diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b1979c72..5bc860cc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1435,6 +1435,9 @@ and the primary node is unavailable (but is later restarted):
     [2017-08-29 11:00:45] [NOTICE] reconnected to upstream node 1 after 68 seconds, resuming monitoring
     [2017-08-29 11:00:57] [INFO] node "node2" (node ID: 2) monitoring upstream node "node1" (node ID: 1) in normal state (automatic failover disabled)
 
+By default, `repmgrd` will continue in degraded monitoring mode indefinitely.
+However a timeout (in seconds) can be set with `degraded_monitoring_timeout`.
+
 ### `repmgrd` log rotation
 
 To ensure the current `repmgrd` logfile does not grow indefinitely, configure
diff --git a/configfile.c b/configfile.c
index 8bc3fb70..2456e327 100644
--- a/configfile.c
+++ b/configfile.c
@@ -943,7 +943,6 @@ reload_config(t_configuration_options *orig_options)
 		config_changed = true;
 	}
 
-
 	/* conninfo */
 	if (strcmp(orig_options->conninfo, new_options.conninfo) != 0)
 	{
@@ -962,6 +961,15 @@ reload_config(t_configuration_options *orig_options)
 		PQfinish(conn);
 	}
 
+	/* degraded_monitoring_timeout */
+	if (orig_options->degraded_monitoring_timeout != new_options.degraded_monitoring_timeout)
+	{
+		orig_options->degraded_monitoring_timeout = new_options.degraded_monitoring_timeout;
+		log_info(_("\"degraded_monitoring_timeout\" is now \"%i\""), new_options.degraded_monitoring_timeout);
+
+		config_changed = true;
+	}
+
 	/* event_notification_command */
 	if (strcmp(orig_options->event_notification_command, new_options.event_notification_command) != 0)
 	{