diff --git a/examples/systemd/fips/teleport.service b/examples/systemd/fips/teleport.service
index c366a249ed4d1..412b5f164c13e 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 --fips --pid-file=/run/teleport.pid
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
diff --git a/examples/systemd/production/auth/teleport.service b/examples/systemd/production/auth/teleport.service
index db5c2109e11fd..646a3821bbcdb 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 ca3e66dd2b564..707e7f6023f8b 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 7c64812aa52c6..362c73c469325 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 b969f818b5c5a..515303d2e1677 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 --pid-file=/run/teleport.pid
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
diff --git a/lib/config/systemd.go b/lib/config/systemd.go
index 7fc15080e9f69..ff7801d704b26 100644
--- a/lib/config/systemd.go
+++ b/lib/config/systemd.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
 EnvironmentFile=-{{ .EnvironmentFile }}
 ExecStart={{ .TeleportInstallationFile }} start --pid-file={{ .PIDFile }}
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
diff --git a/lib/config/testdata/TestWriteSystemdUnitFile.golden b/lib/config/testdata/TestWriteSystemdUnitFile.golden
index 7158564712cdc..4720caf4f10f5 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 --pid-file=/custom/pid/dir/teleport.pid
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID