleport.service
+++ b/examples/systemd/fips/teleport.service
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport start --config /etc/teleport.yaml --fips --pid-file=/run/teleport.pid
 # systemd before 239 needs an absolute path
diff --git a/examples/systemd/production/auth/teleport.service b/examples/systemd/production/auth/teleport.service
index 94e5a7887a122..b38dbadbdfeae 100644
--- a/examples/systemd/production/auth/teleport.service
+++ b/examples/systemd/production/auth/teleport.service
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
 # Set the nodes roles with the `--roles`
 # In most production environments you will not
 # want to run all three roles on a single host
diff --git a/examples/systemd/production/node/teleport.service b/examples/systemd/production/node/teleport.service
index 82f1ebc26f12c..aa9795267f220 100644
--- a/examples/systemd/production/node/teleport.service
+++ b/examples/systemd/production/node/teleport.service
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
 # Set the nodes roles with the `--roles`
 # In most production environments you will not
 # want to run all three roles on a single host
diff --git a/examples/systemd/production/proxy/teleport.service b/examples/systemd/production/proxy/teleport.service
index 2a0a191d513f2..0a68389db2b10 100644
--- a/examples/systemd/production/proxy/teleport.service
+++ b/examples/systemd/production/proxy/teleport.service
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
 # Set the nodes roles with the `--roles`
 # In most production environments you will not
 # want to run all three roles on a single host
diff --git a/examples/systemd/teleport.service b/examples/systemd/teleport.service
index d641fb2f13287..9f63664173c89 100644
--- a/examples/systemd/teleport.service
+++ b/examples/systemd/teleport.service
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
 EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport start --config /etc/teleport.yaml --pid-file=/run/teleport.pid
 # systemd before 239 needs an absolute path
diff --git a/lib/config/systemd.go b/lib/config/systemd.go
index 5992b119c2cb5..d47bd25647921 100644
--- a/lib/config/systemd.go
+++ b/lib/config/systemd.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
 EnvironmentFile=-{{ .EnvironmentFile }}
 ExecStart={{ .TeleportInstallationFile }} start --config {{ .TeleportConfigPath }} --pid-file={{ .PIDFile }}
 # systemd before 239 needs an absolute path
diff --git a/lib/config/testdata/TestWriteSystemdUnitFile.golden b/lib/config/testdata/TestWriteSystemdUnitFile.golden
index b852e9399ee28..1c219171700db 100644
--- a/lib/config/testdata/TestWriteSystemdUnitFile.golden
+++ b/lib/config/testdata/TestWriteSystemdUnitFile.golden
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
 EnvironmentFile=-/custom/env/dir/teleport
 ExecStart=/custom/install/dir/teleport start --config /etc/teleport.yaml --pid-file=/custom/pid/dir/teleport.pid
 # systemd before 239 needs an absolute path